Get your drift on!

Ford has announced the all-new Ford Performance Drift Stick. A rally-inspired electronic handbrake, developed and designed for Focus RS and approved by rally and stunt star +Ken Block.

For final sign-off, professional rally driver +Ken Block was consulted on the Ford Performance Drift Stick. He 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.

Ken Block

“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. It definitely makes the car even more fun to drive."

Since a hydraulic handbrake would have required substantial modifications to the car that couldn’t be easily reversed, the Ford Performance Drift Stick was developed as an entirely electronic technology. Once the wizardry began, 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 this existing technology resulted in easily plugging a USB cable into the Ford Performance Drift Stick to pull select diagnostic data and upload powertrain calibrations for the Focus RS.

The digital design enables a number of key benefits:

• Instantaneous engagement and release – just five to six pounds of pressure is required to operate the Ford Performance Drift Stick – significantly less than a hydraulic handbrake – for easy, precise use
• Installation and removal is easy, as there is no welding, hole drilling or calipers as necessary in a hydraulic kit
• It also connects to the onboard diagnostics port on the car, allowing it to function as a professional calibration tool

Like the RS’s exclusive drift mode, the Ford Performance Drift Stick is intended for track use only. It is currently available for customers in the United States and Canada. The kit includes the Drift Stick lever, mounts and circuit board with professional calibration functionality. The car’s warranty is unaffected by its installation.

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