I had to ask myself: is this car worth R479 000? Or, closer to the truth, half a mil?
In the end, these questions became very difficult to answer, because the Ford Focus RS might be so much more than the sum of its parts to some people.
And that was so brilliantly illustrated by the fact that all 60 RS units that Ford decided to bring to this country were sold out even before they landed.
Then some of them were sold again at the half-a-bar price only a few days later.
Obviously, there were some speculators involved. But speculators mostly know their business. None of them would be so forward as to invest in a Ford Figo in the same way, to be sure.
And it has everything to do with automotive lust. And that dyed-in-the-wool Ford performance brotherhood who loved their brand from the days of the Cortina GT to the Sierra V8 and beyond.
One can wax lyrical on all the colourful characteristics of this limited edition Ford, one can speak volumes on its performance and one can debate the many controversial design aspects.
One can say quite a bit about the car’s shortcomings too - its harshness, the limited choice of some rather gaudy colours, the torque steer, the hard seats, the image of the Need For Speed illegal racing brigade.
But one just simply cannot shake the deep satisfaction of driving one, I have to admit.
The excitement was palpable back home when a bright metallic green RS was delivered for a driving impression.
And all that excitement emanated from the youngest member of the household. I might as well have brought home some soccer superstar. After all, the RS was the stuff of legend.
By the time the car arrived in our driveway, everything about it was already known. It had been the subject of deep discussion.
Another term I would use is petrolhead enthusiasm.
Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson refers to the 2.5-litre Duratec engine as a “Volvo” engine. Yes, in its much more basic form, it is to be found in a Volvo. Also in the Ford Focus ST, which was supposed to be a match for the Volkswagen Golf GTi but never quite made it.
Now, the GTi won’t match the RS either. Neither in performance, nor, thankfully, in harshness.
Never before has anybody put 224kW into a front-wheel drive. Ford had to design a whole new front differential and suspension geometry to cope with it. And cope it does, but only marginally, with torque steer an obvious result.
Aim the wheels straight forward when you take off from a stop and see what happens. There had better be no trees, ditches, or enemy vehicles to the left.
Then there is the torque – 440Nm of it arriving at 2 250 revs a minute and lasting up to 4 500. And don’t forget, all this is ensconced in what is mostly just an ordinary, light, Ford Focus body, albeit with a wing on the rear the size of a micro-light aircraft.
The fact is, the wing works. It simply has to, otherwise that light hatchback rear-end would simply not behave rationally at all.
Rationale is not a word I would use too often with regards to this car. The price, the power, the level of comfort, all conspire to raise doubts about whether this car is something to consider buying - if you are thinking rationally.
In fact, previous experiences with the Focus range even brought up questions about build quality, but I must state straightaway that I did not have many such concerns with this car. It is more something to ponder for the long term – with such a hard suspension, what will first begin to rattle or vibrate in a year’s time?
But, if you are a petrol-head, you can’t. Think rationally about this car, that is. And your answer to the above question must be: who cares?
In the end, as a petrol-head, you realise this is the car with which you will take the long road, going to the local 7-11 by way of Riebeeck Kasteel. Going to work in Cape Town by way of Franschhoek Pass.
Because this car can handle, even if it is a handful. It responds, even if not quite where you point it. And it sounds beautiful, even if somewhat rough.
It is a boy-racer magnet. If you find yourself in the front row at the traffic light, the guy in the S3 will challenge you. Man, the guy in the Datsun will challenge you.
It is like being the fastest gun in the West and you will end up saying, “Oh no, not again!”
Eventually, this is not a car to buy through rational thought. It is all emotion.
So, if you are not a petrol-head, leave it well alone.
The Ford RS comes with a five-year/90 000km service plan and a comprehensive four-year/120 000km warranty with service intervals of 15 000km.
Customers will also benefit from three years of roadside assistance and a five-year corrosion warranty.
There are faster cars than this for the same price, but few have this much character. - Cape Argus Motoring