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Ford Focus Mk3 RS Best Mods

Posted on by Ben
Ford focus rs mk3 mods
21
Apr

Ford and RS have a cult following in the UK because of the performance Fords that have been on sale since the 80s through to today. In 2016 Ford released the MK3 Ford Focus RS which came with a 2.3 ecoboost engine (also found in the mustang), 4wd and a manual gearbox, you could also get it in nitrous oxide blue which looks amazing.

As time goes on RS fords always seem to creep up in value so you’ll have to be quick to get a Mk3 RS at a fair price – this is especially more important as Ford announced that they would not be releasing a Mk4 Focus RS alongside the current generation of Focus, the best you can get this generation is an ST.

The Mk3 RS is probably the cheapest you’ll get if you buy one before the end of 2022 so pick one up, and make it your own with our recommended best mods for it below – although to confirm this is not financial advice.

Remap

One of the best modifications you can install on your Mk3 Focus RS is the tuning box or a bespoke remap.

Installing a JB4 tuning box

If you’re not looking to permanently improve peak power on your Mk3 RS but you want power increases when you go for a spirited drive and improved economy when you’re commuting to work then you need a Burger Motorsports JB4.

Installing a JB4 on your RS will take it up to circa 400bhp at the wheels and 500 NM of torque – it comes with 8 different maps so you can change it on the fly to suit your needs at any time. Not only will you get better performance but you’ll also get the ability to read fault codes, performance monitoring and more.

Intercooler

If you’re into the modified Ford scene you know that owners love to improve their cooling with aftermarket solutions – this is usually because not only does it give them improved and more consistent cooling, but its also one of the first things you think about on modified Fords. This is because for years, performance Ford owners have been showing off their uprated cooling through the grills.

A lot of this can be blamed on Airtec who’s intercoolers are not only fantastic but they allow owners to paint the Airtec logo onto the intercooler so when someone is looking at the car from the front you can see the logo through the grill.

Induction kit

An induction kit is one of the first mods Mk3 RS owners install on their cars. Removing the restrictive intake that came on the vehicle from factory will improve the car in numerous ways;

  • Slight power increase from more air entering the engine
  • Improved throttle response
  • Better intake sound

Exhaust downpipe

With emission regulations as they are, performance vehicles are being held back by the exhaust systems that they leave the factory with. Installing a downpipe with sports /high-flow cats will allow the engine to exhaust much more efficiently, this gives a slight improvement to power output and also gives you a much improved exhaust sound from the car on start up and while driving.

A Part/Full Performance Exhaust

taking it a step further than replacing the downpipe with one with high flow cats, you could opt to replace the full system, or even if you have changed the downpipe you can just change the rest of your system. You’ll free up even more performance from the car and get an even better audible experience when using it – plus, you can purchase an exhaust system for your Mk3 RS that looks the business too, with options like cerakote on the tips giving it the blacked out look.

You can also opt for an exhaust system for your car that has vales, this in simple terms allows you to run the car quietly if you need to – many owners do this in the morning when they start their car up on their street so as not to disrupt the neighbours. Then when they are out enjoying their commute or on a spirited drive they can open the valves and enjoy the car even more.

Performance Lowering Springs

Installing lowering springs on your MK3 Focus RS will not only improve the look and stance of your car but you’ll also get better handling out of it and less body roll when you’re throwing it in to the corners.

Performance Brakes

Whether you’re improving power output or not, installing aftermarket brakes is pretty much a no brainer if you’re looking for improved performance. With improved braking you’ll get faster track times than on stock, this is because you’ll be able to brake later and harder, keeping your speed higher for longer.

If you’re not into track racing, performance brakes are still a great improvement on stock for hard road use.

Performance Clutch

If you are upping the performance of your car, that additional power is going to put the stock clutch under significantly more pressure. The clutch on the RS is pretty good and will stand up to that use for a while but it will fail in time (like all clutches it’ll just happen quicker with more power). We do recommend installing an aftermarket clutch to your Mk3 RS to help cater for the additional torque going through it.

Bodykit

If you want to improve the presence of your Mk3 RS on the roads then installing a bodykit will have your vehicle look drastically different to stock, it’ll give it a better silhouette and make it look lower too.

Aftermarket Wheels

One of the most striking visual changes you can do to your car is adding performance wheels, what you might not know is that you can also improve performance with them too. You could change them just for style but you can also go for lighter wheels too.

    Make your Mk3 Focus RS whatever you want

    Here at Progressive Parts we pride ourselves on being able to help owners achieve what they want out of their vehicle. Whether you’re just looking for increased performance, or just styling mods or both! We’re happy to help you achieve what you’re looking for.

    Ben

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