Ford announced today that it will align a Ford Focus RS at MPG Marathon starting line. The Ford Focus RS, Ford’s fastest ever European production, will enter the seventh British eco challenge which starts this month.
You would expect all cars present at the start of an eco challenge like the MPG Marathon to be Priuses and Insights. It seems like a 300+ hp performance car can also run for a high mpg level.
The Ford Focus RS is powered by a 2.5-litre engine developing 305 PS that can take it from 0 to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds. The top speed of the Ford Focus RS is 163 mph and officially, has a fuel economy of 30.1 mpg
However, the driver of the Ford Focus RS in the MPG Marathon hopes to bring the mpg figure up to 35 mpg during a 360 mile long run.
Ford Press Release:
Ford’s fastest-ever European production car will chase a fuel efficiency record when it enters the UK's seventh annual MPG Marathon this month.
The 2.5-litre 305PS Ford Focus RS will target over 35mpg during the 360-mile route.
Capable of 163mph and 0-60mph in under six seconds, the Ford Focus RS aims to demonstrate its remarkable efficiency with class honors in the leading frugal motoring marathon.
Motoring writer Jeremy Walton and co-driver Alyson Marlow are preparing to beat the official 30.1mpg combined fuel economy of the Ford Focus RS by a margin of over 15 per cent.
"I'm setting out to prove you can use an efficient high-performance car in daily driving without enormous fuel bills," said Jeremy, who has entered the Ford-supplied RS in the
Warwickshire-based marathon's class for cars with CO2 emissions of 160+g/km.
Before customer deliveries even started earlier this year, more than half of the UK's Ford Focus RS allocation had been sold. The £26,395 car continued the RS badge's acclaimed 40-year association with exciting and affordable performance cars.
David Calder, Ford's medium car product manager, said: "We launched the latest Ford Focus RS not
only as the ultimate front-wheel drive performance car but also as a car you can live with every day, and wish Jeremy and Alyson a smooth and safe journey as they prove this out."
The MPG Marathon, organised by FleetWorld magazine, demonstrates real world fuel economy figures delivered by a wide range of vehicles, not just those designed for low fuel consumption. More about the event on September 30/October 1 at mpgmarathon.com
