RiMo

Thanks for the responses so far guys!

RichWalk,

What do you mean by MaX Factor?

Rich

[Edited by RiMo - 8/6/2003 3:17:29 PM]

jonmorris

What's going to happen to his Evo then fatherpierre? The RS is relatively discrete in comparison to a Scooby/Evo - but you cannot dispute the fact that the Evo 8 power is going to make the RS look slow.

You're right about the power on the Focus RS. While it is fast and impresses anyone who might not have owned a fast car before, I suppose it can disappoint those who have driven lots of other cars. The Bluefin (chip) is therefore an essential item and should have been standard IMHO.


[Edited by jonmorris - 8/6/2003 10:50:34 PM]

jonmorris

The RS can go around corners a LOT faster than I think any driver will push it. In fact, it's the cornering that makes it so damn fast whenever it's 'professionally' tested - giving near M3 performance times. If you can't corner quick, then the Focus RS will fall back against obviously faster cars on the straights.

It also takes a while to get the confidence to drive the car properly and take advantage of the diff. If you feel any movement, the instant reaction is to lift off (slightly) but the ATB diff requires you to have the courage to keep the power planted and - sure enough - the car goes exactly where you want it to. It really does feel like four wheel drive (having had 4x4 for my last two cars).

With JC and Evo always saying the car is going to jump into the nearest hedge, I bet a lot of drivers - especially those who never got test drives before launch - have never been told how to drive it.

Having been on a track twice, I must admit I'd never have the bottle to try cornering at those speeds on a public road. Even when the tyres are squealing, the grip is still there - but I've never managed to get the tyres to make a noise on a public road!

So you're 100% right - it will come down to the driver. Just because you beat ANY car on a corner doesn't mean you're necessarily driving the better car (and this goes for any car, not just a Scooby).

As an aside, not directed at anyone here, why is that when anyone has a race on a forum they always manage to find roads with all these lovely bends that give them a huge lead? And why is it they are always neck and neck come the next bend if they've managed to leave it 100 car lengths behind?

[Edited by jonmorris - 8/7/2003 2:06:31 PM]

RiMo

My brother is tempted by the Focus RS!!

Anybody driven one of these beasts and willing to divulge their verdict?

Cheers,

Rich

DjacK-uk

Hey there.

I have a Focus RS. Bought it about 4 months ago. Had a Mitsubishi EVO 6 tuned to over 350 bhp before it.

Had the evo for just over 3 years, fancied a change, something a little more refined and a better everyday car. The Focus RS is very very impressive for a 2 wheel drive car in my opinion. It doesnt feel as fast as an evo or scooby but i can tell you it will keep up with a standard evo 8 up to 80mph and beat a modded RB5 off the mark (if its not raining ). All in all, its just like a normal focus to drive, once you lay the power down it can become a little twitchy, this tourque steer everyone moans about is absolute rubbish, you have to drive it to understand, it can be a little harder to drive than my evo when on the gas, but this makes it more fun. I have just spent £700 on a full stainless exhaust sytem and decat pipe all the way up to the turbo, it makes some fantastic noises, pops bangs and sounds very much like a rally car. Worth ever penny.

All i can say is take one for a test drive, as i did you might like it. Im gonna keep this now, and ive orderd a evo 8 so the focus will become a 2nd car for me..

Andy Mid.

I owned one for 5 months and it's a crackin' car If you do a search on here you'll find loads of threads on the FRS but beware that there are a lot of strong opinions from people who have never driven one which are best ignored IMO.

I previously owned a standard Impreza turbo and there really isn't anything in it acceleration wise. It has a massive amount of grip, fantastic brakes and there are not many of them on the roads (a good thing !). My main gripe was traction in the wet and if your brother is coming from a 4WD car he will notice that.

compshack

I've just sold a Focus RS, for the same money I bought it for £20.000. Absolute cracking car, you won't believe how many people staire at you. Performance wise it really does go, and there is no touque steer. You have to run it on Optimax or similar and if your caining it it does drink fuel, worst I had was about 16mpg. There are mods out there to up the power to 285bhp but it gets abit twichy on the front wheels. They are limited so you won't see many but you won't mistake one when you do.

RichWalk

most reviews are pretty good, however its now become the ultimate 'MaX Factor' car

DJ140

"it will keep up with a standard evo 8 up to 80mph and beat a modded RB5 off the mark (if its not raining )"

It was good to see you put a smiley face at the end of this sentence and assume you know what you are saying is complete rubbish?!

Nice looking car, terrible dash (It has something in common with the Impreza then) and performance is okay, similar to the Cupra R?

All IMO of course.

Dan

DjacK-uk

LOL DJ140, heres another "one" who just jumps in on the offensive. Chill mate, i was not talking rubbish, im not saying that, that result will happen every time we have a bash, but ffs people like you pi55 me off summit rotten when you rock on into a thread without a clue of who and what your talking to and about...

Mega

Buying Second hand are we?
Out of production............and for a VERY good reson!

Mega

achad

Yer, i was there, he had a race with Andys evo 8, and his mates RB5 and a 200sx thrown in to boot. They went all the way to wales and back, and the only car to stick with the evo was the RS, on the way back they stopped of at Shotton Paper works and did a quarter mile drag race (big industrial estate, all the bikers go there), the focus had off the rb5 and the 200sx and kept with the evo till around 80 like he said..

About the same power as a cupra R yes, but faster..

RiMo

Mega,

Can you explain your comment please?

Thanks,

Rich

AudiMan

Easy guys !!!, knew this thread would get heated... I had a Focus RS for a few days on test, no getting away from it, its a very quick and capable car, and would just about keep up with my MY00, but in the wet and on a narrow twisty B road the Scoob would definetly have the edge, it does torque steer a bit but not as bad as the old Saab Turbo's or Audi 200's, it fairly well built, and as mentioned quite rare, I can see it becoming sought after (TWOCers new Escort Cosworth), the only way to be sure is to drive one,, I'd have one, but not over the Scoob.

Andy Mid.

RiMo - Mega is one of those guys I was telling you about

he always quotes some friend of a friend who knows the inside story of how it's the most dangerous car ever but he's never actually driven one himself.....

DjacK-uk

I have to agree, its not got the traction in the wet my evo had, what so ever, but on a dry day, it cant half handle..

Im not heated over the cars, in actual fact i shouldnt have really thrown in that comment on here about the evo and the rb5, i was trying to get across to people that in actual fact its a very fast little car. Its just people who tell me im talking rubbish when I was there that get me heated!

jonmorris

I can't say that I've taken on a Evo or STi and wouldn't expect to come out on top - but I did do well when an M3 tried it on behind me. I thought it was a 330, until he overtook me, and was quite shocked - but also relieved a little.

When the M3 lost the back end coming off a roundabout too fast, and drove just inches from the central crash barrier, he was allowed to go off and impress someone else. The Focus can go around bends very well, which might be why it was only 1 or 2 seconds slower around the track when Top Gear tested them (on separate occasions, I might add).

Mega thinks he knows all - having this main man in Jaguar who speaks for all of Ford Motor Company. You see, Ford didn't really end production because all of the cars are now built - they cancelled it because it's a death trap and ANY DAY now someone is going to be killed. It's all one big cover up - but Dr Mega Kelly knows the truth...

How nobody has been killed since people started getting them last year is a mystery because they are time bombs just waiting to go off when you least expect it - Jeremy Clarkson said so and so did this geezer at Jag. It MUST be true.

Or maybe when we're killed, Ford are coming to take away the car and bodies before the police arrive.. You may well see a lot of Focus RS owners literally "disappearing" over the next few years.

I am writing on here knowing that any day, the car is going to launch itself out of control and wrap me around a tree. The car is THAT much more powerful than any Ferrari, Porsche or TVR.

Frankly, us Focus RS owners must be totally crazy to drive these things.

Isn't it good the car was "axed"? I wonder when we will get the recall notice from FMC?

fatherpierre

You been smoking something?

Waffle.

My brother's had a RS Focus for 7 months, to replace his 20VT Fiat.

Fooking great car. It does have a bit of torque steer but it's only noticeable on bad surfaces. It handles better than any FWD I've driven except for the Integra type R.

Very little lag and razor sharp throttle response.

Needs more power, though.

Andy Mid.

Strange, that's one thing I wouldn't have said was anything special even when just comparing with similar turbocharged engines (ignoring NA).

fatherpierre

It's instant once the revs are there.

I find his RS more driveable and than my old MR2T.

A fair bit slower but the response is instant.

My bro is getting rid of it, though. He's had it keyed by w@nkers twice and is getting an Evo 8 for "real performance". His words.

fatherpierre

He's renting a garage near his flat just to make his costs even higher!(£2700 insurance is the cheapest he can get).

RiMo

Cheers for all the sensible responses so far guys!

For all those with less sensible comments, can I refer you back to my original post which asked:

WISHING

Ive had one, Sold it now. Because of one thing and one thing only.
(well ok a couple of things)

First of all its a great little car, But Ford Accountants took away too much !

The car in my view is too basic, I sold my Golf GTI T for one and the cross over of the equipment levels and trim spec was not an easy one. That said i could have lived with it !!!

MY Main reason for selling was the other TO$$ers on the road that just wanted to race it and cut it up everywhere it went.
Saxo boys and nova girls, you know the people i mean. Tailgating me. Everytime i took the car out i had some kind of problem. And thats not good when i have a year old baby in the car.
I didnt buy it for its performace, i brought it for what it was !!!

And thats a Great car with a limited build time !!! Saying that it always brought a smile to my face when driving it hard around the country lanes !!

Just as much fun as my Porsche Boxster S and got more looks than the porsche.

SHAME EVERY W4NKER IN THE WORLD WANTED TO RACE IT !!!!!

Andy Mid.

yeah, I had a fair amount of grief in mine starting on the first day I collected it when a prat in a 3 series kept pulling alongside on a dual carriageway and gesticulating that he wanted a race. There were too many times that I was hassled including being followed and eventually pulled over by a copper who simply hadn't seen one before and wanted a look

Ch!lledBudwei2er

Had a bit of fun with one on the roads last night, must admint it earned my respect, on the straight it's gonna be about the driver more than anything, but when the corners started he did start to fall a car length or two behind. Wicked looks though

TRIGGER

Great thread - straight back to the 'agree that the Focus RS is fantastic, or you are a prat'. Whatever happened to being able to give an opinion ?

I have driven it. It was nowhere near as fast as my RA, and thought it horrible under full acceleration. Decided against it.

As to people wanting to race you - one easy solution - JUST IGNORE THEM !!!

compshack

The focus RS is the best hot HATCHBACK on the road today. It beat both the WRX and the Type R on the TG test track. Same driver same track. It's a fantastic car to both look at and to drive. You can't leave your brains behind when you start to push it other wise it'll bit back but isn't that what it's all about? I think all the cars at the same money in the same class have their pros & cons and it's upto the individual to decide.