rich a

nope just bored reading all your negative posts

co55ie

On a serious note I do really like scoob's they are cool car's and great fun to drive. It's nice to have some competition.

fmacario

That result must be because they drive in the wrong side of the car and the roads... (just kidding!). Other magazines give completely different results!

Mac

HELLOM8

Quote "spotty rude boys can afford them now".
True, True nova boys and even cossie boys drive em now I think I'm gona have to change car.

TurboBoost

Re: the Clarkson post about how it handles B roads, been waiting for something like this. Thats the first snippet of a review I've read that wasn't based on Fords twisty but smooth test track in Belgium. The RS is apparantly to be commended for its wet weather traction (the first concern of a powerful front driver).
However it looks like on real life badly surfaced British B roads it may be a bit compromised.
There is another group test in next weeks Autocar in which we might find out a bit more (even though I don't take what they write as gospel). They should have the RS, a WRX, and a CTR and Leon Cupra R for good measure. They may even chuck an S3 into the mix.

The Leon R gets another good review in Autocar this week (they loved the handling, good traction even without a fancy diff, mid range grunt, and it got a 0-60 in 6.5), although will be good to see how it mixes with the 20k stuff.

EvilBevel

Just a little side note... you can put the "wonder diff" the Focus RS has into a UK Scooby as well, will cost you about 550 UKP.

Wonder what that feels like ... oops... already know, as do some others on this BBS

Apart from that, all respect to the RS mind. Very impressive.

But back to topic: unmodified cars

TrueSTI man

So Autocar have put a Boxster at No 2 and an STi at No8. Well from the experience of owning a Boxster and changing to an STi7, I can honesly say that these ranking are fixed. In my opionion the STi7 would run circles round the Boxster. My Boxster was far too heavy to through around corners compared to the STi.

With all factors considered Scoobies are without question the best car on the road ...........

Diesel

I do not want a front drive scrabbler for traction again - the R5 I had at 175bhp was fun but front tyres lasted 6000 miles. I'm sure the RS is an excellent handler, but what about TRACTION. Steer and power on the front only will always cause problems - I like the AWD idea... No contest.

I have struggled past all TVR's met on a track, and they have always had a power and paintwork advantage I've also owned (AND LOVED) one, so I am surprised they do so well in 'Sprints' - maybe its cos I dont know what a sprint is!

I can not think of a better car around £25k to replace the Scoob with - even if it is old hat technology by now. What is there to beat such a brilliant allrounder?

Diesel

Sprint Chief

Diesel

A sprint meeting is pretty straightforward - cars sent off one at a time, at regular intervals, around a track over a single lap. Events are run essentially the same as Hillclimb rules, each competitor gets a fixed number of practice and timed runs, best timed run wins. There is no overtaking to affect the results - if cars catch each other on track, the runs are aborted and competitors get another chance. Events take place on many UK circuits and airfields, and there are classes for standard cars, mild mods, big mods, and full race (i.e. slicks+wings single seaters).

I would add whilst (standard) TVRs can post faster times than (standard) cars like cossies, evos and scoobs, it is noticeable that TVRs do have a wide distribution of times - i.e., there are very few people who are capable of driving them like they should be driven. (Sprints are aimed at novices + experienced track drivers) Watching a good driver is something else, I've watched these cars being drifted and steered on the throttle just like a seven!

Perhaps autocars' point might have been that the TVRs performance is a little inaccessible to some of us mortals?

Buzzer

Lets face it Angus Frazer is a tosser..............

Little Miss WRX

I like the way the scoob corners when set up for a slight oversteer bias

IanW

@ the Muppet! who let her out

Little Miss WRX

I let myself out, I have my own key now

Chris L

Also interesting to read Car magazine this month. They have the new Focus RS up against a WRX and Honda Type R. The Focus took a narrow victory. But there were some intersting points. On the twisty mountain stuff (let's face it - this is the Scoob's natural home) it was the better car than the Focus. Less effort required I think was the quote. Also they stated that there were compelling reasons to buy any of the cars tested as they were all outstanding. Referring to the Scoob, they said that they had forgotten what an acomplished car the WRX was. So don't go worrying too much.

Focus RS also suffered from a very stiff ride - great for track not so good for b roads, where they also made comments about the handling. The general view was that Ford has done a good job (it has taken them long enough). Any car straight out of the showroom that can do 8:45 around a damp Nurburgring is going to be pretty special!

The biggest thing against it I'm afraid is the little blue badge on the front. There are still those that regard them as 'Dagenham Dustbins' (although they have actually made huge strides forward) and the perception of fast Fords in the public's eye is still not great. Why do you think it has taken Ford so longer to make another decent performance car? Also factor in that this car will at best break even (Ford is certainly not making any money out of the RS - it is designed to lift the whole image of the Focus range), which was the case I believe for both the Escort Cosworth and the Racing Puma and you wonder how long Ford will keep them in production.

Chris

elondan

Which car was faster?

Chris L

0-60 - the Scoob (5.9 v 6.4 (RS) v 6.9 (Type R)). Very subjective though as 0-60 times have little to do with actual driving (unless you love shelving out £800 to replace your clutch every few thousand miles). Car also noted bad turbo lag - worse than a Scoob. From what Car have written, I think there is very little in it.It will come down to personal choice. Personally I don't mind the looks of the outside of the RS, but I think the inside is rank - all the tarty bits out of Ripspeed catalogue (and what is it with two tone steering wheels? I hate them).

Chris

elondan

Why did the RS win (by CAR)? and how did the Type-R fare?

elondan

BTW I looked it up the Impreza GT did Nuburgring in 8:37, what is the WRX time?

Beemer_Deano

Oh dear, there's nothing like a magazine article to bring out the haters and bashers is there?

Personally, I can't wait to drive an RS - it must be a hell of a car, although IMHO they could have made it a bit more dramatic - by Christmas every under 25 yearolds Zetec 3 door is going to look like an RS, but maybe thats what Ford want.

For reviews though, I'll wait while the release furore has died down and the mags are a little less likely to be chomping Fords shlong (particularly when two of the testers in a certain article work for them ).

Not looking to massage people's egos, it still looks like the STi is Autocars favourite performance saloon (no M3?, no Evo?, wtf?), so the "king is dead" stuff is a bit premature.

One down side though (or upside if you don't like them ) - it looks like the RS has finally laid the ghost of the Cossies, but at least it might shut up some of the more quarrelsome fanboy element .

Cheers,

Deano

Diesel

Sprint Chief

Very true on the TVR and driver thing. I am able to thrash and 4 wheel drift the Scoob at very high speeds; none of it in the previus TVR though! The TVR just felt much mored edgy, twitchy, bulky, heavy and clearly had much bigger bollox than me!

I need both cars really...

Sprint Chief

Diesel

I know exactly what you mean

My next sprint meeting coming up on 29th Sept at North Weald, all I need is someone to enter in an STi, a focus RS and a TVR Tamora and I will get some answers Somehow I don't think this will happen!