[Jobber]

"As for power, a specially tuned 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine delivers 350 PS"

Accidentally on purpose? Regardless, earlier today Ford.ie publicly released the horsepower figure for the 2017 Focus RS, much to the chagrin of Ford US.

The Official Ford Ireland site was shutdown earlier this evening, I suspect Ford U.S. became involved and shut down the domain in order to investigate if Ford.ie had any other confidential information blatantly displayed. However, an hour later the site went back up and the image was not taken down.

Was this legitimately an accident or a brutally crafty way to generate buzz?

Edit: The image was originally located at http://www.ford.ie/AboutFord/GenevaMotorshow2015, but that link is now redirecting here http://www.ford.ie/AboutFord/Overview

 

[S.Elliot]

Glad to see the number confirmed after all the reports of its power expectations, one of them being the below:

We have additional details about the upcoming 2016 Focus RS from another trusted source, including power output, so let's start with that. With the Mustang GT's V8 holding down a 435 hp spot at the top of the Ford performance pecking order (for now, until the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 emerges), the Focus RS is free to turn up the horsepower wick. Since the 2.3-liter Ecoboost is easily capable of more than its 310 hp output in the Mustang, which was dictated more by fuel economy concerns than anything else, the RS is free to pump out between 325 and 350 hp. The higher figure is more likely. This is because as a low-volume, niche product that doesn't compete with the Mustang GT, there's no reason to hold the Focus RS back.

 

[centurion]

that last line in elliots quote is an important one to factor in:

This is because as a low-volume, niche product that doesn't compete with the Mustang GT, there's no reason to hold the Focus RS back.​

combine the leaked power of 345HP with the fact it'll have an all-wheel-drive and dynamic torque vectoring control system, this works out to be quite the recipe

 

[Creedence]

figure this. The mustang makes 310 hp 320 ft-lbs, can we extrapolate and say 360-370 ft-lbs for the RS?

 

[Cosmonaut]

It sounds to me that this was more of a mistake than a purposeful planting of information. Ford Ireland? That just doesn't seem likely to me. If it was, then man o man have they got good at this. I'll be interested to know how that power rating translates into top speed and acceleration once full specs are out there.

 

[AutoFocus]

Was this legitimately an accident or a brutally crafty way to generate buzz?

]

I'd say it was a brutally crafty way to generate buzz haha. I don't see how else that info would get to that website without going through some heavy protocol. This information about horsepower will only stand true when the Focus itself is ready to take home.

 

[centurion]

if it was a way to generate buzz.... they did an awesome freeking job!

 

[Jobber]

I'd say it was a brutally crafty way to generate buzz haha. I don't see how else that info would get to that website without going through some heavy protocol. This information about horsepower will only stand true when the Focus itself is ready to take home.

Same, especially when you consider the importance the UK markets have meant to RS in the past... 0

 

[Cosmonaut]

I feel like Ford Ireland just made a mistake. At this point now I am curious what the full story is though. Wish Ford could just let us know what the deal was.

 

[AutoFocus]

That's the whole point of creating the buzz, not to pull us in all the way but just enough to keep us on the edge of our seats waiting for what information will be thrown out next!

 

[S.Elliot]

They're just trying to keep the ball rolling, not letting the hype slow down

 

[Jobber]

I feel like Ford Ireland just made a mistake. At this point now I am curious what the full story is though. Wish Ford could just let us know what the deal was.

They did, its claimed it was a typo. someone meant to write more then 310 PS but instead wrote 350 PS!

HA, mistake my arse, 1 and 5 are quite distinct, not to mention the more than!

Fords deal is publicity, what you thought they were going to let the Civic type R continue to dominate the headlines?

Civic wins nurburgring, Civic has 306 bhp... Ford says thanks for coming out 350 PS!!! Focus RS and CTR are competing for the same pool of dollars and CTR will beat the RS to market. Ford needs to keep potential CTR buyers out of Honda show rooms, they want people to wait for the RS, how, tell them it makes bonkers numbers... and drifts!!!

A broken dome is a mistake, this is forgetting one deliberately

 

[AutoFocus]

They're just trying to keep the ball rolling, not letting the hype slow down

Yup! That's exactly what they are doing and what's been planned out from long time. Just like this thread it creates hype to keep everyone pulled in so when they're ready to throw out all the information everyone's waiting.

 

[S.Elliot]

They did, its claimed it was a typo. someone meant to write more then 310 PS but instead wrote 350 PS!

HA, mistake my arse, 1 and 5 are quite distinct, not to mention the more than!

Fords deal is publicity, what you thought they were going to let the Civic type R continue to dominate the headlines?

Civic wins nurburgring, Civic has 306 bhp... Ford says thanks for coming out 350 PS!!! Focus RS and CTR are competing for the same pool of dollars and CTR will beat the RS to market. Ford needs to keep potential CTR buyers out of Honda show rooms, they want people to wait for the RS, how, tell them it makes bonkers numbers... and drifts!!!

A broken dome is a mistake, this is forgetting one deliberately

That's why it always helps to consider how what ever is going has to do with their marketing efforts.

Hearing about a 'leak' sure sirs up discussion and get attention

 

[Jobber]

That's why it always helps to consider how what ever is going has to do with their marketing efforts.

Hearing about a 'leak' sure sirs up discussion and get attention

For sure, production won't begin until year end 2015, cars will be at stores by this time 2016... thats a ton of time for Ford to be sitting on their hands, while Honda has tangible product on the market...

 

[Cosmonaut]

Well I am more convinced its a big Ford publicity conspiracy now since there was another "mistake" that happened on the Ford Spain site. That site said that the Focus RS would have horsepower of 345. I just don't believe that after making the mistake once, another website would make the same mistake so quickly.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-focus-rs-to-arrive-with-345-hp.html

 

[centurion]

Well I am more convinced its a big Ford publicity conspiracy now since there was another "mistake" that happened on the Ford Spain site. That site said that the Focus RS would have horsepower of 345. I just don't believe that after making the mistake once, another website would make the same mistake so quickly.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-focus-rs-to-arrive-with-345-hp.html

Sure seems like that is the case or just really, really bad miscommunication

 

[Jobber]

Well looks like it was 345 hp after all! http://www.focusrsclub.com/forum/193-ford-focus-rs-general-discussion/1698-omg-just-released-345-hp-325-trq-2016-focus-rs.html

 

[Cosmonaut]

I still wonder if this was a publicity stunt or a mistake when it happened originally.

 

[S.Elliot]

I still wonder if this was a publicity stunt or a mistake when it happened originally.

My best guess is it was for publicity, the time it happened was just way too perfect.

During that time there wasn't much news, dead time... then that happened.