Some eagerly awaited news came from Ford as the upcoming Focus RS made its Goodwood Festival of Speed debut. We were told to expect a power output of over 315 horsepower from the 2.3-liter four cylinder Ecoboost power plant, and today we get the official output: 345 hp.
“We promised enthusiasts a serious driving machine and, with 350 PS under the hood, that is exactly what we will deliver,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. For those keeping track, this is the same engine offered in the current Mustang, which gives it 310 horsepower. The kick in output is thanks in part by a new low-inertia twin-scroll supercharger that increases the air flow. A bigger intercooler maximizes charge density, too, all helped by the large air apertures on the front, increasing engine breathing.
Ford’s goal is to deliver low- to mid-range power, delivering 324 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm. A boost of 346 pound-feet can be mustered out for 15 seconds on transient overboost during hard acceleration. Power goes to all four wheels by way of a beefed-up six-speed manual gearbox. The rally-ready Focus will also feature a dynamic torque vectoring system to improve turn-in stability and reduce understeer.
“This very special 2.3-litre EcoBoost unit will inspire drivers as they feel the surge of the turbo, and reward them as they take it to the red line — all delivered with a visceral sound guaranteed to put a smile on your face,” Pericak said, in regards to the work engineers have done to the exhaust. We’re promised a distinctive, rally car soundtrack, which we’re all for — as long as it doesn’t come through any speakers.
Production of the Focus RS starts late this year, becoming available for European customers in early 2016. We expect pricing and U.S. delivery info (along with time with the car) will come sometime this fall.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.