Ford is FINALLY giving us something that we might actually want!

The new 2016 Ford Focus RS is giving us Americans something that we have been waiting for... FUN!

So you may be asking yourself why am I writing about a Ford when I stick only to European vehicles. To answer your question, the new Ford Focus RS was previously only available to the European market. Set to hit showroom floors in the second week of April 2016, the new Ford Focus RS brings all of the fun of "Hot hatches" to American soil. Before we start talking cost and all that fun stuff, let's get a few things out of the way. Out of all of the domestic cars available on the market today, there are maybe only two or three that I would consider purchasing and having in my driveway, two of which carry the Jeep brand logo. That being said, this new Focus RS may have just been added to the list.

What's under the hood?

To start off we have the same 2.3-liter inline 4 that is available in the Mustang, but this one gets a 10% boost in power to 350 horse power and 350 lb-ft of torque. The engine is attached to a six-speed manual transmission and can do 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. The boost in power comes from a slightly bigger turbo and a bigger Intercooler - the biggest one they could possibly fit - according to Ford.

The All-Wheel Drive system (yes, it is an AWD Focus) has been completely redesigned and developed specifically for this vehicle. It uses twin rear clutch packs in the rear... allow me to explain. So at the front of the vehicle is an open axle that uses brake torque to deliver, or take away, power from\to which ever wheel is slipping. This is nothing new or special. The rear however is where the magic happens. A three piece drive shaft goes to an open differential that is flanked on either side by a clutch pack that is electronically controlled. 70% of the available torque goes to the rear wheels. The clutch packs can send all 100% of that power to either wheel, based on power need and slip, to help push the vehicle around a corner. On long straights the Focus RS will disconnect the rear end to become a more fuel efficient front-wheel drive vehicle. Pretty neat huh?

What about the looks?

For starters, Ford did not do anything special to the exterior design of the Focus RS to make it stand out from the other vehicles in the line-up other than the obvious RS badge and of course the rear spoiler. Basically what Ford has done is take their already popular Ford Focus and turn it into a sleeper.

What do I get for my money?

Let's crunch some numbers here first. Let's take a look at all of the cars available on the market today that fall into the "Hot Hatch" category.

• Mitsubishi Evolution
• Subaru WRX STi
• Audi S3
• Volkswagen Golf R
• Mercedes-Benz GLA45

To reiterate, the 2016 Ford Focus RS pushes 350 HP and 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. It comes in at a starting price of $36,605. So where does it stack up to the other cars in it's class?

1. The EVO starts @ $34,495, has 303 HP and a 0-60 of 4.9 seconds.
2. The STi starts @ $34,695, has 305 HP and a 0-60 of 4.8 seconds.
3. The S3 starts @ $43,425, has 292 HP and a 0-60 of 4.4 seconds.
4. The Golf R starts @ $35,650, has 292 HP and a 0-60 of 5.0 seconds.
5. The GLA45 start @ $49,580, has 375 HP and a 0-60 of 4.3 seconds.

Now let's go a little further down the rabbit hole and look at the actual "bang for your buck". At $36,605 you are paying $104.59 per horse under the hood, we will call this Price Per Pony, or ppp. Not too bad of a price point if you ask me. so What about the other guys?

1. The EVO comes in at $113.84/ppp
2. The STi comes in at $113.75/ppp
3. The S3 comes in at $148.72/ppp
4. The Golf R comes in at $122.09/ppp
5. The GLA45 comes in at $132.21/ppp

The conclusion here? While the 2016 Ford Focus RS may not be the least expensive in it's class or the most expensive, it does give you the best price point for the amount of power you are getting.

So what does this all mean for you? If you are already a fan of domestic vehicles and are looking for a small, fast and extremely fun car to drive the new Ford Focus RS may be the perfect fit for you. If you are an import fan, this may be a car to bring you back to the domestic side. Either way, there is no mistaking that Ford has really done something great here with the new Focus RS.