[P-51]

Yup.

A friend of mine let me know there was an RS in Dearborn, so I swung by to check it out. It was pretty cool seeing it. I got to check it out, sit in it, but not drive it.

I have mixed feelings. I mean, it was cool, it's a nice looking car. I'd buy one in a second if it was sold in N/A and I needed a new car. It would easily dominate the market. The performance of an SRT-4, in the best looking body available.

But I guess I was a bit let down. It wasn't *as* cool as it's hyped up to be. Visually, it wasn't that agressive. You don't notice the fender flares or wheels as much as you'd think. The interior is just your basic Focus interior, with a funky center console.

The seats looked great, but were actually less supportive than ZX3 seats. The bolsters were too wide for me. I wouldn't take those seats if you gave them to me.

But mainly the outside... I parked my car right beside it, and it didn't have as much of a visual impact as you'd think. Front the front the flares really didn't stand out so much. From the rear they did, it looked like it has a nice low fat ass. But coming at you... not really. And then when you consider the suspension compromises that were made for that mild visual improvement, not really worth it.

It's a shame Ford isn't smart enough to bring the car over. They could sell them at $22k, and sell every one. But I just don't "worship" the car as much as I used to. There are plenty of people in America who have Foci that are just as cool.

 

[FociD00d02]

now that you mention these things... I have seen the proverbial light as you may put it. It does out perform a ZX3 and SVT, but a slightly modded ZX3 and possibly even a stock SVT could take it on a track / auto-x (@ least in my opinion)

 

[Rally Man]

Originally posted by P-51:
Front the front the flares really didn't stand out so much. From the rear they did, it looked like it has a nice low fat ass. But coming at you... not really.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I belive you'll see it's fat ass most of the time

So the front dosen't matter so much. By the way, I'm putting you on my "Hate List" for what you have done. Sat on an RS!

 

[ZXmurph]

I find that its understatedness is why it's been so cool all along......none of the photos I've seen knock me over the head....it just has always looked "right"............and that's why the majority of N/A wouldn't give a **** about it or give it a second look. Unlike the good "YAHOOOOOOOOOO" factor of the Japanese pony cars, SRT-4 etc.........

damn......is there no way you could drive it?

 

[P-51]

Nope, unfortunately. Well, not legally anyway.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE the car. It looks great, I think people would like it. You don't see people complaining about the looks of the SVT, it's the performance they complain about. The RS looks even better, so no complaints there. I mean, it's probably the best styled car in this field. Easily. It does everything right, and nothing wrong. I just expected the flares to really hit me upside the head, and they don't. I can live without them. The bumpers, the wheels, the spoiler (not the same as an SVT!), the interior, all super nice. Agressivfe enough, without making small childer cry

I'm just saying it's not "all that". It's given a "godlike" status, and I just don't think it's *that* good.

Great great car for $22k. But's it's not "earth shattering".

Maybe I'm not the right person to be reviewing it, since my car is almost an RS anyway. It was way better than a ZX3 or SVT. But I'm not going to cry over the fact that I had to build my own.

[ 05-16-2003, 05:37 PM: Message edited by: P-51 ]

 

[liquidG]

what no pics? what's up with that?

j/k!

 

[COSitsWORTHit]

WHERE THE **** ARE THE PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nazthug]

Originally posted by FociD00d02:
now that you mention these things... I have seen the proverbial light as you may put it. It does out perform a ZX3 and SVT, but a slightly modded ZX3 and possibly even a stock SVT could take it on a track / auto-x (@ least in my opinion)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">im not sure where you guys get this stuff, but the RS is right now the best handling car in the world according to some reviews, including track times, which i think it set a few records at different tracks for a FWD car

It even set lower lap times then the STI WRX and many other euro fast cars, mostly FWD

THis car handles im sure as good as it should.

THe quaife being a huge part of it probably.

I havent seen it in person though, it does look too high in pictures, a 1.5" drop would do wonders to it P, it would look alot more agressive, as all focuses do when slightly lowered with a few other mods

 

[cosworth]

after reading the latest 'performance ford' mag from the uk, it was setting lower track times then an escort cossie, and it almost beat a fully race prepped sierra cosworth, to say that a svt or a slightly modded zx3 could beat it in an autocross event or around the track is not accurate, I have not read one negative article from europe that did not praise the car, in 'CAR' they put it up against the new golf R32 and the new alfa 147 hatch and they said that it had more lateral grip and felt faster through the turns than either of the other two, to put it in their terms, and I qoute "the focus is mad crazy bonkers" enough said

 

[nazthug]

Originally posted by cosworth:
after reading the latest 'performance ford' mag from the uk, it was setting lower track times then an escort cossie, and it almost beat a fully race prepped sierra cosworth, to say that a svt or a slightly modded zx3 could beat it in an autocross event or around the track is not accurate, I have not read one negative article from europe that did not praise the car, in 'CAR' they put it up against the new golf R32 and the new alfa 147 hatch and they said that it had more lateral grip and felt faster through the turns than either of the other two, to put it in their terms, and I qoute "the focus is mad crazy bonkers" enough said

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It beat the STI WRX jap spec around a racetrack by 5 seconds, 5 SECONDS, and it was a 1:50 second track

It also tore the new R32 and 147 to shreds around all road courses they tested it on

i agree again with cosworth

...a stock zx3 will not keep up

[ 05-17-2003, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: nazthug ]

 

[Brandon - TX]

OK HOOOOOLD UP.

Lets start at the beginning, why is there a RS in Dearborn and who is the owner?

Can u give us some why? how? etc. answers please.

 

[P-51]

Sorry, no pictures, it was on Ford property. I know, it's a regular production car, but rules are rules. Ford property = no picies.

I don't know where you guys are getting this idea that somebody said an SVT or ZX3 was faster. Nobody did.

I did say a highly modified ZX3 would be faster, because of the un-cluster****ed suspension. Guys, the RS is compromised for that blingin widebody look everybody likes.

A ZX3 with a good suspension, turbo, quaife, etc will probably be faster.

Yeah, the RS tears **** up when compared to other cars. But a modified car would be even faster. There's posts on Focaljet by somebody who was very close to the development of the car. Read them.

Why is the car in Dearborn? Because that's what Ford does. Who owns it? Ford. Will this car being here help you import one? No. Does this mean Ford did the necessary crash testing? No.

It's just a car Ford brought over for corporate big-wig test drives.

 

[BlackFSVT]

Alright man....cough up the location. Dearborn is about 5 minutes from me.

I'll let you know the next time I seen the new Mustang.

 

[racerx]

Originally posted by P-51:
I don't know where you guys are getting this idea that somebody said an SVT or ZX3 was faster. Nobody did.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

Originally posted by FociD00d02:
now that you mention these things... I have seen the proverbial light as you may put it. It does out perform a ZX3 and SVT, but a slightly modded ZX3 and possibly even a stock SVT could take it on a track / auto-x (@ least in my opinion)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

 

[NY BLACK ZX3]

Good job on the review P.
I agree with you. It does not have earth shattering looks, but it does look great compared to the competition(of course I've only seen pictures). But I think some people have missed the mark on the Focus in general. The car in all forms is a well handling car. Performance is not judged from 0-60. it's the overall package, and if a car handles well, runs good on the road, and stops with the best of them, it's a performance machine. IMHO.

 

[TWFocus]

Whatever whoever said. I won't mind having one.