GazTheHat

OK, with all the talk about the new Focus ST and FWD vs AWD, let's have a look.

With the new looks & shapes of the Evo and STi, people are after something different. The new focus seems to deliver that power-wise and with looks, but does it make a difference it's FWD?

I know a lot of people said they would buy it if it was AWD.

lucky_strike

And imagine what it'll be like to drive when people remap them... 330hp+ through the front wheels?

That said, btcc, rally cars will do it... just not sure about an everyday car. Be interested to see what the first reviews think once they get to have a drive. I would think it will be quite a beast to tame.

dave247

Try this thread on a Ford enthusiast site for a bit better feedback.

stilover

I had my name down for one. Took my name off the list once it was announced it was FWD.

This was going to be my weekend car. Was too young to buy a new Escort Cosworth, so this was going to be my modern day Escort Cosworth.

Was never going to sell it (not for at least 10 years anyway) and keep it absolutely mint. Would have bought a cheap second car for work & back.

Sorry but a FWD 300BHP Focus is just not special enough for me to buy as a weekend car only. I owned the Mk1 and know where/which roads it let itself down on. They would be the weekend roads I would drive on, so not much point really.

Ford have lost my £30k (what I was willing to pay for a AWD RS)

Shame Ford bottled it. Bet plenty of £30k+ Evo's are sold.

GazTheHat

Do you think there would be a difference if it was just a YES/NO poll?

I'm not so sure, because as Stilover says, owners of previous models will know where it lets itself down, AWD would've changed that.

If you're a member of one, go post it. Would be interesting to see....

dave247

Apparently they tested the car with FWD and 4WD and the FWD came out faster and better.

Heres a little video interview with the director of team rs

Autocar Videos - Autocar.co.uk

Why the Focus RS isn’t four-wheel drive
Steve Sutcliffe
If they are to be believed (and usually they are) Ford’s engineers have come up with an awfully complex new suspension system which they call the revo-knuckle, and apparently this all but eradicates torque steer when it’s applied to a traditional suspension strut.

Used in conjunction with a Quaife limited slip diff, it means you can apparently put a zillion lb ft of torque through the front axle without so much as a whiff of torque steer – although all we can do at the moment is wait to drive the RS for ourselves to either prove or disprove the theory.

So long as they’re not fibbing and the RS doesn’t do an impression of an early ‘90s turbocharged Saab, I’m glad that Ford hasn’t made the RS four-wheel drive.

Granted, all-paw systems give more traction and allow you to put more power onto the road, especially when the going is slippery. But they add weight, cost and technical complexity while knocking fuel consumption and emissions.

In fact, apart from pure traction, there’s not a while lot going for four-wheel drive nowadays, assuming a company has the know-how to make a front-driver handle however much torque gets transmitted by the front tyres. Given how generally well mannered the ST Focus is, you have to give Ford the benefit of the doubt in this instance.

True, the previous Focus RS was a wild animal on the wrong road, but you need to remember two things about that car. First, people who said it had too much torque steer were total wimps (on the right road it was a fabulously sharp and committed car to drive.) And secondly, that it was developed by a team of people who did things differently to the mob who are in charge today.

Team RS boss Jost Capito has forgotten more about chassis tuning than most engineers learn in a lifetime, but he’s also got a seriously astute business brain. He knows that there’s no point creating this RS unless it’s going to make money for the company. That means it has to appeal to enthusiasts across Europe, and that means it has to deal with a wet British “B” road with the same aplomb it digests a smooth Alpine pass.

The truth is, I can barely wait to have a go in the new RS. And if it winds itself from one side of the road to the other under full acceleration I’ll be very surprised indeed.

More than that, I’ll be furious.

Tidgy

lol, i know of no car that cant put 300bhp down on the road without the aid of traction control, slip diffs or clever mapping (keeping power down when low revs).

freinds runs the test bed astra vxr for 888 engineering, she's running about 300ish iirc and she was sayings its abismal in all but bone dry and rolling conditions. in the wet, theres more point in a chocolate teapot.

GazTheHat

Dave; They seem to go on about erradicating torque steer and all that with the revo-5-knuckle-shuffle, then one quick comment about not being able to get the power down in the wet.

I would like to get a move on when it's not bone-dry too. I'm in Scotland FFS.

dave247

Its all just a load of technical rubbish to confuse you into buying one, doesnt sound like the best car to be using in Scotland if you in a rush or have a heavy right foot

stilover

I want my car to be fast on the road, rather than a race track. 300BHP is managable on a smooth road. Sadly Britain have very few of these.


I believe the 2 reasons are:-
1) Cost. Ford don't have the money to develop a 4WD system.
2) Ford Marketing department didn't have faith they could sell a Focus for more than £25k. They obviously don't know just how powerful the RS brand is.

I've never seen a car generate so much Internet traffic than this new RS. The underlining fact is that everyone wanted it to be 4WD.

I defended the Mk1 RS about Torque steer. It wasn't as bad as Clarkson made out and 90% of the time it was fine, all be it a bit interesting at times. On smooth roads is was devestatingly fast. The last 10% though was what let it down. I'm talking camber ridden roads over the Pennines, where overtaking a car was a nightmare.
I'll be supprised if Ford can get 300BHP down on full power on a bumpy camber ridden road without any Torque steer. In fact I'll eat my own hand if it can.

Ford could have aimed this car at Fast Ford fans who owned the Escort Cosworth and who are looking to recapture some of their youth. These people are by and large more wealthy than the younger generation.

Sadly they've aimed the car at the ST buyer who wants an upgrade. And who don't want to pay/can't afford to pay more than £25k

GazTheHat

Nail. Head. Hit, spring to mind.

£25k for a car which probably wont deter a person from an AWD STi or Evo
OR
£30k for an all conquering car, taking people left, right and centre from the above marques for more than one reason.


I don't think an extra £5k for what it would achieve is a crazy amount. If you have £25k for a new car, you probably would have £30k.

dave247

Just use it on the A66 betwen darlo and boro and it'll be fine

bighead

iTrader: (1)

if you have £30K you probably would have £35K...........................it goes on

GazTheHat

What can you get for £35k that you can't for £30k?


I know what you mean though. Me personally would have a better chance of getting an extra £5k (20%) than trying to find another £10k (40-odd%).

Mind you, nothing a loan wouldn't sort. £10k over 5 years is only about £250p/m......and who says there's a credit crunch.

bighead

iTrader: (1)

believe me there is a big credit crunch , maybe its has not got you yets,
only the diehard car nuts (i am one and proud of it ) are spending any sort of money on cars

STi8 Mate

Torque-Steer is only part of the problem. The Mk.1 Focus RS had the torque cut back until 3rd gear and Ford tell you there is no need for 4WD at 300bhp, go figure! If they can't manage 4WD then why is it not £20k rather than £25k.....it's only a Ford after all, and still behind the competition.

SirFozzalot

Looking forward to the first test drives and reports being published!

SqeekyMclean

Fords been going wrong ever since they dropped Cosworth

Mikkel

Yes, in a simple answer.

I'll keep as open a mind as possible to test drive and see if the Ford engineers have worked miracles, but I can't see 300bhp pulling a car through the same wheels being used to steer it being to clever TBH.

I think you'll be a passenger in this car in most real road situations.

GazTheHat

Get yer votes in.