My first Focus RS Dyno Tune

This weekend, I had the pleasure of getting to play with a Focus RS on the dyno. This car is completely stock with E30 in the tank and the little intercooler block off panel removed.



The customer wanted to stay conservative so we did not push this as far as we could have. Based on the amount of power it was picking up with small timing changes, you could tell it wanted more. The dotted graph was done on a Cobb Stage 1 OTS Map that had been converted to run E30. The solid graph is the final tune where the customer decided he was happy with those results. Final numbers were 352whp/394wtq.



With us being at high altitude, everything is slower. This car ran a 13.67 at 101mph on the Cobb OTS map with a 1.93 60'. With just some timing tweaks on E30 he picked up 3 tenths and 3 mph and ran a 13.35 at 104mph, also with a 1.93 60'. The map that he ran that time on made 335whp. Hope to see him get closer to the 12's with this latest tune.

Also, this car makes me appreciate how easy the Mazdapseeds are to tune comparatively.

 

What you're saying is don't mess with one unless you're BT. Noted.

Needs driver mod. That's easily a 12 second car.

Edit: unless those are corrected numbers. Then disregard the 12 comment.
I'd like to see raw numbers if that's the case

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Yes, don't mess with them, they bite...

And it would be/is a 12 sec car at sea level. These are corrected numbers for altitude. And the owner is able to cut a 1.93 60' without using the factory launch control or flat foot shift.

 

Not knocking it, glad he's using it, but he needs seat time.

If a 250whp MS6 can do high 1.6/1.7 all day without driver aids, he should cut 1.7, 1.8 at most.

This thing is going to rip once he gets the hang of it. Very jelly.

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My favorite color too! Nice work!

 

That's some crazy power to be had on a car so easy to daily drive. Now if only I had a spare $45k laying around.....

 

I know right... I'm itching to get an RS myself. Found a slightly used one for $40k a couple weeks ago, but still can't justify right now...

 

You'll have to go up against the FoST if you do. Would be cool to compare total buy/build price vs performance.

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Well our ST definitely has more in it than the price of an RS at this point, including the initial price of the car of course. But the ST will destroy an RS. They definitely have the torque down low on us, but the top end on the ST is just insane.

 

I assumed you had more in the ST, that gives Alan some room to play with the RS. It'd be a good show.

 

How is the ST top end insane? Doesn't the K03 run out of breath?

What is even in the RS? I read the ecoboot mustang has a K04, and the RS has something slightly bigger. Is a BNR S3 comparable to whatever is in the RS? Or is it more BNR S4 territory?

 

I think Edge's ST is all deadhook'd out now. Big ol' fat turbo in it.

 

You guys need to follow Edge on FB. They aren't fucking around when it comes to that ST of theirs.

 

Our ST has a GTX3582 mounted to a Deadhook 2.3L stroker. But you are not wrong, the K03 stock turbo falls on its face rather quick.

The turbo on the RS is a twin scroll K04 but it is a bit bigger than the one in the mustang according to ford. It is also a far more efficient turbo than the Mazda K04. I think this car if I had pushed it a bit further would make very similar power to a BNR S4 speed 3 on the stock fuel system.

 

Yeah agreed if I got one I'd probably choose the grey. I'd be unhappy that it still came with blue brakes though. I want those gray like the car.

 

Maybe it's because I'm so used to the Speed platform, but I pucker when I see torque ramping up that quickly and getting so high even at ~2,800 rpms. I know the RS has forged rods from the factory. But so do we (albeit forged powder metal in our app, not sure about theirs). Tunes like this remind me how steep the learning curve can be on new platforms. Not hatin'; just conditioned to be very wary of stuff like that.

 

I can see where you'd be weary... But the RS is proving to be a beast of a car. There are plenty out there making way more torque than this at the same rpms and still running strong. However, they don't like to be flat foot shifted from what we've been seeing.

 

Good to know. I'm still interested to see what its limits are going to be. Eventually things will start breaking, and thereby a ton will be learned about the platform. Since its in the infancy of platform development stage, a lot is yet left to be learned. It's simultaneously one of the best and worst things that can happen to a new platform. Best because you learn what to focus on and work around. Worst because it can be pricey.

 

Pricey for sure. Since it is such low production and it is different enough from the mustang, parts are not cheap for them.

 

Indeed. I wonder if the rods/internals are the same as the Mustang 2.3 turbo.
I'm also a little sad to see that Ford did, again, what Mazda did with our engine, and they did with the various ST's: chose a small, quick-spooling turbo with no top-end. If I had to guess, the RS only appears to flow about the same as our K04 (35lbs/min, or maybe a tad more). They fall flat on their face up top like we do. Have any links/specs to their turbo? Twinscroll? Variable geometry?