RE: PH Buying Guide: Ford Focus RS
Discussion
I had one of these from new (waited 7 months for it) but got one of the first ones when it was delivered in early January 2003. I had always wanted an RS from back in the days when I had an XR3i but couldn't afford the equivalent RS1600 or the RS Turbo.
I loved the car's understated yet unique looks. Although I wasn't overly keen on the interior it was functional but didn't really convey the specialness of the car when you were sitting inside.
The Quaife diff came in for a lot of criticism. I remember reading teh magazine reviews whilst waiting for mine and worrying if my hard earned and long waiting time were all for nothing. How wrong I was. I loved the diff and the treacle like abilities it imparted to the car on corners. The diff really came into its own on a track allowing the car to exit corners with slingshot like pace. Yes, on normal UK roads you had to retain a tight grip and enough concentration to ensure the wheels didn't take on a life of their own as it squirmed.
In my ownership, the car accumulated about 18k miles over 18 months and only lost £1.5k in that time. They seem to be even better value now with a very high likelihood of at least getting your money back when you sell.
Highly recommended and a car everyone should experience.
Here are some photos of mine from when I owned it...
I loved the car's understated yet unique looks. Although I wasn't overly keen on the interior it was functional but didn't really convey the specialness of the car when you were sitting inside.
The Quaife diff came in for a lot of criticism. I remember reading teh magazine reviews whilst waiting for mine and worrying if my hard earned and long waiting time were all for nothing. How wrong I was. I loved the diff and the treacle like abilities it imparted to the car on corners. The diff really came into its own on a track allowing the car to exit corners with slingshot like pace. Yes, on normal UK roads you had to retain a tight grip and enough concentration to ensure the wheels didn't take on a life of their own as it squirmed.
In my ownership, the car accumulated about 18k miles over 18 months and only lost £1.5k in that time. They seem to be even better value now with a very high likelihood of at least getting your money back when you sell.
Highly recommended and a car everyone should experience.
Here are some photos of mine from when I owned it...
Edited by Spy on Friday 3rd February 21:02
Limpit said:
Listen 'Spy'I don't know you and you're clearly working hard and paying your way, you've seemingly great taste in cars and, I presume, are a smashing all round chap. Your choice in ludicrous number plates however, shouts nob'ead. Sorry, 'tis just so.
Anyone need anything ironing?juddzey455 said:
I've not heard that before? i have heard the press cars had a different map which gave more aggressive boost, this gave them that "unbelievable torque steer on the road"
I helped organised the press cars for the first press release at Lommel and elsewhere and I can assure you this is not true.AER said:
juddzey455 said:
I've not heard that before? i have heard the press cars had a different map which gave more aggressive boost, this gave them that "unbelievable torque steer on the road"
I helped organised the press cars for the first press release at Lommel and elsewhere and I can assure you this is not true.Spy said:
I had one of these from new (waited 7 months for it) but got one of the first ones when it was delivered in early January 2003. I had always wanted an RS from back in the days when I had an XR3i but couldn't afford the equivalent RS1600 or the RS Turbo.
I loved the car's understated yet unique looks. Although I wasn't overly keen on the interior it was functional but didn't really convey the specialness of the car when you were sitting inside.
The Quaife diff came in for a lot of criticism. I remember reading teh magazine reviews whilst waiting for mine and worrying if my hard earned and long waiting time were all for nothing. How wrong I was. I loved the diff and the treacle like abilities it imparted to the car on corners. The diff really came into its own on a track allowing the car to exit corners with slingshot like pace. Yes, on normal UK roads you had to retain a tight grip and enough concentration to ensure the wheels didn't take on a life of their own as it squirmed.
In my ownership, the car accumulated about 18k miles over 18 months and only lost £1.5k in that time. They seem to be even better value now with a very high likelihood of at least getting your money back when you sell.
Highly recommended and a car everyone should experience.
Here are some photos of mine from when I owned it...
Diff wise, my understanding is that the first car got a plate diff while the second press car had a quaife. Top Gear went on and on about the wayward handling, as did Evo while Autocar (and a certain Mr Harris in particular) couldn't comprehend what they were banging on about.I loved the car's understated yet unique looks. Although I wasn't overly keen on the interior it was functional but didn't really convey the specialness of the car when you were sitting inside.
The Quaife diff came in for a lot of criticism. I remember reading teh magazine reviews whilst waiting for mine and worrying if my hard earned and long waiting time were all for nothing. How wrong I was. I loved the diff and the treacle like abilities it imparted to the car on corners. The diff really came into its own on a track allowing the car to exit corners with slingshot like pace. Yes, on normal UK roads you had to retain a tight grip and enough concentration to ensure the wheels didn't take on a life of their own as it squirmed.
In my ownership, the car accumulated about 18k miles over 18 months and only lost £1.5k in that time. They seem to be even better value now with a very high likelihood of at least getting your money back when you sell.
Highly recommended and a car everyone should experience.
Here are some photos of mine from when I owned it...
Edited by Spy on Friday 3rd February 21:02
I've driven a couple of things with the same diff (the Megane RS and one retrofitted to a Saxo VITS) and it's absolutely bang on.
AER said:
juddzey455 said:
I've not heard that before? i have heard the press cars had a different map which gave more aggressive boost, this gave them that "unbelievable torque steer on the road"
I helped organised the press cars for the first press release at Lommel and elsewhere and I can assure you this is not true.I had a brand new MK1 Focus RS for 2 years. No. 4496.
Great car. Was very quick on most roads, but could be a nightmare on poor camber ridden roads. On such roads, overtaking could be a heart in mouth moment as the car could suddenly tug left or right. Smooth roads not a problem though.
Once had a spirited drive on a back road with a Evo 6. OK, driver skill can make a difference, but no way could he pull a lead on me. Where he was oversteering, the Focus was nailed to the road.
I was a lot happier with my car than he would have been of his.
Great car. Was very quick on most roads, but could be a nightmare on poor camber ridden roads. On such roads, overtaking could be a heart in mouth moment as the car could suddenly tug left or right. Smooth roads not a problem though.
Once had a spirited drive on a back road with a Evo 6. OK, driver skill can make a difference, but no way could he pull a lead on me. Where he was oversteering, the Focus was nailed to the road.
I was a lot happier with my car than he would have been of his.
Edited by wab172uk on Monday 6th February 12:49
wab172uk said:
I had a brand new MK1 Focus RS for 2 years. No. 2496.
Great car. Was very quick on most roads, but could be a nightmare on poor camber ridden roads. On such roads, overtaking could be a heart in mouth moment as the car could suddenly tug left or right. Smooth roads not a problem though.
Once had a spirited drive on a back road with a Evo 6. OK, driver skill can make a difference, but no way could he pull a lead on me. Where he was oversteering, the Focus was nailed to the road.
I was a lot happier with my car than he would have been of his.
Your right about the countryroad pace mate I've surprised a few people in mine, including a R33 GTR owner (400bhp) who could just about keep in touch with me! Baring in mind he had 1 passenger and I had 4 Great car. Was very quick on most roads, but could be a nightmare on poor camber ridden roads. On such roads, overtaking could be a heart in mouth moment as the car could suddenly tug left or right. Smooth roads not a problem though.
Once had a spirited drive on a back road with a Evo 6. OK, driver skill can make a difference, but no way could he pull a lead on me. Where he was oversteering, the Focus was nailed to the road.
I was a lot happier with my car than he would have been of his.
Also fairs very well against my mates nissan GTR lol Forget trying it in the wet though!
Great cars these, traded my EVO VI in against one of these back in January 2006 No.3086 and kept it for nearly 3yrs, superb handling car, never a fan of the interior though if i'm honest and I did think it lacked the grunt it deserved so a little fettling/cash gave the car the power it should of had standard from the factory in my opinion .
Just seen my old FRS on here for sale for the same price I sold it for back toward the end of 2008, got 23,500mls on it now, perhaps I let it go too cheap...
Would have another...
Just seen my old FRS on here for sale for the same price I sold it for back toward the end of 2008, got 23,500mls on it now, perhaps I let it go too cheap...
Would have another...
Hoddy910 said:
Your right about the countryroad pace mate I've surprised a few people in mine, including a R33 GTR owner (400bhp) who could just about keep in touch with me! Baring in mind he had 1 passenger and I had 4
Also fairs very well against my mates nissan GTR lol Forget trying it in the wet though!
As good as the Focus Rs is these hero stories always make me laugh - its clearly not as capable as an evo or any gtr. Some people can't drive as well as others or have the balls/stupidity to really push it on public roads. Sorry but with the same driver on track or road the rs is not in the same league. Capable car though no doubt.Also fairs very well against my mates nissan GTR lol Forget trying it in the wet though!
Max_Torque said:
er, you haven't heard this from me right, but UK press cars may have had the 1st and 2nd gear torque limit removed......... (hence the 5.9sec 0-60 recorded by Autocar ;-)
As the (non-Ford) guy responsible for the RS calibration, the guy who developed the boost controller rework for the EEC and personally did all the boost control calibration, let me say again, the press cars were very close to standard production in this regard. I say 'very close' because from my feeble memory, I think we were still fine tuning the 1st and 2nd gear boost limiter so there may have been some very subtle changes on the final production calibration. I can't be 100% sure. The torque steer problem was, as far as I heard from people who likely weren't being very charitable about it, a geometry stuff up when the track was widened from the standard C170. The guy doing the design apparently held the scrub radius fixed, instead of the king pin offset. I'm not a chassis guy myself, but the kinematics of such a suggestion makes sense, although I'm sure there's always a compromise to be reached in all of this.superman84 said:
As good as the Focus Rs is these hero stories always make me laugh - its clearly not as capable as an evo or any gtr.
To me this is missing the point of the RS. It was (and probably still is) an enourmously fun car to drive. Stripped out and lightened up, it gets even better. Ofall of the development cars, one of the AP build csrs (AP03?) was my fave because it was so light.I got involved with the guys who took the RS to the 'ring 24hrs race. Got to drive that car briefly during the development and it was an absolute hoot!
AER said:
To me this is missing the point of the RS. It was (and probably still is) an enourmously fun car to drive. Stripped out and lightened up, it gets even better. Ofall of the development cars, one of the AP build csrs (AP03?) was my fave because it was so light.
I got involved with the guys who took the RS to the 'ring 24hrs race. Got to drive that car briefly during the development and it was an absolute hoot!
Don't doubt any of that but why is it that hot hatch owners seem to have to validate their choice of car with a story of slaying more capable machinery? I got involved with the guys who took the RS to the 'ring 24hrs race. Got to drive that car briefly during the development and it was an absolute hoot!
Edited by superman84 on Sunday 5th February 00:55
superman84 said:
Don't doubt any of that but why is it that hot hatch owners seem to have to validate their choice of car with a story of slaying more capable machinery?
The same reason that people buy these cars in the first place. They want to feel good about themselves. Is it an ideal way of doing it? No, probably not, but there you go. If people weren't made like that, we'd be all driving 1.1 Fiestas and cars like the RS and the GTR wouldn't exist.Edited by superman84 on Sunday 5th February 00:55
Oh, this thread is making me all nostalgic now. The development of the RS was a painful process, but it was not without its joys either. We had a great deal of it doing the altitude and hot weather testing in Italy.
The Dolomites:
and Stelvio:
The cool dudes of the RS development team!
(photos by Ant C, I think)
preparing the RS for the Langstreckenpokal series:
Enjoy...!
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