Ford Announces a New Way to Crash Your Focus RS

It’s almost like Ford is ashamed of the Focus RS, because the company’s performance division keeps dreaming up ways to help people destroy them.

First, it was Drift Mode, which, when used by those in possession of substandard judgment, has terminally crippled more than a few copies of the company’s latest hot hatch.

But just today the company took things a step further in announcing the new Ford Performance Drift Stick. Aside from having a terrible name, Ford claims the Drift Stick is the “first-ever, rally-inspired electronic handbrake, developed and designed for Focus RS and approved by rally and stunt star Ken Bock.” Hmm.

Basically, there’s an aluminum lever where a conventional handbrake would be, but instead of simply locking the rear wheels like a typical cable actuated handbrake, the system opens up the rear-drive unit clutches, overrides the ABS and applies hydraulic pressure to lock the rear wheels and induce drifts, or spins. Ford says “the results are clutch-free drift turns very similar to the experience of a real rally car,” which sounds terrifying in the hands of some affluent college kid all hopped up on Forza.

It takes just five to six pounds of pressure to get the Drift Stick working, which is significantly less than a heavy-duty hydraulic unit, Ford says it makes things “easy.” The aluminum handle mounts to a circuit board which connects to the car’s diagnostics port and can be used as a professional calibration tool. Actually, that’s cool.

SEE ALSO: 2017 Ford Focus RS Review

To make sure the Drift Stick was sufficient for the RS brand, Ford brought in professional energy drink enthusiast Ken Block for a consultation. Allegedly, Block really pushed for the electronic handbrake “to provide every-day drivers with the quickest possible way to get the Focus RS sideways for large-angle drifts.” Ah.

“Obviously it’s something that I’m really passionate about having been a part of the development of the production vehicle, so it’s exciting to see it come to life,” said Block. “It definitely makes the car even more fun to drive.”

Internally called Project Wicked Stick, the nefarious contraption comes courtesy of the same team that developed Drift Mode. Like the sideways, sometimes smash inducing, software, Ford says the Drift Stick is intended for track use only and won’t affect your warranty, but that’s a legal requirement.

The Drift Stick is priced at just $999, which makes the cost-to-carnage equation positively staggering. It’s almost as if the team that dreamed up Drift Mode and the Drift Stick was actually tasked with preserving the RS’ future value.