Ford Focus RS By Mountune Delivers A Whopping 513 Horsepower

Or you can pay less to push the output to 444 hp.

The tuner Mountune has new kits for the Ford Focus RS that takes the hatchback from hot to steaming. The m450 pack increases the output to 444 horsepower (331 kilowatts or 450 metric horsepower) and 428 pound-feet (580 Newton-meters) of torque. The even spicier m520 pushes the figure to 513 hp (383 kW or 520 metric hp) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm). The heart of both of these upgrades involves replacing the stock turbo with a BorgWarner EFR Series unit.

Gallery: Ford Focus RS Mountune m450 and m520 kits

For the m450, Mountune fits a turbo with a low-inertia turbine wheel and dual-row ceramic ball bearings. The kit also includes a revised turbo adaptor, downpipe, and high-flow catalytic converter. The tuner charges ￡2,950 ($3,591 at current exchange rates) for the upgrade.

In stock form, the Focus RS has 350 hp (261 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque, so these upgrades offer significant improvements in the hot hatch's output. However, the RS is no longer available in America and seems unlikely to return anytime soon. The next-gen model in Europe reportedly retains a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder but with the addition of hybrid assistance for a total output above 400 hp (298 kW). Look for it to arrive outside of the U.S. in a couple of years.