Estimated Price: £75,000 - £85,000
All three generations of the Focus RS have their own unique character, but the Mk2 was arguably the most impressive of them all. When launched in 2009 it was one of the very first ‘hyper-hatches’, with a power figure to rival those of much more costly sports cars and an exterior design that wore its Fast Ford credentials on its wing tips
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The standard Mk2 RS took the, then, Focus ST’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder and added redesigned pistons, conrods and camshafts, an uprated BorgWarner K16 turbocharger, a larger intercooler, less restrictive air intake, and an ECU re-map to bring peak outputs to 300bhp and 324lb/ft of torque. But Ford hadn’t finished yet.
In mid-2010 the Focus RS500 was launched at the Leipzig Motor Show as a limited run special with a Satin Black exterior (courtesy of a 3M wrap) and black wheels. But the big news was under the bonnet, where further upgrades to the intercooler, air filter, fuel pump, downpipe and ECU saw outputs rise to 345bhp and 339lb/ft – figures that wouldn’t look out of place in a new hot-hatch today. As with the regular RS, the RS500 delivered its goods to the front wheels alone via a 6-speed manual transmission and a torque-biasing Quaife limited-slip differential, with Ford’s patented RevoKnuckle front suspension helping tame some of the inevitable torque steer. The 500’s extra power trimmed the claimed 0-62mph time to just 5.6 seconds.
The new model was given the RS500 designation to highlight its strictly limited production run of 500 individually numbered vehicles, with a mere 101 examples allocated to the UK, with each one being snapped up within a week. The last of these remarkable vehicles left Ford's Assembly Plant in Germany during September 2010.
Finished in factory Satin Black over a classic RS Recaro leather/Alcantara interior, Number #125 was first registered on 29 October 2010 and had covered just 4,458 miles at the time of cataloguing. It's been enjoyed by two former registered keepers and has been in the care of our vendor for the past 12 years, during which time it has been used very sparingly and stored carefully within a dedicated indoor car bubble (within our vendor's garage).
The car benefits from recent maintenance carried out in preparation for sale and in March 2026, at 4,451 miles, it was serviced by a Ford main dealer, including a timing belt replacement and oil service, supported by an invoice totalling £869.87. It's fitted with a Mountune Induction kit, which was present at the time of our vendor’s purchase and the original catalytic converter can be supplied. It is also understood to have been remapped, with the vendor advising an output of approximately 400bhp, although this figure has not been independently verified. In addition, the car is fitted with an alternative exhaust system and, as these modifications pre-date current ownership, interested parties are encouraged to satisfy themselves as to the exact specification. It's supplied with its original dealer book pack and manuals, V5C, MOTs, service invoices and both keys.
Retaining its registration number ‘R55 DDX’, which has been associated with the car for the past 12 years, this RS500 represents a rare opportunity to acquire a low-mileage, carefully kept example of one of Ford’s most celebrated modern performance cars. With all examples originally sold before customers had the opportunity to drive one, the RS500’s status as a modern classic was assured from launch. Today, examples of this calibre, with low mileage, long-term ownership and sensible maintenance, are increasingly difficult to find and continue to attract strong interest from collectors and enthusiasts alike.
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