The Focus RS RX has driven by Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud must be built to handle all kinds of abuse: jumps, dirt, getting hit on all sides during World Rallycross competition, and of course, Gymkhana videos. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how they made the car stronger, faster and more ridiculous.
Ford Performance and M-Sport took less than a year to put together the new car for its debut season, which limited the team to one preseason test 12 days before its first race. Still, Block and Bakkerud of the Hoonigan Racing Division took it to seven podiums and three wins.
All the talk of Ken Block as a walking, talking, hooning marketing tool for the Focus aside, this shows a lot of the cool tech that went into making the new Focus rallycross car, from computational fluid dynamics runs to optimize its aerodynamics to engine optimization tests to the moving Block’s seat more towards the center of the car.
They eked out around 600 horsepower out of a 2.0-liter engine with huge turbos and high boost. It looks like it could suck a small bird into its turbines. We’re a little jealous.
The 2017 World Rallycross season starts on March 31 at Circuit de Catalunya, where more sweet neon hoon-Focus action will go down.