Ford Focus RS Mountune upgrade kit launched

Ford tuning specialist Mountune has launched its first stage of upgrades for the new Focus RS after testing at the Nürburgring, giving the hot hatch more power and extra potential for future chassis modifications.

The biggest items in the ‘phase one’ kit are a set of 19in OZ Racing Leggera HLT wheels, which are 2.8kg lighter each than the standard items and 1.7kg lighter than the factory forged optional wheels.

Mountune says the wheels (which cost £1519.96 as a set) are half an inch wider than the factory alternatives, giving the car wider tracks for improved stability and extra space to facilitate any aftermarket big brake kits – suggesting the firm could launch one at a later stage. They’re offered with an optional set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres for an extra £900.

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Mountune has also upgraded the car’s intake system, with new high-flow induction hoses and a boost hose upgrade kit. These wire-reinforced parts are not only more rigid than the standard plastic items but are also more resistant to heat damage, having been tested to 250deg C – about 70deg more than the standard car requires. This leaves plenty of room for boost upgrades, suggesting a Mountune one could be on the agenda in the future.

Additionally, RS owners can now have a Mountune-supplied Quaife ATB differential fitted to their car. The diff uses a gear-based system, as opposed to clutch plates, to offer smoother performance and improved traction. Mountune also says it makes the car’s Drift Mode even easier to use. It sells for £726.

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Other key items in the kit include a polyurethane roll restrictor, which is said to reduce the rocking of the engine and gearbox during hard acceleration and improve response times, and a billet short-shift arm, which reduces the gearlever throw by 25%.

Mountune has refrained from revealing what difference to power output the intake modifications make, and it hasn’t released any data to illustrate how the chassis adjustments affect handling. It does, however, promise improvements all round, explaining that further testing needs to be done before it can reveal any hard numbers.

As the kit’s name suggests, this is the first of several stages of Mountune upgrades for the Focus RS. The firm says a power upgrade has already been developed and signed off for a later package, but details for it are yet to be released. Insiders think the full kit could edge the Focus RS’s output towards 400bhp; as standard, the car’s turbocharged 2.3-litre engine produces 345bhp.

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