HPE 400 ii
HPE400 iv
HPE 400 vii
HPE400 i
HPE400 iii
John Mahoney6 Sept 2016
NEWS

Hennessey creates 298kW Focus RS

US tuner gives Ford hyper hatch big boost in performance over stock RS

Hennessey Performance has released a new tuning kit for the Ford Focus RS that boosts the total power of the standard car's 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine from 257kW/440Nm to a mighty 298kW/576Nm.

Famous for its Bugatti Veyron-beating Venom GT that set a 435km/h speed record at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it's the first time Hennessey has tackled the small Ford hot hatch.

Called the HPE400 power kit, the power and torque gains are achieved with an ECU tweak, high-flow air filter and a new exhaust system that includes what the US tuners call an "electronic exhaust dump”.

Hennessey hasn’t made any performance claims for an HPE400-equipped Focus RS, but it’s likely the upgrade slashes the current car’s 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds by as much as half a second.

According to Hennessey, the HPE400 kit is just the beginning of its tuning journey with the Focus RS.

The Texan-based tuner has announced it is currently developing even more powerful upgrades that includes bespoke tuning parts for the RS.

Currently in development is a new cold-air induction system, intercooler and bigger turbo. Lighter wheels, larger brakes and a styling kit are also on the way.

It's not known how far Hennessey will push power for the Focus RS, but it's worth considering that the firm has won a reputation for outlandish power outputs.

The current Venom GT Spyder, for example, generates an astonishing 1082kW from its 7.0-litre twin-turbo V8 -- enough to hurtle the Lotus Exige-based convertible to 427km/h when it posted a speed record earlier this year.

In Europe, UK-based Ford tuner Mountune has already introduced a power kit for the fast Focus that raises total power and torque to 276kW/500Nm.

The power kit, which is backed by Ford UK and doesn't jeopardise your warranty, costs just $1500 and takes 1.5 hours to install.

Currently, the Mountune upgrades have not been confirmed for Down Under, where Ford Australia says there are no plans to introduce it.

That said, motoring.com.au understands the power kit should be available here eventually, to go with similar factory-backed Mountune kits for the Focus ST and Fiesta ST.

Hennessey Performance, meanwhile, has announced its HPE400 kit will cost around $4000 in our money in US.

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