Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] Focus RS is finally being delivered to customers across the country, and the first to be handed the keys is Californian resident Jackson Gilmore.
He’s been eagerly awaiting the car ever since he first learned of rumors that it will be sold in the United States, possibly right here on Motor Authority.
"Then they said they were going to make it, it’s going to be all-wheel drive, 300-plus horsepower, they’re going to bring it to the States,” Gilmore said in a statement. "I told my girlfriend, you know, that’s the car. I’m going to buy that.”
To get to the front of the line, Gilmore said he placed his order more than 8 months ago. However, reality didn’t really set in for him until he was told recently that his car was among the first to be delivered to the West Coast.
2016 Ford Focus RS
What does he think of it now that he’s had some time behind the wheel?
“It’s definitely quick. It’s got power, but the biggest thing I noticed is the handling,” Gilmore said. “I think it’s glued to the road; it’s super tight… so as soon as you move the wheel it just points in and hugs the turn. It’s awesome, honestly.”
Pricing for the Focus RS starts at a very reasonable $36,605, which includes shipping. For this you get a practical hatch powered by a turbocharged engine and equipped with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Peak output from the car’s turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder is 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, which is enough for 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph.
If that's not enough, a number of tuning firms are already preparing go-fast parts for the car, and Ford, too, could be preparing a hotter version. Focus RS prototypes have been spotted at the Nürburgring and are believed to be for a limited edition RS500 version.
