Engineering company Mountune has secured its place as the proprietors of the maddest fast Fords with the release of the M450 and M520 power packages for the Mk3 Focus RS.
Taking the Focus RS beyond 500hp
How exactly do you get a 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine, one that left the factory with 350hp, up to 500hp and beyond? As you might imagine, some serious upgrades are required.
(Oh, but if you’ve already bought Mountune power upgrades, we’ve some good news. The plumbing you get with the M400 package is retained and not replaced.)
The key upgrade for both the M450 and M520 is the turbocharger. The units are suppled by BorgWarner, though the one on the M520 is bit bigger. Both turbos use low inertia Gamma-Ti turbine wheels and dual-row ceramic ball bearings for a quicker spool and response.
The M520 also gets an uprated fuel pump, more aggressively-profiled camshafts and a stronger valvetrain. Both packages work together with top-quality Mountune software tuning to deliver their performance figures.
Exclusive: taking a ride in the M520 Focus RS
On a recent visit to Mountune, to test out their M225 Fiesta ST and their new M52 stage one Golf R, we got the opportunity to have very quick ride out in the development M520 Focus.
Quick both in the sense that we weren’t out very long, and quick in that sense. We only got a brief taste, but it was long enough to work out the Focus was a serious bit of kit, but that the extensive power upgrade didn’t ruin the engine for conventional use. It’s not compromised like a race car, it just pulls like one…
We’ll be feeling that for ourselves very soon when we head back down for a go in an M520 Focus. In the meantime, here’s our review of the new Mountune Fiesta ST.
The new kits cost a respective £2,950 and £5,974 for the M450 or M520 packages. Why the extra £3,000 for the M520? Those new camshafts and the improved valvetrain – it’s a much more comprehensive upgrade.
As above, if your Focus RS is still ‘virgin’, you may be looking at a bit more on top for a radiator, and various other cooling and plumbing bits.
“We have worked hard to develop upgrades that build on the success of the m400X and m400R kits,” said Alec Pell-Johnson, Director of Mountune Performance.
“With the very latest BorgWarner turbocharger platform, both upgrades deliver exceptional levels of power and torque, turning the RS into something quite remarkable.
“After the positive initial feedback we received from the official unveiling of the kits at Ford Fair, we can’t wait to start fitting them to our customers’ cars.”