[Jobber]

Turns out that when Raj Nair , Fords VP of Product Development, was a young engineer stationed at Euro Ford HQ in Cologne his company car was an Escort RS Cosworth that he kind of fell in love with...

Car and Driver has the story:

To Americans, the “Cossie” was fanboy fantasy. A turbocharged, four-wheel-drive rally homologation special, it’s always ranked near the top of the list of Great Performance Models Ford Denied Us. The engineer loved it, used it to transport his young family, and refused to return it. Eventually he was shipped back to Dearborn, Michigan, leaving the Escort behind.

His name? Raj Nair, now Ford’s VP of product development and chief technical officer. And although there’s no officially acknowledged link between his one-time choice of company car and his decision to turn the new Focus RS into a global superstar, we’re calling it a compelling coincidence.

 

[Cosmonaut]

I like that story. Would be a very cool string of questions to ask him in an interview.

 

[S.Elliot]

It always helps to have people on board that can relate to who they're selling to and that's what ultimately important, it's what churns out vehicles like the Focus RS.

 

[Professor G]

I'm sure most of the Focus RS team is composed of car guys/gals like us who appreciate performance cars. But usually it's the bean-counters that prevent cool projects like the Focus RS from reaching production.

Whatever the inspiration for the current Focus RS may be, whether it's Mr. Nair's background or something else, I'm simply glad that the Focus RS is finally coming to the US. Now I can start to weave some performance Ford into my own life history, like Mr. Nair...

 

[S.Elliot]

I'm sure most of the Focus RS team is composed of car guys/gals like us who appreciate performance cars. But usually it's the bean-counters that prevent cool projects like the Focus RS from reaching production.

Whatever the inspiration for the current Focus RS may be, whether it's Mr. Nair's background or something else, I'm simply glad that the Focus RS is finally coming to the US. Now I can start to weave some performance Ford into my own life history, like Mr. Nair...

Whether it's just him or a few or the entire team, seeing it actually happen rather than being talked about and dragged on for who knows how long is a relief!

 

[Professor G]

Whether it's just him or a few or the entire team, seeing it actually happen rather than being talked about and dragged on for who knows how long is a relief!

Absolutely. Cheers to the new Focus RS!

 

[centurion]

Whether it's just him or a few or the entire team, seeing it actually happen rather than being talked about and dragged on for who knows how long is a relief!

x2

I wish more car makers were like this, less talk, more action!

But in this case it was a slightly easier and faster process, a product that already proved itself in other markets with raving demand where it was never available.

 

[Creedence]

x2

I wish more car makers were like this, less talk, more action!

But in this case it was a slightly easier and faster process, a product that already proved itself in other markets with raving demand where it was never available.

Porsche. (just saying)

 

[S.Elliot]

Porsche. (just saying)

Good example.

Followed developments around the current Cayman and they didn't do much talking, all you really saw were the usual spy shots.

Much better than months of unconfirmed details on what it could be like, straight to business

 

[Creedence]

Good example.

Followed developments around the current Cayman and they didn't do much talking, all you really saw were the usual spy shots.

Much better than months of unconfirmed details on what it could be like, straight to business

although I will say the Macan launch had plenty of talking and super superlatives tossed around

 

[S.Elliot]

Might be some good reasoning behind that, maybe with the Macan being new and entering a growing and competitive segment they felt the need to do that.