Hennessey Performance Engineering (or HPE), the Texas-based American tuning company famed for their big power upgrades to already quick cars and most noted for their 895kW Venom GT supercar, has introduced a kit for the new Ford Focus RS.
The upgrade is called the HPE400, and it can can coax 302kW from its 2.3-litre turbocharged four-pot engine. This is achieved through the fitment of a new high performance air filter and stainless steel mid pipe - all necessary hardware to ensure the car’s motor breathes right. The real power gains, however, stem from new engine management software supplied by Hennessey.
Over the RS’ stock output, that’s an increase of roughly 45kW and 137Nm, and would contribute to a theoretical jump in figures such as 0-100km/h sprint times over the factory claimed 4.7 seconds. However, HPE has not released any such figures.
It wouldn’t be wild to claim that with this extra performance in the real world, the Focus RS could match or even outperform the Mercedes-AMG A 45 - a car that generates 280kW from its heavily force-fed 2.0-litre four-cylinder and can dispatch 100km/h from rest in 4.2 seconds.
The upgrade costs $2995 US Dollars (or $3,942 AUD), which if factored in with a price of a new Focus RS is still a comparative bargain to Mercedes’ mega hatch.
A distinct disadvantage compared to the previous Focus RS upgrade kit we covered is that the HPE product isn’t approved by Ford and will likely void the car’s manufacturer warranty outright. In contrast, the Mountune kit (which adds 26kW and 66Nm) is keeps that intact.
Reportedly, Hennessey sees even more potential for the Focus RS and will be introducing even more extreme upgrade kits for it in the near future that will have a more thorough spread components such as brakes, exhaust, turbochargers, and slick tyres. It’ll be interesting to see how far they can push the car.
For more on Ford vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
