Today is a good day to be a Blue Oval fan, because Ford Performance says it will soon begin a blitz of new models.
Ford says it will deliver more than 12 new performance models between now and 2020, including the long-rumored Focus RS.
Since the company is also approaching performance using the same “One Ford” philosophy that saw the base Focus (along with the Fiesta, Fusion, and Escape) transformed into one globally-marketed version, it seems likely that the RS will finally make it to the U.S., too.
The RS is traditionally the most hardcore performance Focus available, and strikes fear into the hearts of Volkswagen GTI drivers. However the previous two versions never made it out of Europe, although we’ve still enjoyed Focus SVT and – currently – ST models here in the Land of the Free.
Ford is actually combining all of its regional performance operations like North America’s SVT, Europe’s Team RS, and Ford Racing into one global team. As with its regular cars and trucks, Ford hopes pooling resources will streamline development and produce models that can be sold in multiple markets for higher profitability.
So it’s less likely that we’ll continue to see regional skunkworks churning out models exclusively for their own markets. Some of the globally-developed models could still be market specific, but variety likely won’t be a problem.
The company that builds the Focus ST, Shelby GT350 Mustang, and F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck wouldn’t want to disappoint its fans, after all.
Following the launch of the GT350, the Focus RS will likely be the first of the 12 planned performance models. Ford hasn’t announced target date for it yet, but at least we know it’s coming.
