Ford has just released some more info on its upcoming hot hatch, the 2009 Ford Focus RS. It will back up its super agressive looks with a Duratec 2.5 liter turbocharged engine. This motor will produce 300 horsepower and 325 ft-lbs of twist. This should propell the Focus to 60 MPH in less than six seconds. Top speed has been set at 162.

Torque steer is a huge problem that high performance front wheel drive cars have sometimes (due to unequal half shaft lengths). Two notorious offenders include the Dodge SRT4 and Mazdaspeed 3. Channeling all that power through the front wheels can present a huge challenge to automakers. Ford has addressed the problem with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited slip differential and a special “RevoKnuckle” front suspension design. Supposedly this design was good enough that Ford shelved the AWD version of the Focus RS quickly.

This version of the Focus is shaping up to be a pretty solid “bang for your buck” performance car. If the pricing is reasonable (low to mid 20’s), I’d bet that this car is really gonna take down sales cars like the Impreza WRX. Ultra sporty looks and solid performance combined with a reasonable pricetag will definitely make this the new car that all the high school kids are lusting over.