19-10-2012

Geruchten komst Focus RS III steeds sterker.

A week ago (12-10-2012, lees verderop deze pagina) we talked about the next generation of the Ford Focus RS that could get a new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with approximately 300 hp (224 kW) which is currently being developed in the United States.

According to a recent report, the next-gen Ford Mustang might also get the same engine with just about the same output (310 hp) as in the Focus RS and capable of returning 34 mpg on the highway. There are some chances that Ford will not offer a six-cylinder engine for the next Mustang.

AllFordMustangs.com user GT_STYLE says that the body of the new Mustang will be similar to the one of the current model but the trunk length will be smaller while the sides are formed/indented. The car’s front is expected to feature a beehive-like grille with the Mustang logo centered. He described the headlights as being little slants while the taillights are louvered and projecting out. The third brake light has grown in size and will be installed under the license plate.

That user has managed to obtain this information after participating in a market research study, but even if he is telling the truth about the characteristics of the new Mustang, a lot could change when the next generation hits the market.

Bron | WorldCarFans.com



12-10-2012 Focus RS - The Next Generation.

Ford hints at 350hp through the front wheels and a clever diff to tame it...

Ford has suggested the next Focus RS could get a clever active front limited-slip differential to tame torque steer in a car that could send as much as 350hp through the front wheels, much as VW is doing with the next-gen Golf GTI. Officially Ford hasn't even admitted it's doing another version of giant-slaying Focus, but of course it is and we're slowly discovering what form it'll take when it arrives in a year or two.

PistonHeads got talking to the powertrain engineering manager of European performance division Team RS (there's one clue), Len Urwin, who revealed his admiration for the active diff.

"You can drop a mechanical diff in as we did with the previous Focus RS ... but an E-diff would take that a step forward in that you can really optimize traction in all situations," he said. The helical Quaife diff in the last RS coped manfully with the 2.5-litre engine's 305hp, but the car still suffered torque steer and, as Urwin says, the system wasn't programmable.

As we learned in our differential masterclass, the problem with passive front LSDs is that the set-up is always a compromise. An active diff would theoretically remove those compromises.



Urwin's been up to Sweden in the snow to test an active diff called Twinster made by British engineering giants GKN (who also do the BMW M active diff). He came away impressed. "It works better than I expected," he told us. "It's on the list."

Four-wheel drive is also a possibility, but its use is hampered by the fact that the 4WD systems available within Ford are all the front-wheel biased Haldex type. "It's inherently an understeering system," Urwin said. "We would need to do something we could make fun to drive."

They're also heavy, but as he says, in terms of traction they're still superior to a front LSD.

The engine could be a version of the two-litre Ecoboost seen in the Focus ST, but tuned past the 250hp it makes in the 'warm' hatch. As it was pointed out, the same engine in the Radical SR3 SL makes closer to 300 hp. It would require a larger turbo we were told, but this causes problems. "If you size it too large and capable of too much power you lose bottom-end torque and response," said Urwin.



This wasn't talked about, but the more likely option is a 2.3-litre version of the Ecoboost rumoured to be under development in the States and capable of around 350hp. What is 99 per cent certain is that the next RS will be a five-door only, for the very good reason Ford hasn't got a three-door version of this generation Focus.

It'll also likely to be sold in the States for the first time, which is a good thing because the sheer numbers will bring economies of scale (ie affordability) for initially expensive integration of hardware like an E-diff.

Bron | Worldcarfans.com | PistonHeads.com

12-10-2012

Next-gen Ford Mustang and Focus RS could share the same engine - report

Could be sold only as a five-door.

The latest report about the next-gen Ford Focus RS comes from PistonHeads who talked to Len Urwin, the engineering manager of the European performance division Team RS. He admitted that the new Focus RS is likely to get a clever active front limited slip differential developed by GKN, the same British engineering company that was in charge of the BMW M active differential.

Under the hood it could get a more powerful variant of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine seen in the warm Focus ST, the same power unit installed in the Radical SR3 SL where it pumps out 300 hp (224 kW). However, there are bigger chances of seeing a 2.3-liter EcoBoost with about 350 hp (261 kW) that is currently being developed in the United States.

Most likely, the new generation of the Ford Focus RS will be sold exclusively as a five-door model and it will be available at first in the United States.

Bron | Worldcarfans.com | PistonHeads.com

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