RS for my birthday?

pinchvalve wrote: Ford sucks right now. The Fiesta ST is an amazing little car, really awesome. BUT, for just a few thousand more, you can step up to the Focus ST. And if you are doing that, why not step to a 400hp IRS Mustang GT? And with some chump change, you can be in an AWD Focus RS with drift mode. And if you ask the S.O. nicely, you can scrounge up another few thousand and be in a GT350 that will outrun a Z/28. And heck, why not grab a Shelby while you are at it? Hey, that GT is almost in reach now. Ford, you a cruel temptress who will have all my money...when I have some.

If only... I wasn't already building brand new house... even if it is going to have 2-1/2 times the space of our current place... and twice as many bathrooms... and a no-kidding olde British-styled racers' pub upstairs... while simultaniously collecting (desperately trying to afford) go-fast parts for my Improved Touring racer build... damn you Ford for playing with my emotions like this

Anxious to see the reaction of the masses when they actually hit the street. Hard to tell how intrusive/beneficial the technology in it is until you a few hundred people beat on them. Looks promising though.

No further updates on the Second Coming of the RS?

I really hope they have one at the Portland Auto Show this week.

A co-worker has an ST and I've driven a Focus rental and I like them both, the RS ticks the rest of the boxes.

Still this or a slightly used supercharged CTS-V, stupid fun is stupid fun, even if you're hauling your family around at the same time :)

Saw one at my local auto show last month, but it was locked and they wouldn't let anybody inside. Looks nice in white though!

I think it will still be awhile before they're roaming the streets. They haven't even had any press yet, and that usually comes a month or 2 before they're arriving at dealers.

My birthday is tomorrow; still no RS.

Haven't sold the Sentra yet either.

Was the RS featured in the Detroit Auto Show which was last week?
Formally known as North Am. International Auto Show (NAIAS).
If Ford did not make a big deal of it in their home town then don't expect much soon.

I came here hoping that you were getting a '73 911 RS. . Now that would have been living vicariously..

Ah well, back to your thread.

Focus, man, Focus!

Autoweek says first of second week of April.

I keep getting pictures of the blue one at the Houston auto show. It looks pretty. I should go look at it.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Was the RS featured in the Detroit Auto Show which was last week? Formally known as North Am. International Auto Show (NAIAS). If Ford did not make a big deal of it in their home town then don't expect much soon.

Was there on MLK day. Sat in it. Recaros were tight on me. The blue is gorgeous in person and has a definite metallic/pearl to it. Wish it were more along the lines of Sonic Blue but that's just nitpicking. Car was nice otherwise. No different than an ST or a rental-spec Focus inside. Pretty nice place to be.

Sat in the Golf R as well. Very similar quality, maybe a shade nicer inside. The seats in the R certainly fit me better. My buddy has an 08 GTI that we've driven all over the country, so I'm not sure if I'm just used to it or if the Focus truly doesn't fit. I'm waiting to sit in an RS in the showroom when I have more time.

I know there are a few seat options as well, but it was too crowded for me to investigate further.

Went again Sunday. The car was locked and nobody could get inside.

FWIW, the GT350 I felt similar about. I really wanted a Fiesta ST as a DD, but I can't fit in the thing at all.

Are you aware that a Porsche 996 Turbo can be picked up for the same money, for now anyway.

415 to 450hp, 3300lb, AWD, top speed 194mph and will never be lower priced than it is now.

Just saying.

aussiesmg wrote: Are you aware that a Porsche 996 Turbo can be picked up for the same money, for now anyway. 415 to 450hp, 3300lb, AWD, top speed 194mph and will never be lower priced than it is now. Just saying.

My buddy just got a screaming deal on a 996T someone traded in at a truck dealership. $34k...in three years it will be worth more than a 2016 Focus RS. But that's comparing apples and watermelons.

Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Tyler H wrote: Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Yup. Give me 3 years, see if they hold up mechanically, and I might just get over my Ford bias.

Jerry wrote:

Tyler H wrote: Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Yup. Give me 3 years, see if they hold up mechanically, and I might just get over my Ford bias.

Yeah, im not buying a high strung new turbo car first year of production. I already made that mistake once.

What's the warranty on a 15 year old German car?

mndsm wrote:

Jerry wrote:

Tyler H wrote: Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Yup. Give me 3 years, see if they hold up mechanically, and I might just get over my Ford bias.

Yeah, im not buying a high strung new turbo car first year of production. I already made that mistake once.

yeah, because they haven't proven the tech already in nearly every other ecoboost powered car.

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:

mndsm wrote:

Jerry wrote:

Tyler H wrote: Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Yup. Give me 3 years, see if they hold up mechanically, and I might just get over my Ford bias.

Yeah, im not buying a high strung new turbo car first year of production. I already made that mistake once.

yeah, because they haven't proven the tech already in nearly every other ecoboost powered car.

Realistically, I'd only be concerned with the all wheel drive system. The engine has been in production more or less since 2003 in the Mazdaspeed6/Mazdaspeed3/CX-7, except the RS has beefier parts and (I assume) a higher volume injection pump.

aussiesmg wrote: Are you aware that a Porsche 996 Turbo can be picked up for the same money, for now anyway. 415 to 450hp, 3300lb, AWD, top speed 194mph and will never be lower priced than it is now. Just saying.

I've owned a high-strung Porsche turbo and tried to use it as a DD. Never again. I'm also not a fan of 911's, period. I respect them, but they don't do anything for me as I just see them as engineering limited by nostalgia. If it works for you, great, awesome.

I'm having a child and I need a reliable DD that can hold a baby seat and haul the occasional grocery. If its fun to drive and easy to park and gets decent gas mileage, even better. The fact that it isn't a Subaru or German is just more sprinkles on the top of that cupcake.

Knurled wrote:

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:

mndsm wrote:

Jerry wrote:

Tyler H wrote: Someone has to buy new cars so I can buy used cars.

Yup. Give me 3 years, see if they hold up mechanically, and I might just get over my Ford bias.

Yeah, im not buying a high strung new turbo car first year of production. I already made that mistake once.

yeah, because they haven't proven the tech already in nearly every other ecoboost powered car.

Realistically, I'd only be concerned with the all wheel drive system. The engine has been in production more or less since 2003 in the Mazdaspeed6/Mazdaspeed3/CX-7, except the RS has beefier parts and (I assume) a higher volume injection pump.

I'd suspect the AWD system is similar to the one used in other Ford's, Mazda's and Volvo's just updated to handle the power with perhaps a bit more electronics to control the fancy diff.

Knurled wrote: Realistically, I'd only be concerned with the all wheel drive system...

Not sure what you're worried about; that differential doesn't look complicated at all:

If it wasn't for the fact that they've been running similar differentials on their WRC cars for many years, I'd be a bit concerned myself.

Knurled wrote: What's the warranty on a 15 year old German car?

Internet horror stories aside, how many new cars have to go in for warranty work these days? Warranties are used as justification to buy new cars people don't need (or shouldn't buy) far more often than they are for actually fixing vehicles.

jstein77 wrote: If it wasn't for the fact that they've been running similar differentials on their WRC cars for many years, I'd be a bit concerned myself.

Electronic diffs are banned. Driver adjustable manual diffs are banned (although they may be externally adjustable, just not from inside the car). Center diffs are banned, they are only allowed a rear axle disconnect for handbrake operation - and it must be on/off.

IIRC the wording is such that Torsen type diffs are also banned.

I also would not put much stock in "toughness" for a series where they essentially rebuild the car several times per day...

Bill Caswell has some interesting things posted in his two articles on R&T about the RS. He and I talked on Facebook about the Power Transfer Unit, front brake vectoring and "lifetime" service interval of the rear did fluid. It kind of irked me that there seems to be little mention of the components at the FRONT end, and how exactly they are situated.

I've heard from more than one source now that there is not a lot of overhead in the drivetrain for more power. It's up to us to interpret what "not a lot" actually means. I do know that there is a service life to the rear differential fluid. What that fluid actually is and what the average surface life under a "standard" and "severe" maintenance schedule has yet to be seen.

This setup is similar to what is in the Evoque and future Lincolns. It is unlike the more traditional Haldex setup.

996 Turbos are extremely durable, very few issues with them. I'd love to have one...

docwyte wrote: 996 Turbos are extremely durable, very few issues with them. I'd love to have one...

Good. Glad you think so. Hope you get what you wish for.

I'm not a fan of the 911 (I respect them, but they're just not my thing) or German cars in general.

So lets get back to talking about the Focus RS and those of you who are Homodeutschians can go have your own thread to talk about them :)