It's Officially Not Ford's Fault if You Can't Drift a Focus RS

Ford and Ken Block are working together to make it even harder to resist irresponsibility in your Focus RS. They just released a factory upgrade dubbed the Drift Stick.

What is it? It's a stick. It makes you drift. When you pull on this magical handle, power is cut from the rear wheels and pressure is applied to the rear …

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It's the ultimate "Do not under any circumstances buy this vehicle used" (or at least take it to a frame shop first for inspection) flag.

It's a pretty cool idea. I wonder what the performance-tuner USB port part of it is all about.

If you could configure the car to change its AWD/e-diff lock-up curves that would be pretty neat.

Since the RS has a standard handbrake lever, it appears this activates the brake lever warning switch and the USB reprogram alters the Drift mode to activate the rear brakes via the ABS whenever the warning switch is activated.

Count me as one who will not be buying one for his RS, but to each their own.

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

Because ricers

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

The same could (should?) just as easily be asked of anything being put in street cars that makes them excel at drag, autox, or track days.

Driven5 said:

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

The same could (should?) just as easily be asked of anything being put in street cars that makes them excel at drag, autox, or track days.

Yeah. Why do you need 350hp and all-wheel drive in a Focus? The speed limit is only 55mph/65mph/70mph

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

The proper answer is: Because people will buy it and Ford is in the business of selling things. 

And once you use it they will pull the ECU and tell you any drivetrain claims are denied.

Now you need to carry TWO canbus systems, that way one is for stupid head driving, the other for regular not stupid head driving. 

$1k for a hydraulic handbrake with a rear driveline clutch, just like the Hoonicorn has? That's actually not bad.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

It isn't hydraulic so much as it tells the ABS module to lock the rear brakes, rather than having it's own master cylinder. 

I wonder if we can just buy the cool handle and swap it with the ordinary e-brake handle? Forget the drifting, I just want the billet! 

Kreb said:

I wonder if we can just buy the cool handle and swap it with the ordinary e-brake handle? Forget the drifting, I just want the billet! 

I'm sure that they'll be on eBay in about a week. 

The lawyer in me says that's a product liability suit waiting to happen.

z31maniac said:

And once you use it they will pull the ECU and tell you any drivetrain claims are denied.

Nah this isn't Nissan we're talking about!

Sooooooooo it's a thousand dollar parking brake?

poopshovel again said:

Sooooooooo it's a thousand dollar parking brake?

Not really.  It’s a thousand dollar parking brake button lock.

dculberson said:

z31maniac said:

And once you use it they will pull the ECU and tell you any drivetrain claims are denied.

Nah this isn't Nissan we're talking about!

You really meant Subaru, right?

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

To increase the number of owners who want to be famous on Youtube.

ZombyCougar Woofencamp said:by

dculberson said:

z31maniac said:

And once you use it they will pull the ECU and tell you any drivetrain claims are denied.

Nah this isn't Nissan we're talking about!

You really meant Subaru, right?

I think he means Mitsubishi.

Will there be an increase of those so inclined to do the handbraky parallel  parking twostep ya think???

I see viral ytubes  at an iphone near you........

stanger_missle said:

itsarebuild said:

Aaaaaannnnd why is this being put in a street car?

To increase the number of owners who want to be famous on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOelONV_unQ?rel=0&showinfo=0

 

That's one strategy to sell more cars...

759NRNG said:

Will there be an increase of those so inclined to do the handbraky parallel  parking twostep ya think???

I see viral ytubes  at an iphone near you........

Ford teaches you how to do this at the octane academy when you buy an ST.