2015 Ford Focus RS has drift mode and launch control

The Ford Focus RS went official back in early February and the car has now made its official global auto show debut. Along with that official auto show debut, Ford is taking the time to talk about some of the cool AWD technologies that the Focus RS is bringing to market. We already know that the car uses AWD for traction and handling.

Ford has also fitted the car with some very cool technologies that buyers of the Focus RS will find very useful when they go to the track. The car has a launch control for ideal launches at the drag strip and it has the first drift mode in the industry.

It can be hard to drift an AWD car so Ford put a drift mode into the selectable driving modes the car offers. Drift mode has a special calibration that modifies torque distribution on the AWD car to help the driver get the oversteer desired. The car also has normal, sport, and track modes.

The launch control configures the torque distribution system and powertrain to get the most acceleration possible. The EcoBoost engine has a 6800 rpm redline and optimum shift point is 5900 rpm with a shift light in the instrument cluster to tell drivers when to shift. Ford also fitted the car with 13.78-inch ventilated front disks and Brembo 4-piston calipers to help the car slow down. We still don't know just how much the car will cost. We expect it to hit dealers in the US next year.

SOURCE: Ford