MK3 FOCUS RS
Flip-coloured Mk3 RS is happy to break away from the norm.
Most people, generally speaking, enjoy a bit of fast food. It’s not hard to fathom why – the appeal of wandering in off the street and having a hot meal in your hand within a couple of minutes speaks for itself, as does the familiarity. If you find yourself hung over in Margate, Malibu or Madrid, a Big Mac will always be a Big Mac.
Some of us always go for ‘the usual’. Creatures of habit, we visit the same outlets on the same days like clockwork, and always order the same things. It’s comforting, in a world of chaos, to have these constants.
And then, of course, there are tapas people. Those who want to sample a little bit of everything. Why agonise over your menu choices, when you can just try it all?
The various dispositions carry across to the car modifying world. Fast food segues neatly into Fast Ford, and these modifiers like instant gratification – parts available off-the-shelf that offer proven results. They may flit from car to car, but they’ll want to minimise their risk. The people who opt for ‘the usual’? They’ll have worked out what they like and stick with it, each car operating within their comfort zone.
And the tapas modifiers? They create stuff like this Focus RS. Rather than following the established conventions of customising, owner Andy Murray has volleyed the rule book right out of the window, drawing influences and inspiration from various car scenes and adjusting the recipe to his own tastes.
As is so often the case, it all stems from a teenage keenness to roll up the sleeves and get busy modding as soon as possible.
Andy says, “I’ve always been into cars, ever since I was young boy. I couldn’t wait till the day came, on my 17th birthday, when I could slap the L plates on my dad’s car and go for my first official driving lesson.
“I passed my test fairly quickly, and got my first car – a 950cc Peugeot 205 Junior. It wasn’t the quickest car about, but I had to set about modifying it because having a standard car was simply not an option. It had to be customised in some way or another, so I guess that’s where this all started.”
Those fledgling endeavours certainly lit a fire under his automotive affections, because a couple of decades-or-so down the line, Andy could be found in a pre-facelift Mk3 Focus ST3, running around 300bhp thanks to a Stage 2 Revo remap and some healthy tweaks.
An entertaining build, for sure, but when the Mk3 RS came onto the scene he just couldn’t resist. It didn’t help matters that a bunch of his friends were getting RSs of their own, and before long it became too much to bear; Andy’s name was signed on the dotted line in September 2016, a brand-new Stealth Grey Mk3 RS becoming his new best friend.
And, as you’ve no doubt deduced, there was absolutely no way on earth this car was going to be staying stock. Sod the warranty – Andy didn’t want the lunchtime menu, he wanted this thing à la carte.
He laughs, “As soon as I got it home on the day I bought it, I was straight on the internet ordering parts. A good friend, Chris at KMS Scotland, helped me source some bits and fitted most of them too; after having the Mk3 ST it was quite easy to look for the parts I was wanting, due to both cars having the same platform.
“And then, after a few months, I decided
“After speaking to the guys over at Litchfield, they hooked me up with the Cobb handset and Stage 2 maps, which definitely brought the car to life – the way it should have left the factory – so it was all smiles-per-miles”
I wanted a bit more power out of the 2.3.”
Well, that’s no surprise. The RS is, of course, a formidable machine, and its mighty swells of power in stock form would be more than enough to keep most petrolheads happy, but Andy’s got form here. Too much ain’t enough. So once again he dove head-first into some expert research, plumping for a Revo Stage 1 remap paired with an uprated K&N air filter.
He says, “That certainly gave the car a bit more poke. But yes, after a little time I was after even more.
“I decided to upgrade the intercooler, fit an uprated exhaust system with decat, and an induction kit. After speaking to the guys over at Litchfield, they hooked me up with the Cobb handset and Stage 2 maps, which definitely brought the car to life – the way it should have left the factory – so it was all smiles-per-miles.”
The specification was looking pretty rugged by this point, with the various engine mods (including quite a lot of the Mountune catalogue) adding up to a thoroughly respectable 415bhp – good enough for a 12.7-second quarter-mile time, which puts it toe-to-toe with the likes of the Mercedes C63 AMG and the Ferrari California. Not bad company to keep.
But it’s not all about haring for the horizon. This Focus looks pretty damned tasty when it’s sitting still, and that’s thanks in large part to the mind-warping colour scheme.
Andy explains, “It’s had a few changes over the years with some graphics, but I really wanted something a bit different.
“Following a chat with the Alan at Ultimate Customs, I decided on the 3M Flip Psychedelic wrap, as well as some Roush vents and an Airtec spoiler extension. I had my OZ Superturismos redone in Shadow Chrome, which I think really suits the car. The new look certainly gets plenty of attention anywhere it goes.”
No kidding. The way the light bounces off that TVR-like chameleon skin is a proper melon-twister.
And the final (or, at least, most recent) order of business was to address the interior. Andy had noticed that after a few years of ownership, the seat bolsters were starting to show a bit of unsightly wear, which was all the impetus he needed.
He continues, “I spoke to Andy at Interior Mods, and we decided that a combination of black and grey leather was the way to go, topped off with some tasteful diamond stitching. I’m really chuffed with the way it came out.”
As well he should be. This off-menu approach has altered the recipe of the RS to reimagine it as something even more delicious: piquant, satisfying, and just a little bit spicier. It’s like a Happy Meal box full of rib-eye steak, and it’s tossing Andy’s salad on a daily basis.