Dream Weaver

I was out yesterday on largely unsmooth, bump, rocky mixed dry and wet roads, even some snow and had no issues whatsoever - these things are awesome believe me. When its tipping it down and soaking you have to be restrained, but why anyone would drive quick in that weather is beyond me anyway.

I agree with you on that, mainly down to cost cutting, though I don't and have never believed that to the average man on the street that 4WD has any huge advantage over FWD.

The only issue I ever have in the ST is wheelspin when its wet, it never squirms, or is unsettled, or shoots off at a tangent (unlike my 205 did!!). It goes where you want it.

ScoobyJawa

Then remap the RS and see ya French crap!

(saying a car with a remap can compete with a standard car without one always makes me laugh, what makes people think the owner of the 25k car can't afford or won't apply a 400-500 remap when available, which I'm betting won't be long)

Dream Weaver

It's already out, I was reading it over the weekend, some good cars tested actually - a nice Miami 205, Clio Williams etc.

Focus RS wins, Megane comes second and they say even though people reckon old hot hatches were quicker/more fun that the new versions just smash them to bits for fun, speed, reliability etc.

The only surprise is the 306 GTI-6 which comes higher up in the results than the others which all go in cronalogical order.

Another win to the RS

stuart2008sti

iTrader: (1)

Why are people still having a go with regards to the new sti,last time i looked on the top gear lap board the 08 sti was still quicker than 07 sti and wr1seems to me a lot of people have a go at it even though they have never driven one.look at the reports on hot hatches and they dont include the 08 sti because it is one step ahead in performance terms.rant over sorry.

nisr227

... what I should of said is the R26 is already 2 years old, I mentioned a remap becuase its near the end (well 1 year) of its warranty, you'll have to wait 3 years when the RS warranty runs out before a remap, hence I compared them, I shouldn't, but thats the way I would think.

I've been in a remapped R26 and it handled it perfectly fine, Renault probably haven't done it becuase they want to keep costs down (it would need a stronger turbo to last under warranty).

But OK then, I will put my neck out and say that I don't think the new RS will be that much quicker than the standard (227bhp) R26 along B roads, and shorter circuits, if at all.

Bear in mind the R26 (1.53.8) was only 1 second off the new Evo X (1.52.8) along Autocars Millbrook 'road' test, and over 2 seconds quicker than the new STi (1.55.9). And I am not talking about the much quicker and unpractical R26.R that Ford seem to be aiming against at the Nurburgring, they have no chance becuase its so much lighter and track based.

As quick as the Ford may be, 300bhp isn't as good as it sounds in a car that has nearly 1500kg of fat on it. And if they really think it will do 30mpg then they are in cookoo land, the ST that I borrowed drank fuel far more than the official figures, and that was 80bhp less and lighter too.

Spooky Mulder

I am intrigued by the Tom Ford review as it says that the magic is at least partly due to the Quaife ATB.

I admit I am not the strongest techy, however my understanding is that the ATB is torque sensing - i.e. needs torque to be at both wheels to distribute the torque to the wheel with the most traction. If one wheel completely breaks traction then all it will do is spin up that wheel. Hence ATBs being suited to 4WD drive cars.

Mind you if the wheel breaks traction and then merely spins up there will be no torque steer (but equally no forward acceleration).

ScoobyJawa

Thats more like it

However, people don't wait until the warranty expires before remapping their cars

30mpg is a complete joke, they should know better given the ST, most owners see around 22mpg, but hey, we all know the modern mpg calcs are a crock of cr4p!!