The 2009 Ford Focus RS was revealed at the London International Motor Show in July, and the public was impressed with what they saw. Enthusiasm has only increased for this sporty compact - Ford recently reported that its U.K. dealers are reporting more than 1,000 orders for a car that doesn’t go on sale until 2009.

What’s the fuss over a car that in the US is known more for its low price than sex appeal? It’s not the same budget commuter that’s in your neighbor’s driveway.

The European Focus RS is a slick three-door hatchback that has a solid reputation in the Rally circuit. This performance car has been entirely redesigned for 2009 and received a new 300-horsepower, 2.5-liter, five-cylinder, turbocharged engine tuned for performance.

That’s a lot of ponies for a front-wheel drive car. In fact, it’s a lot of ponies for any of Ford’s cars. To put it in perspective, the popular Ford Mustang provides  only 310  horsepower from its 4.8L V8 engine. To help control the torque steer, the Focus RS is equipped with the 'RevoKnuckle' front suspension system that works in conjunction with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential.
 
The obvious question is: why do Europeans get all the highly engineered, fun, small cars?

Apparently they’re the ones who like and know how to drive. Europeans have a healthy appetite for compact, sporty rides and their cars are designed with handling in mind. That typically means that they have highlytuned smaller engines, stiffer suspension and lower chassis.

Not so much for the majority of cars designed for the North American market. Until recently, the American motto for the favorite mode of transportation seems to have been ‘size matters.’

But that’s a trend that seems to be reversing. To meet changing customer demands, Ford is shifting gears.

At one point the European Focus and North American Focus shared the same C170 platform, before the EU version adopted the improved C1 global platform in 2004. Ford considered making the switch for the North American model as well, but at the time people weren’t buying small cars. Everything in the Wayne Assembly plant would have needed retooling, and given U.S. consumers’ penchant for SUVs and trucks, it didn’t make sense to invest a lot of money in the Focus.

Now there’s a new emphasis on global architecture for more efficient manufacturing. In the era of $4per gallon of gasoline and shrinking glaciers, Ford finally has a more compelling business case to implement this newer platform.

The C170 platform will disappear entirely by the end of 2009 in favor of the global C1. Ford will also introduce its popular European Fiesta into the U.S. market in 2010. However, its unclear when the RS version of the Focus is coming to the US (it is rumored to arrive in 2012).

In the meantime, the North American market will get a coupe version of the Focus in 2009 with a sportier appearance (think: new front and rear fascias, added spoiler and bigger wheels) and a new, tuned exhaust.

“The car should look and be more fun to drive,” says Ford spokesman Octavio Navarro.