<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/" rel="tag">Europe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/#10"><img hspace="0" border="0" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2009-ford-focus-rs.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2009 Ford Focus RS - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Our friends across the pond in Europe have always good things to say about the <a href="http://autoblog.com/model/focus">Ford Focus RS</a>, leading to a great deal of angst in America since the Blue Oval Boys have never brought the hi-po Focus Stateside. News from <span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">Jost Capito, the man in charge of aligning <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a>'s performance divisions all around the globe, has us anxiously awaiting the time when that gross oversight is finally corrected.<br />
<br />
<em>Automobile </em>recently got the chance to sit down and chat with Capito, and the conversation quickly turned to the new global Ford Focus platform </span>that was <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-next-gen-ford-focus-a-c-segment-savior/">recently unveiled</a> at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/DetroitAutoShow/">Detroit Auto Show</a>. According to Capito, Ford is still deciding what to call the next-gen high-performance Focus, saying only, "<span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">I don't see RS in Europe going away, and I don't see SVT in the U.S. going away."<br />
<br />
Regardless of what it's called, we could very well see the speedy Focus take on multiple forms - similar to the path Ford has taken with the car in Europe with both <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/fordfocusst">a Focus ST</a> and <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/fordfocusrs">top-level RS</a>. Previously, we heard <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/03/rumormill-350-hp-focus-rs-clubsport-coming-next-gen-rs-to-get/">rumors</a> that a </span>240-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Focus ST could hit the scene within 18 months, followed by the latest RS, which could sport a 350-horsepower all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain, within the next three years.<br />
<br />
There are plenty more interesting tidbits in the interview, <a href="http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html">click here</a> to follow along.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/">2009 Ford Focus RS (green)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7495a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7490a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7509a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7502a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7506a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
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[Source: <a href="http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html">Automobile Magazine</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/">Ford to merge U.S. and European performance lines; Focus RS coming to America?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19365773/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
More...
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2009 Ford Focus RS - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Our friends across the pond in Europe have always good things to say about the <a href="http://autoblog.com/model/focus">Ford Focus RS</a>, leading to a great deal of angst in America since the Blue Oval Boys have never brought the hi-po Focus Stateside. News from <span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">Jost Capito, the man in charge of aligning <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a>'s performance divisions all around the globe, has us anxiously awaiting the time when that gross oversight is finally corrected.<br />
<br />
<em>Automobile </em>recently got the chance to sit down and chat with Capito, and the conversation quickly turned to the new global Ford Focus platform </span>that was <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-next-gen-ford-focus-a-c-segment-savior/">recently unveiled</a> at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/DetroitAutoShow/">Detroit Auto Show</a>. According to Capito, Ford is still deciding what to call the next-gen high-performance Focus, saying only, "<span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">I don't see RS in Europe going away, and I don't see SVT in the U.S. going away."<br />
<br />
Regardless of what it's called, we could very well see the speedy Focus take on multiple forms - similar to the path Ford has taken with the car in Europe with both <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/fordfocusst">a Focus ST</a> and <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/fordfocusrs">top-level RS</a>. Previously, we heard <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/03/rumormill-350-hp-focus-rs-clubsport-coming-next-gen-rs-to-get/">rumors</a> that a </span>240-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Focus ST could hit the scene within 18 months, followed by the latest RS, which could sport a 350-horsepower all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain, within the next three years.<br />
<br />
There are plenty more interesting tidbits in the interview, <a href="http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html">click here</a> to follow along.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/">2009 Ford Focus RS (green)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7495a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7490a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7509a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7502a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-ford-focus-rs-3/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/09focusrs_7506a_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html">Automobile Magazine</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/">Ford to merge U.S. and European performance lines; Focus RS coming to America?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6624068/car-news/ford-aims-to-align-global-performance-vehicles/index.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19365773/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/ford-to-merge-u-s-and-european-performance-lines-focus-rs-comi/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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