bmac800

Found these pictures of the new Focus RS and it looks awesome (apart from the awful lime green paint).If this comes in any other colour when it is launched I think I could well have one to replace the STI.
Focus RS up close | Auto Express News | News | Auto Express

markymark34

there is already a good thread on this somewhere recently.
that colour is awful!

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

FWD only with a Quaife LSD.

Shame really AWD would make it more appealing to the masses. But adding AWD would take it into Evo price territory and above the STi. Still nice Volco engine thought.

Turbo2

I have to confess that I think that looks fantastic and I normally take the p*ss out of Fast Fords. Let's not re-start the debate about lacking 4WD though!

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

The point I am making is that AWD could push the car into Evo prices territory. It then starts to look expensive compared to the STi.

That being said the Evo Ralliart Hatchback looks a much better price option on paper.

Lancer Sportback Ralliart - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk

Fantom

That Focus looks fantastic!

bmac800

Wonder if you can still get tiger stripes.

Fantom

I'd take that over the new Impreza or Evo without doubt

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

I think it looks ridiculous, front looks like it been butchered, rear diffuser is stupidly large, tryin to hard to copy the wrc car. Still better than the STi though.

Nido

If it was the STI then it would have got an incredible reception.

As it is Ford have done what Subaru didn't have the bottle to do.

Well done Ford.

Dream Weaver

I may well buy one of these, regardless of which wheels are driven. Just depends on final costs, but if it drives anything like my ST then sign me up

zip106

I went to see my dealer on Saturday with a view to putting down a holding deposit (£1K)
He has 2 deposits already and he says there's a possibility he'll have the first car in December/January.

There's no spec list as yet and he also reckons that Ford will only do a limited run like the last RS, but I'm not sure I believe that.

I went away without leaving my deposit, just to mull it over again, but then later that day my mate informed me that his 996 TT will be up for grabs around April next year....

Decisions, decisions...

stilover

Go for the 996 Turbo

Probably the fastest point to point car on the planet. Well, apart from the 997 Turbo

zip106

Think I may well be doing that!
Heart says 911, head says RS.

I know the history of the Porsche but then again the RS would be new, but I'm guessing I might have more fun in the 911, who knows.
Always told myself I'd get a Porsche before I'm 40, so 11 months left to get one!

Good write up of the new Scirocco in August edition of CAR mag

Shark Man

295bhp + FWD = lots of ECU "torque management" regardless of an LSD and the TC being turned off

It was bad enough on a LS2 Monaro and potent engined BMWs

Blueblaster

Don't see why that would be a problem even if it turned out to be true, which it probably won't. From the other thread where some chap is being hounded for speeding on the public roads it would seem that everyone on here drives like a saint so won't need massive traction as they pottle about.

Greatnorth

indeed true mate, dunno why everyone doesnt just buy a 1.0 fiesta

There is very staunch anti speeding vibe on the forum which i can guarantee is probably all talk

sandycam

iTrader: (1)

i've read its limited but to 10,000 examples so not that limited imho! Looks good but not sure if its worth nearly 10k over an st, not much difference inside and not hugely different outside compared to what the previous rs was to the std cars.
If you know the turbo then go for it but it is ridiculously fast and you end up going a lot faster than you might feel comfortable with (eg jail terms!) because its so accessible and in the end was why i got rid of my one and got a nice sensible estate before bmac800 says it!

Shark Man

The problem is ECU torque management is what makes a 290bhp engine perform like a 1.6 Focus when "IT" wants to. Even with the TC system turned off. The driver has little or no say in the matter regardless of what buttons or switches he/she presses. Having said that even a 1.6 focus now has such systems, as does a 1.2 Corsa.

Its cropping up on lots of cars now since fly-by-wire throttle systems have become mainstream in the mass market. For a number of reasons; emissions, drivetrain preservation, noise, and for high BHP cars; to give the impression the car has good traction and make it more sluggish in low gears for sakes of "percieved" driveability and therefore"safe" for stupid drivers who have no idea of how to control accelerator pedal on a powerful car.

Consequentally, I have not driven a fly-by-wire throttle perfromance car that is "100% right" -especially when in direct comparsion to the cable driven equivelents of the same car. By that I mean, it allows full throttle opening when I floor the throttle pedal and instant, precise reaction to what I do with my foot. In constrast, the electronic systems never responds in a linear fashion, often overracting to quick movements and under-reacting to slow pedal movements. This added with the maximum opening limit at certain engine speeds in certain gears leads to a very annoying driving experience.... IMO (of course )


As for the other thread - a imature tit spouting off, and is being hounded by another bunch of imature ****. That does not automatically brand the rest of us saints nor sinners.

There is a time and place for high speed driving and that place is where no one is in harms way. Having been in a head-on crash with a car containing a whole family - children, baby and pregnant mother included. One opens their eyes at the potential accident that could be comming in the opposite direction every time one "presses on" whilst driving on the public highways.

(And if you don't like the people on this forum, have a word with the webmaster, he'll tell you where to go )

Dream Weaver

Shark man, it's very very easy to remove the torque limiters.

A simple remap (Dreamscience, Bluefin, Code:red etc) will generally either remove them or lower them considerably.

My ST has 270bhp currently and 330 torque and its a fantastic car to drive, even with the ESP left on as it rarely interferes. I just can't get over how much I am enjoying owning the ST (except the 19mpg this week!!) and how easy it is to drive quickly. After having a 200bhp FWD 205 I was worried that a Focus touching 300bhp would be murder, but new car tech obviously counts for a lot as its a different league in traction!!

I for one can't wait to test the RS, may make some enquiries with my dealer this week in fact.

Shark Man

Yes, thank goodness for remaps

I couldn't belive how much a Monaro is electronically "reigned in" at low rpms until I drove one that was remapped and had the torque management removed (well, I think the way its bypassed is setting it to 6000lb/ft ) as stock its set at 280lb/ft on a car rated at 390lb/ft

However, its this technology that makes a car capeable of giving adequate traction, so it doesn't get slated by journos (FWIW I don't have an issue with FWD traction, or torque steer...its easy to quell with a careful right foot).

The best way on a FWD car to get the best front end grip is by using proper front suspension with upper and lower control arms, as opposed to Mcpherson struts which uses the shock absorber as the upper component. The RS is said to have a "revoknuckle" front suspension, whatever that is - but I bet its still a Mcpherson strut, but with an extra lower tie rod to stop the main lower control arm from flapping about under fore-aft loads - something like that found on a Rover 25 (don't knock it, its all the better for having it)

Stevesbluewrx

iTrader: (4)

M-Sport will be doing the ECU upgrade

Optional extra

Steve

sandycam

iTrader: (1)

Shark Man - blag a shot of a 996 3.6 carrera (2 preferably not 4 or c4s) its got a fly by wire throttle but the reaction and pickup was brilliant but reacted exactly to what you put in to it (observed after a tank slapper!) and better than any other car i've driven. Traction control could be switched of completely , if you had it as it was an option and was a very "pure" drivers car. Don't know if 997's are the same.

Blueblaster

[QUOTE=Shark Man;7993173]The problem is ECU torque management is what makes a 290bhp engine perform like a 1.6 Focus when "IT" wants to. /QUOTE]

A lot of your post makes sense and actually contains some facts. Unfortunately, when you start the post off with a sentence like that you lose all credibility. You would have to be so violent with the throttle in such unsuitable circumstances for that to happen that frankly anyone who does should have their licence taken away.

Interestingly, you sound like someone who has a need for serious power that can be used whenever the mood takes you and you use that as a platform to hammer FWD cars. Sounds like you need to slow down to me. Given these are designed for the road one has to wonder how much performance you really need.

Borat_Drives_A_Scooby

Everything about the new Focus is stunning apart from one thing, THE BACK END OF THE CAR LOOKS HIDEOUS.

I like the front end which looks like an aggressive rally should, i like the side of the car but when you come to the back end it looks like the designers were approaching knocking off time and this was the end result.

One thing is for certain, it puts the Subaru designers to shame.

stilover

A Chimp with a Crayon does that too.

Blueblaster

Shark Man

Never!

As modern cars have engines with power bands focusing increasingly on top-end power and torque leaving alot to be desired with regards to low speed tractability, the need to seek a car with an engine capeable of producing the same torque at 2000rpm as it does at 6000rpm grows; Of which has no electronics messing about doing things that are perfectly within the average driver's capabilities (or at least should be). Now, combine the above into a package that can be used daily, preferably with four seats and a boot.

And, now may I ask you kindly to leave the trolling-esque personal opinions of how "I" drive out of this thread...its about the Focus RS, not how I want to drive it . My clean license of 12 years since the day it was issued is testament to this

Shark Man

#

Been there: Hated the 996 compared to older 911s; too tame - not like Porsches of old.

Rather have a 993 (edit: no make that a carrera 2.7 RS ). Not yet driven any 997s. Either way they aren't what I need, not enough space in the back, and funny shaped boot, which would force it to be yet another weekend car that I never use.

Maybe you can see why I "want" the Focus RS to be good. But I keeping thinking that I'm probably fooling myself....will have to wait for a dealer to get a demo car (fat chance of that, I guess )

Blueblaster

I edited my post before submitting it because I knew you'd get the hump. Why is everyone so touchy? Frankly, your clean licence of 12 years is clean because you have been a) lucky and b) maybe a little savvy about speed traps. Don't for one minute try and pretend that you haven't broken the limit enough to lose your licence a dozen times over during your 12 years of immaculate driving .

I only commented on your style of driving because it is so relevant to this thread. You can't make comments about torque managments and crap traction without someone raising the question that you might be driving a little too fast. Given the amount of grip that is going to be available from the hugely competent chassis and super sticky tyres the only occasions you would exceed the abilities of the car are in an accident or if you're doing something you wouldn't do with a copper sitting next to you.