Ford Is Selling Off a Whole Fleet of Long-Discontinued, Driver-Focused Hot Hatches

The Blue Oval is parting ways with a fleet of Performance Racing School Focus RS hatchbacks from the Adrenaline Academy.

Close-up of a black Ford alloy wheel with a visible blue Brembo brake caliper behind it, mounted on a tire. The car's blue body is partially visible on the left side of the image.

By Gray Van Dyke

Published September 17, 2025

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Updated September 17, 2025

Before Ford started focusing on legacy models like the Bronco and the Mustang, it had a number of exciting cars in its range, chief among them being the Focus RS.

During the model’s time on the market, the Blue Oval was committed to fostering hot hatch thrills. In addition to organizing owner’s groups and experiences, Ford offered an Adrenaline Academy through which some RS seat time could help unlock your inner rally driver.

A gray Ford Focus RS car is navigating between orange traffic barrels on a paved surface, likely during a driving event or race. In the background, several people dressed in blue racing suits and helmets are standing on and near a blue shipping container with stairs. The scene appears to be set outdoors on a clear day. — Ford helped drivers unlock their inner rally racer through a series of drills at the Performance Racing School.

While the Focus left the lineup in 2018, Ford has continued to hang onto its RS fleet from the Performance Racing School. Now, however, the brand has decided that it’s time to clear out inventory and offer these hot hatches to the public.

Focus fleet sale

The announcement first surfaced via a Reddit thread in r/FocusRS, as reported by Ford Authority. However, there’s also an accompanying post on the RS forums if you’d like to check it out there.

Three Ford Focus RS cars racing on a track, with the closest car in matte black featuring "Ford Performance Racing School" decals and the number 3 on the side. The second car is dark gray, and the third car is blue. The cars are navigating a curved section of the track. — The Focus RS remains a compelling driver’s car, especially because of its six-speed manual transmission.

In any case, though it has now been seven years since the Focus left the market, Ford’s hot hatch remains a compelling driver’s car. With 350 ponies and 350 lb-ft of torque coming from its 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost inline-four, it feeds power to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission and a Dynamic Torque Vectoring system.

What’s more, Ford equipped the Focus RS with Driver-Selectable Sport Suspension, a multi-point roll bar, Recaro seats and forged alloy wheels wrapped in grippy Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. Suffice to say, these cars were loaded to the nines.

Blue Ford Focus RS with black hood and black wheels navigating an autocross course marked by orange traffic cones and red barriers, with spectators and graffiti art in the background. — These cars were run hard, but one would assume that the mechanical upkeep would be first-rate.

If you take a look through the comments, it seems that some users have already reached out to Ford for more information. For instance, one puts the price for one of these 2016 models at $20,000.

Accordingly, it’s worth noting that the value in this opportunity to own a Focus RS is quite dependent on the car’s upkeep. As many users in the comments point out, these were instructional vehicles that were routinely put through the wringer.

In other words, be sure to do your homework and ask the same questions you would when buying any other used car.

White Ford Focus RS hatchback with black hood and racing decals, including "Adrenaline Academy," "Ford Performance Racing School," and the number 12, driving on a race track near a red and white curb. — Ford’s Performance Racing School has given rise to a variety of driver-focused experiences over the years.

Future Ford opportunity

While it’s not unusual for Ford to be letting go of some outdated fleet vehicles (Ford Authority notes that the company has done so in the past with Track Attack Mach 1 Mustangs, too), the timing of the sale is certainly interesting.

After all, the company has stayed busy lately. Between its Ready Set Ford rebranding and its newly unveiled world headquarters — not to mention projects like the Los Angeles Mustang experience — it’s been making some big moves.

Blue Ford Focus RS with black hood and racing decals driving on a curved race track with red and white curbs, set against a mountainous background. — The Blue Oval is doubling down on its performance aspirations with a ‘Ready Set Ford’ rebranding.

Moreover, CEO Jim Farley clearly has performance on his mind, as Ford has been relentless in its Nurburgring efforts with the GTD over the past year, and he has repeatedly teased the idea of building a Raptor-branded supercar.

Could this sale be part of a bigger plan, then? Ford obviously doesn’t need the cash from a few retired Focus hatchbacks, but the move could make room for something as exciting as the Dark Horse driving school (or even more so).

After all, the company is clearly keen to expand its customer base through high-octane thrills. It’s not for nothing that the phrase “Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday” holds up, even today.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.