This might be the hottest hatchback that Ford has ever created
To up the fun, the all-wheel-drive, 350-horsepower hatchback comes with a "drift mode" and launch control.
Drifting is something that expert drivers can do on a track, getting a car to slide sideways amid plumes of tire smoke. Launch control allows for quick starts without speed-sapping wheel spin.
Sporting a significant suspension upgrade and a 2.3 liter EcoBoost engine, Ford lists the 0-62 time for the RS as 4.7 seconds: impressive for a car into which you can easily fit your dog.
The Focus RS will be built in Germany, and will be sold under Fords "Performance Division" marquee - which also includes the upcoming GT supercar, the Mustang GT-350, and the F-150 Raptor pickup truck.
This is the first time the RS trim will be available in the United States. The "hot" hatchback, a very successful concept in Europe, has traditionally received lukewarm support over here, outside the hardcore enthusiast crowd.
But that seems to be changing; the Focus RS will have to compete with similar models like the year-old Volkswagen Golf R and the well loved but very niche Subaru Impreza STI.
And if you want to see how that "drift mode" works, allow Ford to explain: