Strong demand means some 2016 Focus RS buyers bumped to 2017 model

Given its combination of performance, practicality and pricing, coupled with the fact it’s built at only one location, in this case a plant in Saarlouis, Germany, supplies for Ford Motor Company’s [NYSE:F] Focus RS was always going to be a little tight.

Unfortunately for some customers that signed up for the initial 2016 model, the demand worldwide has proven so strong Ford has been forced to bump them to the 2017 model. A Ford spokesman confirmed to Motor Authority that 220 customers in North America are affected.

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Production of the 2017 Focus RS will start in October and those customers that missed out on the 2016 model will be prioritized. Almost no delay is expected in the delivery of their vehicle, though that isn't much comfort considering they've missed out on the first year of production.

Some readers will recall something similar happened with the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat muscle cars in their first year of production. As a response, Dodge doubled the production for the following year.

Ford hasn’t said if it will do the same with its Focus RS. That means anyone placing an order now may have a longer than normal—for a Ford—wait time.

The 350-horsepower hot hatch only started deliveries in the United States a few weeks ago. It’s priced from a very reasonable $36,605, which includes shipping. For this you get a practical hatch that’s powered by a turbocharged engine and capable of hitting 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds and going all the way to 165 mph. There’s also a 6-speed manual transmission plus a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with an industry-first drift mode.