Anybody played with a Focus RS on the road?
 

Mates just bought a focus RS (not the new one) and was wondering how it will go compared to my 2003 wrx (285BHP)

Don't want to give him the pleasure of handing my arse to him so thought id better ask here before giving it a go

i think the RS's are quick. but if ur not caught off boost im sure ull win.

My cus has just bought the same and i have the same concern :)

i took one in px for my 350bhp 2003 sti, not a patch mate. Anything but bone dry and it couldnt keep the power down, wouldnt worry too much just sit in it and admire the interior :lol:

Killed one when i was at 330bhp (hawkeye) i was 2up he was on his own, playing on the M4:)

yes i have it was ment to be running 330 ATM and i was just going past him and it blew up infront of me,

nice cars tho :D

They are pretty quick in a straight (and dry) line, but horrible to drive in the twisties.

I had a race with one in a Golf GTI and we were virtually neck and neck. The Golf is nowhere near my WRX, which is similar to yours.

I don't think you need to worry!

i to have had a race on a rs , 0 to 120 he was no where i just kept pulling away

Depends on what power your mates RS is and if the roads are wet or dry....

The RS beat a Bugeye around the TG Track but, I remember Clarkson mentioning at the time even that the RS did not have the straight line ooomph that the (215 BHP Bugeye) Impreza had.

YouTube - Top Gear New First series The Rs Focus

YouTube - Top Gear the Focus Rs part 2

i had a mk1 RS follow me in my bug WRX into a damp round-a-bout......

GAME OVER :D as i watched him 360 behind me

not even seen one of the new ones though

Its all gonna depend on mods...

A 270bhp WRX cant keep up with a similar powered Focus RS, well it couldnt on the way back from a recent rolling road day!

My mates is standard so i think i should be ok with my 285bhp

Don't want to sound like a knob but a lot of people obviously don't know a lot about a modded FRS, having an ATB diff they handle very very well in the twistys and have a good bit of puff on the straights. by all means try it on with the next FRS you see but just remember you might end up looking a bit daft!


There is some tyre squeal but not a lot gets past him either!

YouTube - Duncs Focus RS

We all know that FRSs can be easily modded, like our Scoobs, and with equal power, a FRS would win when rolling due to less transmission loss.

But, we are talking a std 212bhp FRS vs a modded 285bhp WRX.

A lot was promised from the ATB diff, but the one I drove for a day was truly horrible. The wheel was wrenched out of my hand every time I accelerated and only on a straight road (the A1(M)) could I really use the power. I've been told that there were good and bad examples and I must have had a bad one.

As already said, I easily kept with one (I assume was standard) with a standard Mk5 Golf GTI, so as standard they are good, but not hugely quick. I'm not arguing that a 350bhp version isn't, but I bet its harder work than a Scoob.

Interesting post- i used to own a RS Focus about a year ago, few comments are correct they are sh*t in the wet, but must say had mine tuned up to 287bhp and yes wheel span in 1st and 2nd abit but would pull past the 4wd cars once in 3rd and 4th gear it was really quick - reakon though it would be undriveable well over 300bhp though. i really liked the car - the main issue with that car was grip - and lack of it!! would like to put it up against me impreza type r though reakon it would be close and i think that is a fair comment seem as though they are would have been arround the same bhp

Well I'm in the lucky position to own both an Impreza and a FRS.

I have a classic import Impreza running 310bhp, off the line it is quicker than my RS (267bhp) undoubtably, but from a rolling start and from 3rd gear onwards the Impreza simply cannot keep up.

The standard suspension setup and brakes were poo. It's now on coilovers and 4 pot Brembos. On the public road the Impreza still isn't as quick as the RS. On a small track like Croft I would imagine the Impreza to be a touch faster than the RS but not a great deal.

We'll sharp find out come a week tomorrow!

:Suspiciou