The new car wipes the board clean and starts over. In addition to AWD (), the RS will be the only Focus to pack Ford's new 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder, available now in the Lincoln MKC and very soon in the 2015 Mustang.

Our source says that at this stage, the Focus RS horsepower numbers aren't finalized, and we don't know if it’ll pack the same Honeywell twin-scroll turbo as its stablemates. If we had to place a wager, we’d bet on near-Mustang power levels for the Focus RS, putting it well above the Focus ST in the pecking order.

What we hear squares with other rumors about the Focus RS coming stateside, while fleshing out some more specifics. A number of hurdles still remain, however: marketing studies, government certifications, and corporate willpower—but it ultimately looks like the VW Golf R will get some serious competition next year. We can't wait.

We have additional details about the upcoming 2016 Focus RS from another trusted source, including power output, so let's start with that. With the Mustang GT's V8 holding down a 435 hp spot at the top of the Ford performance pecking order (for now, until the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 emerges), the Focus RS is free to turn up the horsepower wick. Since the 2.3-liter Ecoboost is easily capable of more than its 310 hp output in the Mustang, which was dictated more by fuel economy concerns than anything else, the RS is free to pump out between 325 and 350 hp. The higher figure is more likely. This is because as a low-volume, niche product that doesn't compete with the Mustang GT, there's no reason to hold the Focus RS back.

To put the power down, Ford will employ an entirely new AWD system intended for high-output applications. It's not the same system employed on the Fusion, Escape, and MKZ. The new system will employ torque vectoring front and rear to aid handling, and after debuting in the Focus RS it will trickle down to other applications.

That means the Focus RS might have some high-performance AWD company in Ford's lineup soon.

What does Ford have to say? In a statement to Car and Driver, an unnamed spokesperson said:

“None of what is being reported is confirmed, including the part about the RS coming to America. That said, everything in the [report] references existing stuff and is certainly doable. If you look at what we can do with the Escape, which is a C-platform vehicle, you can see these things are not beyond the realm of possibility.”

Let's be completely clear about one thing: despite two independent sources saying that the next Focus RS will likely go on sale in the United States, that decision will remain up in the air within Ford's leadership until more specifics of the car are finalized. While it doesn't seem like fuel economy or emissions will be concerns (the former because of very limited volume, the latter because the 2.3 is already federalized in the Lincoln MKC and the Mustang Ecoboost), it might turn out that the final vehicle is prohibitively expensive. Or maybe the retail climate changes. There are numerous factors that might affect Ford's decision later on. But the fact that North America is on the table at all in this early stage, and that our sources indicate that Ford is gung-ho about American sales, mean that we can't discount the possibility.

Prediction is a dangerous game, but based on what we're hearing, an American debut of the most extreme Ford hatchback ever is much more likely than not.