I REALLY don't understand this... it should of been 4WD nonsense. Do people not know how to drive anymore?

 

how many scoobys end up in a ditch, it depends how you drive them sureley

 

Agreed. No car comes with free common sense, or driving skill.

 

Either a photoshop or someone has had it re-painted.
As said, Only came in Frozen White, Performance Blue and Ultimate Green with the RS500 being a Matt Black 3M Wrap (Gloss black underneath)

Does look good in red though.

 

I love the look of the RS Focus. should have been 4wd.
a mate of mine had the first focus RS that car was Bank. at the same time i got the ST170. we swapped for the day and and raced up and down the autobahn. And we both said the ST170 was a better car.

But not as good as a scooby.

 

I like the rs but weather I would like it over a scoob , this is the question I have been looking at you tube clips especially when the rs 500 was up against the scoob sti hatch with a lot less bhp and torque if the scoob had matched its power it would have been goodbye rs but thats not what its all about imo its how much fun the car is to drive fast eg gtr vrs rs road test

 

I had one of the first ST focus's when they came out and they were very docile when driving around town which I think is why I had to prise the keys from my wifes hand everytime I wanted to use the car, but really did lack the out and out grunt of the impreza which is why it was sold after a year and unfourtunatley my wife has never wanted to drive any of the cars I've had since.

I just dont understand why after the first FRS and the ST and everyone pretty much saying how they would be so much improved by making them AWD they still made the latest FRS FWD!!! Then there is the styling of the latest FRS that has been said to be styled by driving through a Halfords front window and bits just sticking to the car as it is not very subtle, although in my opionion this is dependant on the colour as in white and blue they do look very nice and do have the road presence that you would expect.

 

Heres a pic of my mk1 when i had rs03rev ,she was running 280bhp and 293lb ,and a bit of a handful but thats why i traded the scooby in as it was more driver involvment ,didnt even have to move the steering wheel to overtake just floor it in 3rd and it weaved around

 

there is a 4wd one...infact theres 2 but it dosent need it realy

 

There is more than 2 now
Theres a White mk1 floating around. Think it was a chorley street car that was 4wd cosworth powered. Saying all this I have just got home and been out with a friend I hadn't seen for a while and he was out in his. 24psi of boost and a smidge over 400 amazing car. Makes me miss mine sooo much. If only you could get parts and everything you could get didn't hve the RS tax on it.

 

a coswoth powerd mk2 ? why would anybody do that

 

Protos were made in 4wd and it was worse. So glad we just made it 2wd. 99% of the "should of made it 4wd" brigade have probably not driven one. The only advantage of the 4wd would be wet and snowy conditions.
4wd just added cost, weight, fuel consuption, less efficient. The negatives far outweighed the positives for the 4wd over 2wd.

The fwd handiling as it is is practically perfect for a road car, MUCH better than any stock evo or impreza i have ever driven or experienced.

 

that last lines a bold statement

 

There's little doubt that any car with the coveted 'RS' badge is going to be a good car. However, drivers do eventually reach a certain age when they can do without concerns about how far they can press the throttle before having a fight with the steering wheel or the annoyance of a 'rorty' engine.
The Impreza hatch is the hot hatch for grown ups.

 

yes it is but its ugly and boring in standard form...


theres a few nice ones on here now tho

 

I work for ford and took one out for a extended road test, i was really looking forward to what it could do- needless to say i was disappointed! The ride is far too stiff unless on new decent tarmac, it feels way to big and heavy (i thought my blob was bad after my classic but this is too bulky) yeah its quite quick but with the traction on it just constantly cuts power, with it off your forever spinning wheels (tried quick junction pull away- only got grip in 4th and didnt get anywhere!) unlike mine which gets up and goes. Sounded awesome but when sat in it i just felt like i was in another focus- didnt feel special. Also i found around town the power delivery was really surgey, would use part throttle and lift off and would lurch forward like you was still putting your foot down! If i had the choice between a RS or a new blob WRX with my mods (rear ARB, prodrive springs, PPP) i would have the wrx every time- nicer to drive, more happy around town and more fun to drive hard. I also had a nice race with a RS in my WRX when only PPP'd and was all over it on the round abouts etc- and the straights was dead heat, now with my mods (330bhp) im very confident i would leave it standing.

 

so what you saying ? a modded car is faster than a standerd one.....hold on im just ringing evo magazine

 

no i was actually saying that my wrx felt alot better and nicer to drive than the rs, and with only a couple dealer optional extras it was more capable. That was only when it was 260bhp awd to the 300bhp 2wd- i would of hoped it was quicker but obviously not. and the whole traction issues are nothing to do with mods are they and for £30k i would expect a better car. Also driven the old rs and found it a better car to drive and about the only thing i would have over the scoob

 

so you only got grip in 4th ..sorry but i could do better than that in the snow
sounds like you have been spoilt by the 4wd
and ive never seen a standard focus with recaros

 

i know this is slightly off topic but ive been told of a focus in truro thats running a scoobie engine,ive not seen it but would b a good compromise if u like the focus and the scoob burble.

 

my mates st version 3 is almost as thirsty as the scoobys.

sounds nice when your driving but ford need to invest in awd.

my scooby is pretty standard and my mates st is 270bhp and we are about leval bar but round town he can,t keep up to much front wheel spin .

he likes our exhaust note as well ,better than his engine noise lol

 

Bold statement mate but i stand by it. Yes the ride is firm but feels fantastic in the corners and the lift off oversteer is very very progressive.

Maybe i should have said, far more exciting and involving IMO than any stock Impreza or Evo i have driven. Only standard car that i felt was as impressive with regards to driver feedback/fun/involvement for similar money was a Lotus Elise

Yes with mods the Subaru and Mitsi can murder the Ford. But im talking all 3 cars bone stock out of the box.

 

I haven't driven one, but my mate has and he has had a few Scoobs and other tasty machinery. I used to have an Elise and he drove that a bit and his comment was exactly as you say... the RS out of the box is better than any other stock motor with the Elise excepted.

 

Like I said I had one of the first Electric orange focus's and found it way too sedate for me it just didnt have the driver involvement that the scooby has, now whether the RS is any different I wouldnt be able to say as I havent driven one.

I could have bought one when they first came out but the usual waiting list of 6 months or more for the spec you wanted and the price tag put me off ever buying a new car again after the experience of the ST and the loss of £10k as soon as you drove it off the forecourt.

Im not slatting the RS each to there own, its your money you buy what you like, I just would rather have a scooby for the pure fun factor of being able to put my foot down whenever the urge takes me and knowing the car will not struggle for grip and just take off.

 

I would be tempted by a straight swap for my WRX, but the difference is that my car cost £17k new (including modding costs), which is about £13k less than a new RS. The fact they are very similar in performance and fun factor tells me which is the performance bargain!

I didn't have any grip or torque steer issues in the one I drove (but it was dry), but I doubt I'd be happy flooring it in pouring rain like I do with mine.

 

you dont have to preach to me mate ive had mine 20 months, one of the first in the country ive loved every minate of ownership
it wouldent bother me if it was only worth 5k tomorow, im not selling so makes no difrence

one of the best drivers cars out there...just watch the RS vs GTR vid on you tube
give me the GTR anyday but to be evan compared to such a car tells a story

Mike the ST is no RS and never will be great car but not an RS

Im not evan an RS fanboy

 

Lol, wasnt trying to preach to you Paul... but i think far too many poeple have 4wd blinkers on.
Trouble is, in my opinion i think the purchase price of the Impreza has become so low that almost anyone can go out and buy one. Running one and looking after it "properly" is a different ball game. By that i mean that alot, not all by any means but alot of these haters/4wd fanboys have only ever driven an Impreza. Its also the fastest thing they have ever driven and are likely to.
For years the Subarus and Evos have dominated the market with their rally refugee 4wd systems and turbo power. But... and a big but is that the competition has moved on. Fwd technology has come on leaps and bounds. The Megane R26 is a testament to that, just look at its Nurburgring laptime.

People forget that motor manufaturers are out to make money, nothing else.
Driving down costs while upping efficency and lowing emmisions are number 1 priorities.

The cost and drawbacks of adding a 4wd system to a car that simply doesnt need it 95% of the time is not in the manufacturers interests, so why would they bother?

I work on the floor below Team RS and have seen the development of the current RS for a long time now, including the 4wd test mules.

Bottom line is... fwd has moved on and the likes of Subaru and Mitsubishi havent.

Come on boys, lets up the game again

 

Frayz,
Whilst I agree with most of what you say, I would make a point that you have said regarding FWD has moved on. It has not, but chassis dynamics in these latest gen FWD cars has.

With regards to chassis and electronics aiding diffs in 4WD, have you driven the latest EVO in anger. The chassis and electronics on that car are truly outstanding imo...... you can have a right laugh in that car.

 

Sorry Shaun, maybe i should have been clearer by saying chassis dynamics in FWD cars but hopefully my point was made in a constructive manner in the most part.

And yes i am lucky enough to have driven the latest Evo. Only on the road though at the moment. I enjoyed it but to me it felt quite cumbersome and a bit removed. Its quite possible that in certain situations the Evo will be quicker than the Focus but i didnt feel it was as exciting.
Certainly on the road as it stands i think the Focus was the more fun car to drive.

My opinion anyway.

Frayz

 

I'm sorry but all you lot sticking up for fwd! Performance fwd stuff is for when you're a young buy racer.

I guarantee you (especially reading things like the op's test drive) it won't dig in on a corner and let you bring it on boost and pull you round like my impreza will. More likely you'll plough off the road with the throttle pinned. And as for all the just feather it? Or traction restricting it etc.. Bollox to all that. One of my favourite things about imprezas and evos is the unreal grip and mind boggling way you can pull round the bends.

Granted fwd can be fun but the sort of fun I was having when I was 18.

I don't believe the awd test mule story, even if they did make one they prob just did it to say "we made one and it was crap" so when they got asked why it was fwd they had the perfect answer that people could replay on forums all over the world.