2016 Focus RS

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Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Saturday 20th August 2016
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Test drove one, collected a cancelled order a week later. Cheers Calv! (Rates Ford)

It has every option ticked except Active City Stop and sunroof.

I've had for almost a month and it has just ticked over 1000 miles.

Engine - a little underwhelming when I picked it up but now it has loosened up it, pulls harder

Seats - were a concern about how comfortable the Recaro shell seats would be but they have proved both supportive and comfortable.

Exhaust - quiet in comfort mode, pops and bangs in the other modes.

Handling - it's like my old Clio 200 Cup but with more power and rear biased drive. This very good.

Random things I like - I can switch the headlights from RHD to LHD using buttons on the steering wheel. The rear parking camera has guide lines.

Random things I don't like - The turning circle is comical. My seat position puts me right next to the B pillar which makes checking my blind spot trickier.

Running costs so far...
23mpg
£450 for a year's insurance including the FPM375 pack whenever Ford actually release it.
£500 for a track day at the 'ring next month

Obligatory photograph





Edited by Mark83 on Saturday 20th August 11:01

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Saturday 20th August 2016
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Nickbrapp said:
Like these but I think they look best is black with silver wheels.

How's the drift mode?
Not tried it yet. Hoping to get a UK track day in before Germany, somewhere with some run off, so I can try the different modes.

Normal is, well normal. Throttle not too sensitive and exhaust is quiet
Sport - increased throttle response and exhaust pops and bangs on higher rev upshifts, downshifts and on the overrun.
Race - default is adaptive dampers on and ESP off however these can be manually turned on a off and stay in race mode.
Drift - hoping to find out soon.

The adaptive dampers are too hard for the road so it'll be interesting to see how the ride is on a smooth racetrack.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Sunday 21st August 2016
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Dave Hedgehog said:
Love these, would have had one of it was duel clutch
If I were commuting in the car, I probably would have ended up in a Golf R / S3 with DSG. They're nicer places to sit too.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Sunday 21st August 2016
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Just booked an evening session at Snetterton on 30 Aug to try out the buttons.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2016
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Swampy1982 said:
What is the ford position reference their warranty and track days?
I don't know. You'd need to ask Ford.

I'm keen to retain my warranty so I'll be maintaining it as per the schedule dictates and going for the FPM375 upgrade when my local Ford dealer have the parts in stock rather than Mountune's M380 which is not Ford endorsed.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Wednesday 24th August 2016
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Swampy1982 said:
Fair enough, thanks for answering...

Lovely Lovely car though, i'd argue probably the best total package of all hot hatches at the moment.

Do you pull out your driveway with a massive grin on your face every morning?
I wouldn't advertise the fact it has been on track days. Number plates would be covered up as you hear of spotters out there and not honouring warranty. Even Porsche were being funny when their GT3s were having warranty work after track days, their car designed for track.

I get the train and tube to work so a little piece of me dies each morning.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Saturday 27th August 2016
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So I won't be enjoying it this bank holiday weekend.

Mrs Mark83 was in hospital in central London so I called in a favour with facilities and parked it in my work's car park. Go back at 22:30 and car park is locked up and security left early.

Now have to get the train into London on Tuesday, on my day off, and pretty much drive straight to Snetterton.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Saturday 27th August 2016
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oobster said:
At least it is secure. According to 'They Stole My Wheels' facebook page this morning a 16-plate blue RS was stolen in Leicester last night.
I heard about that. I wonder how it was stolen?

Edit: Break in and stolen with keys.

Flicking through their Twitter, they posted a photograph of the sat nav showing their location. Not ideal and hopefully wasn't responsible for the theft.

Edited by Mark83 on Saturday 27th August 14:59

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
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toby-w8jtf said:
I do love these, the nitrous blue is lovely!

I'll be on the look out for a magnetic grey (low key) one next year to replace my Mk6 R.

I had a play with one yesterday morning following one round my local industrial estate, the driver effortlessly drifted it round every roundabout........ I'd need some mountune goodies though as I destroyed him down several miles of dual carriageway.

Both congratulated each other we the thumbs

The pops and crackles these new RS make is magnificent
It's not really a straight line car. Mountune annouced this weekend that the FPM375 pack is available to order from next week. That'll be going on as soon as possible. Hopefully I'll one of the first 20 as they will install these for free.

Edited by Mark83 on Wednesday 31st August 18:59

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
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Yesterday was my first track day in the RS.

The drive to Snetterton saw my mpg increase to 24mpg. I left with 21mpg showing.

I felt like I had a bullseye on the back of my car, people wanting to see how fast the car was. The only issue there being the squidgy thing in the driver's seat. I'm not the fastest of drivers so I was happy driving around with my a/c on and getting used to the car. I reckon I would have been faster in my old mk2 MX5 that I didn't care about. I daren't of come home to tell Mrs Mark83 that I had bent our car.

I ran it in Race mode with ESP turned on. The adaptive dampers were on in this mode and as expected, fine for track use. There was still noticeable body roll though but that's the compromise for a road car.

I didn't have too much confidence in the standard brakes but they performed better than expected.

Oil usage has been OK. It has been written about that they can drink oil early on and I know of one that has gone bang due to the owner not checking the oil. After 1400 miles, mine is half way between the two markers on the dipstick. I'll give it a top up as it still golden in colour.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
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Adz The Rat said:
Lovely car, Ive still not seen many around so yet to see one up close.

I think the blue is the best colour though its a shame they didn't offer Ultimate Green again.

Did you get a chance to try Drift Mode on track?
Tried it once. Took some severe inputs to kick the rear out though. The marshal on that corner then had his flag ready on my next lap.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Thursday 1st September 2016
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FPM375 purchased today. Awaiting the next available workshop slot at Mountune HQ for fitting.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Thursday 1st September 2016
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rb5er said:
Not fast enough standard?
It's fast enough, said no petrol head, ever.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Thursday 1st September 2016
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My rationale is it'll add some value/ make it easier to sell in the future. When I had my Impreza STI, the Prodrive Performance Pack added value and helped re-sale. The FPM375 I see in the same way.

It's Ford-approved so the car's warranty is safe for another 34 months.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Thursday 1st September 2016
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rb5er said:
Yeh its a no brainer really. Will certainly be adding it to mine but was just wondering if you felt the car was at all less sprightly than hoped for.
It has definitely improved with mileage. It took about 1000 miles for the engine to feel happy to rev and now it's completely different to when I picked it up as, dare I say it, I was a little underwhelmed.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Sunday 11th September 2016
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FPM375 fitted last week.

They removed the under bonnet insulation so there's more induction/turbo noise. Undecided about re-fitting it as not a huge fan of the extra noise but might cause under-bonnet temperatures to rise.

Boosts higher according to the gauge. Previously only went half way, now goes three quarters.

Feels a little quicker throughout the rev range.

But most importantly, warranty intact.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Sunday 2nd October 2016
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Back from DN16 now. The car performed faultlessly, driver less so but I still had fun.


Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Monday 3rd October 2016
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LaurasOtherHalf said:
Thanks for the lift back from Adenauer wavey
Happy to help, Craig.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Monday 3rd October 2016
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RemyMartin said:
Read Evo.

I was suprised how honest a Cupra 290 can keep a focus RS. A couple of tenths slower to 130mph. Alot of mk2 RS foci didn't make their stated power. They do seem a bit 'slow' for 350.
Not a huge surprise to me. 2wd vs 4wd, light vs heavy, DSG vs manual.

Mark83

Original Poster:

1,163 posts

201 months

Monday 3rd October 2016
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rb5er said:
I heard they loosen up considerably with a few miles on them and am interested in how they feel then.
I was a little underwhelmed at first and it didn't want to rev. It felt better after 1000 miles, now on 3000 miles it feels how it should.