Ford has created a huge buzz around its Focus RS mega hatch. The fact it’s a four-wheel drive hooligan in the same vein as the Escort RS Cosworth certainly helps, but so has a single button.
Thumb the discreet black sliver of plastic marked ‘Drive Mode’ a few times and you’ll enter ‘Drift Mode’, a unique track-only setting which sets the RS up to perform balletic skids with only modest talent from the driver. Essentially, it turns you into Ken Block.
And this got us thinking. What are the coolest buttons ever fitted in cars?
Button: Drift mode
Car: Ford Focus RS
The Focus RS actually has four driving modes: ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’, ‘Track’ and ‘Drift’, but it’s the last one which has been the subject of countless threads, YouTube videos and even caused a stir amongst Australian authorities.
Use it – in a controlled environment, obviously – and the RS will send more of its power to individual rear wheels, dialling out understeer and actually promoting a big, lovely skid. We’ve tried it at Silverstone’s Stowe handling circuit, and it really is as easy as turning into a tight corner in a low gear and stamping on the throttle. Of course, doing it smoothly and coming out of the skid pointing in remotely the right direction still takes some skill, which is exactly why you shouldn’t try it on the public road.
Button: Power mode
Car: BMW E60 M5 V10
Read the blurb on a BMW M5 V10 today and you might think you’d stumbled across a teenager’s flight of fancy, but yes, the Bavarian saloon car really was powered by a V10 engine to rival Lamborghini.
The reason was Formula 1, because BMW was heavily involved in the sport at the time, and wanted to capitalise on its expensive hobby. Head honchoes decided the best way to do it was to reflect the type of engines used for F1 racing in its road cars, namely screaming V10s.
At start-up the 5.0-litre motor produces 400bhp, but press the ‘Power mode’ button and 500bhp becomes available. How? Well, the M5 has two different settings for the ECU which controls its engine, one for easier driving and better economy and one for extra power, sharper responses and faster acceleration. If only the Peugeot 106 I learnt to drive in had a button giving 100bhp extra…
Button: Engine start
Car: Lamborghini Aventador
First there was a handle which could break your wrist, then we got the ignition key and more recently the push start button has become a more and more popular way to fire up your engine. But, very few match the sheer drama or cool-factor of the Lamborghini Aventador.
First things first, the button has pride of place on the central console (yes, right in the middle) beneath a bright red flip-up cover. So pop it up with your thumb and you can imagine firing air-to-air missiles as you depress the button.
Then there’s the noise. A high-pitched whirring as the starter motor engages, followed by the recalcitrant roar of ten Italian cylinders igniting behind your head. It’s enough to make you want to go for a drive, just for the sake of it.
Button: IPAS
Car: McLaren P1
McLaren is another manufacturer with a serious addiction to the pinnacle of motorsport, and Formula 1 technology really does filter down into its road cars.
Just take the incredible McLaren P1 hypercar as an example. Like recent F1 cars, the P1 is a petrol hybrid with batteries and electric motors aiding its combustion motor. Okay, so it’s not going to give a Prius a run for its money on an economy run, but its electric tech does make it even faster.
And that’s where its ‘IPAS’ button comes in. Mounted on the steering wheel, it stands for ‘Instant Power Assist System’, giving the P1 a 176bhp boost thanks to energy recovered from braking. Alongside the 727bhp 3.8-litre V8 petrol engine, this gives an incredible 903bhp.
Button: Top Speed mode
Car: Bugatti Chiron
The upcoming Bugatti Chiron looks likely to be the world’s fastest production road car, with an insane 1,500bhp courtesy of its 8.0-litre W12 engine and four turbochargers. With four-wheel drive, it can hit 124mph from a standing start in 6.5 seconds, faster than most family cars take to reach half that speed.
Mounted on the steering wheel is a driving mode selector with four settings: ‘Lift’, ‘Auto’, ‘Autobahn’ and ‘Handling’. But, there’s a fifth mode. Access ‘Top Speed’ by placing a special key into the centre console and the top speed limiter is raised from 236mph to 261mph. Not only that, but the Chiron’s active aerodynamic spoilers and adjustable suspension all optimise for driving faster than most light aircraft.
There might only be a few places in the world you can actually try it out (Google ‘Ehra-Lessien’, it’s Volkswagen’s test facility with a straight 5.4 miles long!), but can you imagine putting your ‘Top Speed Key’ on the bar as you walk in?
