Ford Focus RS officially dead, contrary to reports there was hope of its revival

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The Ford Focus RS has officially become one of the first major casualties of tighter emissions standards in Europe. The next generation Ford Focus RS – which was about two to three years away from arriving in showrooms – has been axed because the cost of meeting more stringent emissions standards could not be justified against the limited demand for the niche performance model. Car magazine UK broke the story overnight and was soon followed by an official statement from Ford of Europe.

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