Fast Fords are a core part of car culture all over the world. Even in America, where rallying didn’t catch on, models like the RS200 or the Escort Cosworth are still well known. However, we’re approaching the end of the line for the last Ford hot hatch, and we thought it needs to be celebrated with this rendering of the 2024 Focus RS, created by Avante Design.
Avante is one of the top rendering artists on Instagram. Some of his 3D models have even been turned into real body kits. And although we hope this 2024 Focus RS will become a reality, it won’t happen with any help from Ford.
You see, the fast Focus has hit the end of the line several times. In 2018, Ford discontinued the Focus RS, selling only 1000 units in the United States and 500 in Canada. That same year, a new generation of hatch came out, but it only received the Focus ST treatment, not the hardcore RS. All Focus production will end in 2025, and there’s no replacement planned, not unless they can turn it into an electric crossover.
And it’s a real shame, considering the Focus RS/ST always delivered more power and fun than the equivalent Volkswagen Golf. But to be honest, the 2023 Focus ST (currently on sale in Europe) doesn’t look great.
Even though it’s powered by a 276 horsepower 2.3-liter engine, the biggest of any hot hatch, the Focus ST closely resembles a normal ST-line with a 1-liter 3-cylinder under its hood. That’s something this rendering fixes because there’s nothing on Avante Design’s Focus RS that’s left unmodified.
Avante Focus RS body kit: The mods
Avante has done something very interesting to the regular 5-door body. First, it’s got a true widebody kit with flared-out bodywork at the front and rear. We reckon that about 2 inches of bodywork have been added on both sides. This makes the Focus RS 3D model look even more aggressive than a GR Corolla or a Civic Type R.
Of course, the front end is also completely new. Just like the old Focus RS from 2018, this 2024 proposition has much larger air intakes. The nose of the car sticks out further, and the scoops are cut up into square shapes, reminiscent of the BMW M2. Protruding, square intakes are kind of a trademark of the Avante rendering style.
Bigger intakes mean you can fit a larger radiator, which modified turbo engines can require. Also, the widebody kit makes room for bigger tires and a wider track, thus improving cornering.
Of course, it’s got other features, like the famous rally-style wheel and the large exhaust tips. But the 2024 Focus RS rendering also appears tuned, with slammed suspension leading the way for what I think are Rotiform forged wheels. And of course, it wouldn’t be a fast Ford without Nitrous Blue paint.
The official word from Ford is that the Focus RS is dead: “As a result of pan-European emissions standards, increased CO2 taxation, and the high cost of developing an RS with some form of electrification for a relatively low volume of vehicles, we are not planning another RS version of the Focus.”
Of course, the only engine that could go in the RS is still the 2.3-liter, which is the biggest EcoBoost 4-cylinder. But in 2010, the Focus RS had a 2.5-liter 305 hp motor, essentially a Volvo 5-cylinder. It sounded amazing but didn’t come with AWD. We know the 2.3L is easily able to make more power. In fact, Ford dealers used to sell the Montune RS500 with a hefty performance increase.
This means it’s the end of the line for the Focus RS which dates back to 2002, but also the lineage to the much loved Escort RS Cosworth.
