The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car is a four-wheel drive, 300-bhp turbocharged, no compromise rally car, which builds on the award winning attributes of the road-going Ford Focus. The World Rally Cars maintain close ties to their production counterparts. Therefore, engineers more easily transfer what they learn from the race cars to consumers' cars.

The FIA World Rally Championship relates to race cars the way a triathlon relates to the human body; it's a rigorous endurance battle from which only the fittest emerge. Ford has successfully met this engineering feat for nearly 30 years, considering this circuit a splendid laboratory to test the company's latest technology.

This international lab changes dramatically with each race, as teams venture from sub-zero Scandinavian temperatures to blazing heat in central Greece. Today, the World Rally series boasts an expansive schedule, including rallies in Europe, North and South America and Asia, hosting such gems as the Monte Carlo Rally and the Rally Finland, whose prestige compares to that of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

World Rally Championship events are unique in that they usually span three days and occur mostly on closed public roads. Each day is broken down into about seven or eight stages ranging from two miles to almost 30 miles. The driver boasting the fastest combined time through all of the stages wins the rally. Additionally, given the harsh climate and difficult terrain, winning a single stage is also quite commendable.

Spectators play an active role in rallying, with fans forming chase teams that go from point to point for the best action. As a result, fans increasingly watch World Championship Rally on television, finding it easier to follow their favorite drivers.

World Rally team crews play a very significant role in the success of their team. They must adjust the car's set-up to accommodate any weather condition, which can change drastically from rally to rally and even vary widely during events. Second, these highly coordinated teams have to react quickly performing stage-to-stage repairs prompted by unceasingly brutal conditions.