Ford has announced it will screen an eight-part behind-the-scenes documentary on the Rebirth of an Icon, the 2015 Ford Focus RS.

IN A SHORT STATEMENT, accompanying the trailer above, Ford has announced it will screen an eight-part documentary on the making of the new Ford Focus RS. According to Ford, it will be an “warts and all” documentary, but then they would say that.

For car fans the documentary on the Ford Focus RS is likely to be must-watch stuff, and for those with only a passing interest it’ll at least offer a glimpse into what it takes to produce a new vehicle. Sort of. We’re pretty sure there won’t be an episode devoted to the accounting department and how it costs out each part, the associated shipping costs of those parts, the labour hours, the facility hire charges, and much more.

But, hey, we know that ‘RS consultant’ Ken Block will feature as will Ford’s global product boss, Raj Nair. Ford describes the documentary by saying: “From the searing heat of Arizona to the icy wastes of the Arctic, from design studio to the crash lab, Ford Motor Company is revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the all-new Focus RS”.

“The Focus RS is a unique performance vehicle with an incredible heritage. This creates enormous expectation and intense pressure that demands teamwork, sheer determination and a single-minded focus on delivering the ultimate Focus,” said Nair. “This access-all-areas documentary perfectly captures what is at times a bumpy ride.”

Eight weekly episodes start on 30 September:

Episode 1: Project kick-off – Ken Block and Raj Nair debate what the car should deliver, from behind the wheel of an early prototype

Episode 2: Design and development – Crunching crashes put the new design to the toughest of tests

Episode 3: Hitting the road – A 1,600-kilometre (1,000-mile) drive through epic terrain takes prototypes from high in the Rocky Mountains to the Arizona desert

Episode 4: Test-track trials – Block heads for Ford’s top-secret test facility, and indulges in some “hooning”

Episode 5: Arctic extremes – Winter testing in Sweden, and the team is under pressure to improve performance

Episode 6: Power struggle – It’s all about performance, as the Ford manufacturing plant in Saarlouis, Germany, gears up for production

Episode 7: Close scrutiny – The day of the critical sign-off drive follows Block’s headline appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Episode 8: Final chapter – It’s time for the nail-biting management review

The videos will be available on YouTube.