Tips on modifying Mk3 Focus RS

Tips on modifying Mk3 Focus RS. The Focus has been with us for an incredible twenty years, and while its styling has mellowed and contemporised, it’s easy to forget just how radical the New Edge design of the Escort’s replacement was back in 1998. And, of course, there have always been hot variants to keep the blood pumping for the Blue Oval enthusiast – the Mk1 was revered even in base-spec form for its superlative chassis with control blade suspension, but the RS really was something else. 212bhp, Brembo brakes, Sachs dampers, Quaife ATB diff, it ticked a lot of boxes and has gone down in history as a classic of the genre. 

In a sense, its spiritual successor was not the Mk2 Focus RS but the ST, offering 225bhp from its turbocharged five-cylinder motor, and that’s the next car we’re looking at in this guide. And finally, the Mk3 Focus RS – well, it’s just an animal, isn’t it? Half hot-hatch, half-spaceship, it boasts such generation-PlayStation toys as Launch Control and Drift Mode, as well as the sort of performance figures and acceleration stats that were the clear preserve of the supercar back when the Mk1 RS came out. For each of these three iconic models, we spoke to a trio of tuners to ask their advice on the best ways to modify them for maximum performance and thrills; we also set the recommendations at three clear price points – sub-£1,000, £1,000-2,000, and £5,000+ - to give you an idea of what’s possible at different budgets. Words DAN BEVIS / Photos VARIOUS

Mountune

SUB-£1,000

We asked Mountune’s David Moore what the best starting point might be: “Without a doubt, we’d spend this on our FPM375 upgrade - the only Ford-endorsed power upgrade kit that won’t affect your warranty,” he says. “As the name suggests, this raises power to 375PS and torque also jumps to 510Nm and really brings the RS alive. The kit retails for £899 inc. VAT, so throw in a Sound Suppression Chamber and labour to get it all installed and it’ll be the best £1,000 you could spend on a Mk3 Focus RS.”

£1,000-2,000

“With an extra £1,000 to play with, we’d still opt for the FPM375, but in addition, add our sport spring kit for £199,” says David. “This reduces the choppiness of the ride - making it more comfortable to use every day, and also enhancing handling and improving aesthetics, lowering ride height 10mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. “The next £159 would go on our Billet Short- Shift arm – reducing shifter-throw by 25%. After this we’d invest £119 in our roll-restrictor and finally, depending on the remaining budget for the labour, we’d either fit our high-flow hardpipe (£145), or opt for the full charge pipe kit (£319) to improve the pressure drop and upgrade the hoses ready for some more boost!”

£5,000+

With this budget, David recommends the M400 upgrade. “This consists of our high-flow induction kit, SSC, uprated intercooler, highflow hard pipe, and our own full 3in exhaust system with 200-cell catalyst. The calibration is installed and updated via our mTune handset. 400PS and 560Nm will then be available, which really transforms the RS into a quick car with plenty of character to go with it. The full kit is £3,495 inc. VAT, so with labour, you’ll have around £1,000 to spend on the chassis upgrades already recommended. Together they make a huge difference to how the Mk3 RS behaves, but for those looking to go even further, we have a substantial catalogue of parts available, with plenty more still in development too!”

Revo

SUB-£1,000

The Mk3 Focus RS may have supercar-baiting performance, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily heinously expensive or complex to squeeze more power from it. Revo’s suggested starting point weighs in at £678 all-in; the first step is to opt for the Revo Stage 1 software. Augment this with a Revo ProPanel filter which slots right into your airbox – a high-grade upgrade with a lifetime warranty. “This combo will increase performance up to 377bhp and 415lb.ft,” says Revo’s Paul Clements.

£1,000-2,000

The £1,000-2,000 budget is an interesting area for the Mk3 RS. For the starting point (£1,018.80) you can treat yourself to the aforementioned Revo Stage 1 software along with the Carbon Series intake. Your next step up with Revo could see you saving up a bit more to get where you want to be: they’ve put together a couple of packages for you to consider: at £2241.24, you’re looking at the Revo Performance Pack - an upgrade for existing Stage 1 users, comprising a step up to Stage 2 software, Carbon Series intake, intercooler and pipe upgrades, and Milltek sports downpipe. Alternatively, the next package is for the new customer rather than the existing Stage 1 user: all of the above for a stock Mk3 RS comes in at £2,840.04.

£5,000+

If you have over £5k to spend on your RS, Revo have got you covered. The Performance Pack, comprising Revo Stage 2 software, Carbon Series intake, intercooler and pipe upgrades, combined with Milltek sports downpipe will have performance where you want it, while the Revo Big Brake Kit (£1,975) and Revo RV019 19in wheels (£999) will neatly enhance your chassis. All of this comes in at £6408.84.

Auto Specialists

SUB-£1,000

“Out of the box, these are great cars that offer a fantastic all-round package,,” says Alan, “but it’s also partly the reason why improving them takes a bit more investment. Unlike the Mk2 Focus models, the range of simple, bolt-on modifications is a little thinner on the ground and therefore more expensive. However, for a small budget we’d suggest a few easy additions, starting with our AIRTEC Stage 1 induction kit (£129.90) to see improved performance and an AIRTEC quick-shift (£79.95) and torque mount (£74.95) to improve the gear change and feel. To make the most of that comes a Revo Stage 1 remap (£598.80), as it’s the most popular with our customers and makes it easy to upgrade in the future.”

£1,000-2,000

“This is where things start to get interesting,” Alan grins, “as with a bigger budget you can see more gains that can transform the car. We would suggest some more detailed performance modifications which would mean starting with an AIRTEC intercooler upgrade (£495) and our Stage 2 induction kit (£295). This budget won’t allow for a full exhaust system, but at this level you only need a downpipe and de-cat package to see the gains (Cobra - £315). To complement it all, we would suggest the Revo Stage 2 map (£898.80), which might sound quite expensive but it’s worth it and you can pay the difference to upgrade from Stage 1.”

£5,000+

Alan suggests that starting with a larger budget in mind will allow you to extract much more of the car’s overall tuning potential. “At this level, we’d advise retaining the engine modifications from the previous budget, with the additions of a full exhaust system (£756) and AIRTEC oil cooler kit (£295) to ensure engine running temperatures are kept in check. From there, we would recommend looking at improving the handling set up, with a KW V3 coilover kit (£1,800) and the full range of Summit chassis braces (£1,204.70). There are eight in total and these can be bought individually and range in price. Altogether, this will make the car feel like a new vehicle and is suitable for fast road and track use.”

Sources: Fast Ford Summer 2018

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