The Ford Performance Drift Stick Makes Us Want the Ford Focus RS Even More

As if Ford didn't make the Ford Focus RS easy enough to do a power slide in with its 'Drift' drive mode, the American carmaker has fitted it with a rally-inspired electronic handbrake it calls the Ford Performance Drift Stick that, unsurprisingly, was signed off for the car by rally and stunt driver and YouTube Gymkhana video purveyor Ken Block.

Labeled internally within Ford as 'Project Wicked Stick,' the Drift Stick is an aluminum lever that's located between the driver’s seat and the manual transmission. Utilizing the Ford Focus RS's Ford Performance-developed all-wheel-drive system in conjunction with the anti-lock braking system, it opens up the rear-drive unit clutches and applies hydraulic pressure to lock the rear wheels and induce a power slide by simply pulling the lever, resulting in clutch-free turns that are very similar to those done by a real rally car. "The passionate engineers at Ford Performance are also enthusiasts," said Ford Performance Global Director Dave Pericak. "Everyone here is encouraged to think outside the box, so project 'Wicked Stick' was born. Our engineers will leverage the learnings from its development for many future products for Ford Performance and, ultimately, take back even more of an innovative spirit when they rejoin our mainstream engineering teams." Although rally cars use hydraulic handbrakes that would have required substantial modifications to the Focus RS, the Ford Performance Drift Stick was developed as an entirely electronic technology, which began when a Ford Performance engineer noted the many similarities in its electronics with a part Ford already sells on a regular basis: the professional calibration tool. Integrating the technology into the vehicle then started by plugging a USB cable into the Ford Performance Drift Stick to pull select diagnostic data and upload powertrain calibrations for the Focus RS.

Since the system is purely digital, it only requires up to six pounds of pressure to operate the Drift Stick, which is considerably less than what's required for a hydraulic handbrake, eliminates the need to weld or drill holes in the car which are necessary for hydraulic systems, and easily connects into the car using its onboard diagnostics port as a professional calibration tool. To sign off the Drift Stick's development, Ford tapped Ken Block who reportedly pushed for the electronic handbrake to provide drivers with the quickest possible way to get the Focus RS sideways for large-angle drifts. "I think it's really cool that Ford Performance is offering customers a way to create large-angle drifts in the Focus RS. 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."

Like the Ford Focus RS's 'Drift' mode, the Ford Performance Drift Stick is intended for track use only. It's also available only for customers in the United States and Canada. With a price tag of $999 (around P51,000), the Ford Performance Drift Stick package includes the Drift Stick lever, mounts, and circuit board with professional calibration functionality. And since it's purely electronic and developed by Ford itself, install it into a customer's car doesn't affect its warranty.