New Ford Focus RS Runs on Conti SportContact 3

The new Ford Focus RS – the auto manufacturer’s fastest volume model ever – has debuted in its final form at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, stepping out on Continental’s ContiSportContact 3 tyre, sized 235/35ZR19. The appearance follows previews at the London and Paris Motor Shows in 2008.

Lars Frick, an automotive engineer for Ford tyres with Continental, stated that the manufacturer was able to offer the company a tyre appropriate to the needs of the new car: “The Ford Focus RS should be equipped with tyres, which support the sporty driving dynamics and which allows the high torque level of the car to be translated to the road. The emphasis lay on safe handling characteristics and short braking distances, even on wet asphalt. At the same time Ford expected very sporty tyres, which made the driving dynamics tests on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife a very useful process.”

The Focus RS will also be kitted out with the ContiMobilityKit, allowing drivers to repair flats on the fly, as standard

Jost Capito, Ford’s director for Global Performance Vehicles & Motorsport Business Development, stated, “The new Focus RS is a serious high performance car – as much a car for driving enthusiasts as the one before it and classic Ford RS models of the past. We’re staying true to the core RS principles of an exciting, yet affordable high performance road car you can live with every day.”

In being both a genuine Ford RS and a full member of the Focus family, the new Focus RS represents a significant moment in the legacy of both brands. Its 2008 production start marked the 10th anniversary of Ford Focus and 40 years of Ford RS, backed by two World Rally Manufacturers’ Championship titles.
“RS is central to Ford’s high-performance heritage and Focus has played a major part in establishing Ford’s excellent reputation for driving dynamics. The all-new Focus RS embraces and celebrates both of these – it is a genuine RS and a genuine Focus,” concluded Capito.