Focus RS

Make
Ford
Segment
Hatchback

The third-generation Ford Focus RS finally gave American buyers a taste of what Europeans have been able to buy for several decades, a high-performance hot hatchback from the Blue Oval. Sure, the US market got cheap imitations of the ST and RS cars like the bygone Focus SVT, but compared to legendary models like the Sierra Cosworth and Escort Cosworth, these were utter disappointments.

Sadly, the Focus RS lasted for just one generation in the US from 2016 to 2018. And with Ford announcing that it will kill off all of its sedans and hatchbacks, we may never get another one. Ford is currently working on a hybrid successor to the Focus RS, but there is no chance it will be sold in the US. This is reality is disappointing, but rendering artist Matthew Parsons has created something that might be even cooler than a new Focus RS, a modern successor to the Escort Cosworth.

You may not be familiar with the Ford Escort RS Cosworth given that it was never sold here in the US. It was designed as Group A car for the World Rally Championship and a road-going version was built as a homologation special from 1992 to 1996. Power came from a 2.0-liter turbocharged Cosworth YBT four-cylinder engine that produced 224 horsepower out of the factory. This engine has a reputation for being highly tunable though, with many tuning companies boosting it to over 1,000 hp.

Parsons has created a modern interpretation of the Escort Cossie, attempting to keep as many of the original 1990s design cues as possible. We love the giant vents in the hood but the rear end looks a bit strange. The Escort's signature rear spoiler has clearly been toned down in this modern iteration, and we would have preferred to see a more outrageous wing. Parsons has no affiliation with Ford so there is no chance this rendering will be put into production. But it still looks cool.