...or at least tried to, literally.

Decided to take the Jag to church this morning since it was a beautiful autumn morning. Lowered the top and was having a very nice Sunday morning cruise with absolutely nobody on the road. Or at least I thought.

I was enjoying a rather spirited run by myself when this new Ford Focus RS comes out of nowhere and starts riding my fat behind. I think he just came off an exit I passed and saw me so just went for it.

Now I know the RS is quite the hot hatchback with 350 HP sent to all four wheels so it's a handler too but have never run with one before. This one looked the part in its dark grey/black color scheme and as I was about to find out it is quite the little runner too.

Anyway, I don't react and keep my pace but he seems determined to find out what I have to offer. Having already run into the usual Challenger, Mustang, and even Corvette challengers a number of times, I can appreciate folks wanting to know what we are driving since the F-Type is quite rare (here anyway). So I turn up the heat a little in the Jag thinking he will get the message that he is out of his league but the Focus doesn't back off at all.

This is where church failed me and I turned into a devil.

First, there is very nice curved section coming up and no traffic, so I hit it harder than I usually do but the Focus is very aggressive and has no problem winging me. Admittedly, I am a little tepid in corners with the RWD and don't want to be chasing my own tail...lol.

As we come out of the curve onto a nice long stretch, I think we both notice that there is no traffic at all ahead of us because I hear him floor it. At this point, I think "why not" for a short blast and shift into dynamic mode. I just floor it and just start grinning as I can't hear him anymore over my own sweet, howling V8 exhaust note (wondering if he could even hear his own turbos trying to spool up faster...lol). I have to think he was taken aback some seeing the Jag surge ahead so fast and watching my taillights get smaller...lol. I let up to slow down but he doesn't so as soon as he gets close, I do it again and really take him to church as the RS is no match. I think he was over optimistic about what he could do so after the lesson he changes lanes really fast and exists as fast as he came onto me.

Even though I am now used to the car, it is always intoxicating to have such explosive responsiveness and ability to move so very fast in relatively short order (won't mention speed to protect the guilty); the car was tight and smooth.

I feel bad for showing off but the circumstances were perfect with no one else around. That new Focus RS is definitely a quick little car. I also felt somewhat immature for being coaxed into driving so fast, but truth be told it sure felt good even for a brief moment.

Got to church in time too!

 

I actually was going to get an RS, however the whole boy racer look was too much. For someone in high school it would be a great car.

 

Yeah, we have had a couple of GTIs and enjoyed those too as they were less flashy yet very entertaining to drive and but the newer hatches are definitely more "boy racer" looking as you say. We just bought our college-aged kid a new Civic Hatchback with the dual rear spoilers and 6 spd tranny (he had to learn to drive a manual so that was entertaining too) and it definitely looks the part so he loves it. Of course, he really wants the new Civic Type R hatchback with its 300 HP engine and crazy rear spoiler but he can do that for himself when he's finally working FT...lol.

 

'Forgive me, Father, for I have sped - damn, it was fun!'

 

Add a tune and a pulley and you will witness even more explosive power.

 

I can understand someone in an RS wanting to spar, but I get all kinds of ******** trying to drive up my tailpipe. Last week some guy in a Sonata...I guess his steering column started to shake after a certain speed because he gave up. It's an interesting mix of people being genuinely infatuated and genuinely infuriated by this car.

 

I have Focus RS in my track group, according to that person stock it doesn't deliver anywhere near advertised output. I have no problem walking away from him on straights, and that shouldn't be the case if he can put down 350 against my 380. With a V8 F-type, Focus just not in the same league.

We will see what they can deliver with a proper tune, I suspect they will be a proper challenger.

 

Awesome! nothing beats blowing the doors off cocky 'modified' cars that are used to cutting everyone off in traffic and driving like they own the road!

 

I don't think it is fair comparison, Focus RS costs probably half what F-type V8 would. To me, "was able to keep up with F-type" in a budget car is a win for Ford.

It is good and bad thing that cheapo econoboxes have trims that push 300+ hps. Good is that power of EC is now cheap and readily available even on a budget. Bad is that premium brands will not be viewed as viable anything less that 650+, and you simply don't need that kind of power especially if it isn't also combined with a chassis that can deliver decent handling for that power.

For example, take classic 2nd gen camaro. Slap 700hp engine into it. That car would kill anyone but most expert driver. It would be a deathtrap.

 

Also don't forget that the AWD sucks up about 10% more power over RWD cars, so that would likely be a factor as well. Unless the V8S is AWD that is, then the 30hp shouldn't make much of a difference except on the straight.

 

Fair? We don't need no stinking fair! Feel no remorse my son and revel in the joy of the power.......

 

Certainly was....lol.


Yeah, no kidding. The thought of 600 HP with RWD is kind of scary considering I have experienced the tail coming out with "just" ~500 HP. But if I did add the tune; boy-oh-boy...lol.


Exactly, I don't mind the folks that safely indicate their interest and usually I just wave them on (with a couple of exceptions where I gave them a short blast and they got the message). If the conditions were different with traffic, I would let him have his way although he was pissing me off being right up my derriere so I was actually happy that I could take it on.


I don't know if he was modified or not, but I thought it was pretty aggressive driving to come behind me like that hoping for a push. I have to think I shrunk his manhood a tad...lol.

 

Totally agree with you and I have no problem with folks wanting to find out if done right (a friendly honk or wave from the adjoining lane and not right on my tailpipes). I also keep in mind that I don't think I drive the end all of cars by a far margin and so I wouldn't think twice about backing off if challenged by a F-Type R or SVR, Corvette Z06, Porsche GTS or Turbo, etc., etc...just not going to happen as I know the car's limits as well as mine. But it's getting harder to know what you're up against as the newer Camaros, Mustangs, and seems like everything else is pushing the limits and most owners of those cars have no idea how to drive except push the accelerator harder. Getting scary like you said as current cars are so much more powerful than the "muscle cars" of yore (although the newer cars handle much better with safety features that didn't exist when I was racing the oldies but goodies...lol).

 

Yeah; I had about 150 HP advantage in the straight so even with my heft I was feeling pretty confident. But in the curves, I wish I had AWD for sure!