For those who have bought the new Ford Focus RS but find it a bit feeble, American tuning company Hennessey Performance may have a solution you can buy.
The Hennessey HPE400 kit for the Focus RS gives the game away a bit, in that the ‘400’ is a reference to how much power you get with the upgrade fitted. Yep, that is 400bhp in an already rapid family hatchback.
Achieving 400bhp and a sizable increase in torque from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine is done by adding a new intake, blow-off valve (no laughing back there) and high-flow air filter in addition to a stainless steel mid-pipe for the exhaust system.
From a cosmetic perspective, the kit also comes with ‘Powered by Hennessey’ and ‘HPE400’ badges to show road users your Focus RS is especially potent. But, sadly, the kit is yet to be officially supported by Ford so the factory warranty may be invalidated.
Hennessey founder John Hennessey says the upgrade will go on sale within the next month and confirmed it will be available to UK customers. “We will ship the kit anywhere in the world,” he told Recombu Cars.
Prices start from US$2,995 (around £2,260) for the HPE400 kit, rising to US4,995 (around £3,770) if you want Hennessey to fit all the parts for you, which is probably best if you have ever found yourself in B&Q asking for a skirting board ladder or left-handed screwdriver.
On the off chance the HPE400 Focus RS kit is for US folk only, fellow specialist tuner Mountune has its own kit that is Ford-approved and takes the total output to 375bhp and torque to 530Nm. 0-62mph drops by two-tenths, to 4.5 seconds. Expect to pay £899.
The Focus RS has been heralded as the king of hot-hatches as it offers serious performance in a practical package that costs from £29,995. Rivals include the Honda Civic Type R, VW Golf R and the BMW M140i.
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