BBR Focus RS380

It’s a tribute to the standard Focus RS that even with an extra 76bhp and softer suspension, the BBR RS380 is just as easy to drive fast. The sports exhaust turns up the volume on the RS’s symphony of pops and whistles, while the acceleration and grip is out of this world – especially for a front-wheel-drive car. A more compliant ride makes this a more rounded proposition for road use, but if you want to take you’re RS on track, we’d stick with the firmer standard suspension, and consider a brake upgrade, too. 

MEET the most powerful Focus RS we’ve ever driven! Following on from the colossal 368bhp Graham Goode Racing  RS370 we tested back in December, fellow British tuning firm Brodie Brittain Racing (BBR) has gone a step further with its own pumped-up version of Ford’s mega-hatch. And we’re the first to get behind the wheel.

Famous for creating monster 500bhp Sierra RS Cosworths back in the late Eighties and early Nineties, BBR has unveiled a four-stage tuning program for Focus RS owners. Options range from a simple £595 tweak to the engine control unit which boosts power to 340bhp, right up to the full-bore £4,490 400bhp upgrade, which involves a motorsport-spec turbocharger and modifications to the fuel system. We’ll be driving that car in the coming weeks.

Here we try the 380bhp stage three upgrade, which is predicted to be the best-seller. It gets a high-flow intercooler and air filter, larger fuel injectors and a free-flowing sports exhaust.

Twist the key, and the engine rumbles into life, settling at a marginally louder idle than normal. Pull away, and the throttle needs to be used gently for the first two gears, but floor it in third, and the car surges forward with an urgency that’s difficult to compute, while the familiar warble of the turbocharged five-cylinder engine fills the cabin. Maximum torque arrives at 3,800rpm, which means third gear is fine for negotiating slow roundabouts. The key to driving this car fast is using one gear higher than you think – which avoids wheelspin and minimises torque steer.

Unlike the GGR RS370, BBR has modified the RS’s suspension set-up, and the changes are a revelation. Customers can choose between a set of £495 lowering springs or £1,095 Koni adjustable dampers – or go for both. But rather than firming up the RS’s ride, the new springs and dampers are softer, which makes it easier to live with day-to-day.

The softer suspension settings boost grip even further – on a bumpy B-road at least. The trade-off is a hint of body roll, but the turn-in is still razor sharp, and there’s a confidence-inspiring balance to the car in the corners. On the downside, hand over your Focus RS to BBR, and you will lose the manufacturer’s warranty. But for £150 a year for up to three years the firm will match Ford’s cover.

So if you’re looking to turn your RS into something that can give Ferraris a fright, as well as being more comfortable to use on a daily basis, you should give the guys at BBR a call.

Rival: VW Golf R
For the price of the BBR Focus RS you could have the ultimate Golf – and save £1,980. With ‘only’ 266bhp it’s nowhere near as fast, but with four-wheel drive and sophisticated looks, it’s every inch the subtle hot hatchback