If you received a call to test drive a newly rediscovered gravel road in China, what vehicle would you choose? Before you answer that, what if we told you that the 2.5 miles of road has 24 hairpin turns, was once used as a supply route during World War Two, and features elevation changes of almost 1,200 feet through the mountainside of Guizhou, China?
Sounds bucket-list worthy, right?
For the engineering team at Ford Performance, enlisting the help of the all-wheel-drive Focus RS to tackle this lost mountain was a no-brainer.
The turns that occupy this particular Chinese mountainside are known to be some of the most treacherous parts of the road, but the 350-horsepower Focus RS attacked the terrain of the fog-packed Karst mountain tops with ease, proving yet again just how versatile this vehicle really can be.
2018 Ford Focus RS Specs
Model: 2018 Ford Focus
Engine: 2.3-liter four-cylinder
Horsepower: 350
Torque: 350 lb-ft
Curb Weight: 3,434 pounds
MPG: 19 city/26 highway
Wheels: 19×8-inch
We have spent many hours behind the wheel of the Focus RS, and while we might never be lucky enough to rediscover a lost mountain road like the one at Guizhou, the fun we have had with this hot hatch translates to any road this vehicle wants to discover.