Police in Australia have described the drift mode featured in the new Ford Focus RS as “stupid”, threatening to confiscate cars of owners who employ it on public roads.
The new all-wheel drive hyper hatch – which has just been launched Down Under – boasts a system that makes it easier for drivers to slide the Focus RS sideways in a cloud of smoke (although it doesn’t work for everyone).
The automaker, of course, says the system is intended for track use only. But that hasn’t stopped campaigners in Australia from criticising Ford and demanding that the vehicles be recalled.
“A disclaimer is not going to stop an idiot from trying this on public roads. We urge Ford to reconsider its decision, recall these vehicles and disable this driving mode. Ford cannot absolve itself of its duty of care to road-users and its customers with a disclaimer on the dashboard,” said campaigner Harold Scruby.
Police agreed, saying that the system was not safe.
“There’s no reason to have that in a motor vehicle. There’s no safety reason to have a button you press that makes your car go sideways or does something else that’s not in your control. It’s plain stupid,” John Hartley of the New South Wales police told 7 News Melbourne.
“If you do it and you’re caught by us, we’ll take your car off you,” he added.
Interestingly, Ford Australia has already been forced to disable the “line lock” burnout feature in the Mustang since it was seen to break the country’s strict “anti-hooning” laws.
