The Focus RS Mk1 was produced from October 2, 2002 to November 11, 2003 and was Ford's return to the RS (Rallye Sport) badge after the demise of the tweaked Escorts, particularly the fabled Ford Escort RS Cosworth. Production was limited to 4501 units only. The car was largely built on its own assembly line in Ford's Saarlouis plant.The RS was offered all over Europe, but 2147 were sold in the United Kingdom, by far its largest market. The Mark 1 Focus RS was a limited production run available in 21 European countries. It would generate a steady 0.98G in lateral acceleration due to racing parts such as Sachs dampers, lightweight O.Z Alloy Wheels and a Quaife ATB Differential. It would also allow 1.0G of braking force due to the standard Brembo braking system 324 mm (Front) 280 mm (Rear). The Focus RS upgraded or replaced 70% of the standard Focus mechanicals. The 1,998 cc inline-four engine equipped with a single Garrett AiResearch GT25 SG turbocharger produced a minimum of 215 PS at 5500 rpm and 310 N of torque at 3500 rpm, which was then mated to the 5-speed Ford MTX-75 transmission. Mechanically, most notably, the car incorporated a Quaife automatic torque biasing differential to improve traction from the front-wheel drive setup. The brakes used fixed-caliper, four-piston Brembo units with 324 mm discs at the front and single-piston floating calipers and 280 mm discs at the back. Wheels were 18" alloys specially developed by OZ Racing. The engine was heavily modified with forged aluminium pistons, hardened valve seats, sodium-filled exhaust valves, stainless steel exhaust system. The forced induction system comprised a Garrett turbocharger with a water-cooled charge air cooler and an electric water pump. To transmit the higher torque an upgraded AP clutch was used.
The Focus RS was available in one metallic colour, Imperial Blue. Internally, the theme is blue and black with sections of blue leather trim on the door trim panels, the steering wheel and the Sparco seats which were trimmed in blue/black leather. A green starter button starts the engine. The instruments have a blue background and in place of the coolant temperature gauge, the RS was equipped with a boost pressure indicator (up to 1.5 bar). The gear lever knob, handbrake lever, and pedals were all custom made by Sparco. (wikipedia)