Focus RS

Zuban said:
if left to the design team they would end up with nothing as ford cant afford to produce a 4wd rs, so its up to you really would you rather a fwd rs or nothing?
Click to expand...

Personally I do not care :), but you just reiterated what I posted that it comes down to $$$, AWD was obvious too expensive so it was scrapped for an inferior FWD setup. RS I thought stands for 'Rally Sport', not many winners in WRC using FWD
 
thepharcyde said:
Personally I do not care :), but you just reiterated what I posted that it comes down to $$$, AWD was obvious too expensive so it was scrapped for an inferior FWD setup. RS I thought stands for 'Rally Sport', not many winners in WRC using FWD
Click to expand...

fair enough, i dont see many wrc focus's on the road (read none), so i think they'll manage what they set out to acheive. Also, inferior depends on your criteria, and in this case the extra cost and weight of the drivetrain, made 4wd the inferior choice, without even getting into it causing extra fuel consumption, higher emissions, servicing costs etc.
 
Last edited:
Considering how many Focus STs get nicked every year, i'm guessing that these will go missing around 48 minutes after being parked up on the driveway :(
 
thepharcyde said:
AWD was obvious too expensive so it was scrapped for an inferior FWD setup.
Click to expand...

AWD adds expense, yes. But it also adds complication and the absolute killer - weight. Frankly, I'm not seeing much inferiority in Ford choosing FWD for this car.
 
Why would a powerful car *have* to be 4WD/RWD anyway? How often do owners really exploit the capabilities of the car they drive, and just how bad is a powerful FWD when it's off the line and upto speed?

Surely it's down to bragging rites more than anything else?
 
danza said:
Why would a powerful car *have* to be 4WD/RWD anyway? How often do owners really exploit the capabilities of the car they drive, and just how bad is a powerful FWD when it's off the line and upto speed?

Surely it's down to bragging rites more than anything else?
Click to expand...

Rightly or wrongly and all IMO, should the RS not be a direct competitor to the R32, STi & Evo? In which case all three different marques have over come the expense & complications of AWD.
 
What you say is true, but there is no comparison between the RS and these cars yet. It may surprise the naysayers, or it could fail epicly.

The RS will be a heavy FWD car as it is, adding the weight of a 4WD drive train is only going to make things worse, then Ford would have to spend money lightening the car and modifying the chassis/body etc to accept the drivetrain. This would undoubtedly cost them more time/money than they're willing to invest, and inflate the OTR price accordingly.

I am sure though that whatever happens, people will always be wishing the new RS was something it isn't, just like the last one.

Still doesn't change the fact that I hate the way it looks!
 
thepharcyde said:
Rightly or wrongly and all IMO, should the RS not be a direct competitor to the R32, STi & Evo? In which case all three different marques have over come the expense & complications of AWD.
Click to expand...

I'd say it was a major competitor to the R32, However, down to the cost element, The VW A5 Platform was built from the ground up to be used in MANY cars, VW Touran, Audi TT, the Golf itself, and it goes on. Its a very versatile platform and was designed with AWD compatibility from the start, with many of the cars having the option of AWD.

The Ford C1 platform, although now being used in more and more vehicles, has limited compatibility with AWD. The Ford Kuga for example has a lot more room to accomodate this. But certainly wasnt designed to immediately house a AWD system in most models.

The next Ford C car platform will most likely be more supportive of AWD, since it will be used globally in the US etc. Maybe then we will see AWD. The last Focus RS was a car Ford lost money on and I see the 2009 version being the same.

In regards to Subaru and Mitsubishi? They have mass produced these vehicles for a long time with varying success. Ford Europe dont have a dense history of AWD performance cars and that is not one of their major products.
 
Kappa said:
The Ford C1 platform, although now being used in more and more vehicles, has limited compatibility with AWD. The Ford Kuga for example has a lot more room to accomodate this. But certainly wasnt designed to immediately house a AWD system in most models..
Click to expand...

Agreed. The EUCD floor is used on the Land Rover Freelander and the commonality of that floor plan on the Ford, Volvo, LR products stops at the heelboard. From there is then up the development of the programme so I guess there stuck with that Focus floor as a RS specific 4wd rear end would be insanely expensive.
 
thepharcyde said:
4 years ago ;)
Click to expand...

Oh I guess you mean 'its AWD but based on the same platform as the Focus'.

So you're talking about a model that :-

- Is built in hugely larger numbers than the Focus RS
- Is largely developed by Volvo Car
- Is paid for by Volvo Car (and cost a lot)
- And the Volvo are rolling in money now? ;)
- Theres things I cant say but remember the previous FRS was made at a large loss.

Volvo is owned by Ford but is treated quite seperately while still sharing some commonalities.


BTW Jonny, You work at JLR? how is it since the split? we have to pretend we didnt see anything on the systems when JLR comes up lol!

pssssst, EUCD is Mondeo ;)
 
40-50mm track increase :eek:

I widened mine by about 30mm (not spacers) and the difference was amazing (coupled with a thicker ARB) - this should handle brilliantly! :D
 
17-18K for a ford fiesta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RS or not :mad: that is epic fail. Same way the Corsa VXR and Clio 197 are too much at list.

Focus RS isn't going to be that bad as FWD due to all the electronics holding it on the road. The price is the problem. Too much, to many better alternatives as previously talked about in many other threads.
 
Si is right that not many people have driven a high power FWD car. Myself included, the reason is because not many exist.

In good conditions, on the hoof there's no problem with these high power FWD cars. However when it gets wet and all that weight shifts to the back under acceleration the limitations will show up all too clearly.

In the end it is about limitations. I'm a RWD fan but at the moment my main car is 4WD. I'd rather do without the weight, thirst and power loss personally and have RWD, but every now and again you can blast around in less than clement conditions whilst other people have to tiptoe.

They all have their plus points, it's RWD for me though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom