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The family resemblance...
The family resemblance is clear from the newcomer"s beefy bodykit, with a huge air dam in the bumper, along with widened wheelarches, 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and a roof spoiler. The looks are inspired by the Fiesta Rallye Concept, which was first seen at the 2002 British Motor Show.
And the attention isn"t reserved for the exterior styling. Inside, the car has been kitted out much as a production model would be, with exclusive leather sports seats, RS-badged dials and a funky racing steering wheel.
Although nobody at Ford would be drawn about a precise power output, it was suggested by Derrick Kuzak, European vice president of product development, that the car would easily rival the most powerful hot hatches on the market. "We are working to around 180bhp as a base level," he revealed, "but with specialist tuning accessories, that could rise to well over the 200 mark to possibly as much as 240bhp."
The Fiesta RS could be on sale in as little as 18 months" time. Production will be outsourced to an independent coachbuilder, expected to be Italian specialist Pininfarina, which currently makes the Streetka for Ford.
Estimating a price is risky, because much depends on how extreme the final production version of the RS is. But the hot Fiesta is expected to take on rivals such as the MINI Cooper S and Renault Clio 1.2, both of which are on sale for around í‚á£16,000.
Kuzak revealed to Auto Express in an exclusive interview in the current issue that confirmation of the RS going into production was nothing more than a mere formality, adding that the model had already reached an advanced stage of development. Speaking at the car"s unveiling, Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito explained: "The Fiesta RS Concept shows how we intend to continue the treasured RS brand. We are staying true to the roots of RS, with products that will appeal to the more extreme performance car enthusiast.
"If we do go ahead with production, the car would join the new Fiesta ST to demonstrate how two distinct Ford performance brands can complement our mainstream models."
While Capito was reluctant to confirm that production had already been given the go-ahead, word on the Ford stand was that the model"s future has been sealed. "It has been track tested and, from the level of detail on the concept, you can see that we are very serious about it," Kuzak confirmed.