Richard's Ford Fiesta ST and Focus RS

[mac11irl]

I cant read 19 pages to catch up... but, from pg1....i think the "fish face" suits the front of the fiesta, much better than the front of the pre FL version of the current shape imo...

[mdk1]

I see Mountune have relished upgrades for the RS, when's yours booked in?

[AshVrs]

I see Mountune have relished upgrades for the RS, when's yours booked in?

Just seen it on Twitter. The picture on Twitter is the same colour as BossFox's as well, almost like it is trying to tell him something! Lol

Take a look at @BBC_TopGear's Tweet: https://twitter.com/BBC_TopGear/status/727947193248825344?s=09

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[BossFox]

Just seen it on Twitter. The picture on Twitter is the same colour as BossFox's as well, almost like it is trying to tell him something! Lol

 

So they have!

Mind you, Ford's decision to produce 4 greyscale colours (white, black, primer grey and metalic grey) and only one real colour means something like 60% of orders were for the blue.

 

I won't be rushing off to Mountune until the power upgrade pack is signed off.

I also won't be modding this car too much, as I have the 5 year (or 100k) warranty.

So using Mountune will be a no brainer, as some of packs they do keeps Ford's warranty.

 

And then there is the fact that with a year's waiting list I have already put a deposit down on a 17 plate to replace this one...

 

I like the RS so much I've not driven the McLaren, or anything else really, since I got it.

Other than the Transit that I needed to pull a trailer at the weekend.

It's so nice to find a car that fully lives up to the hype.

Edited 5 May, 2016 by BossFox

[Skoda_Saint]

Dibs on a ride at Bedford if possible Richard, badly want to see what this car can actually do.

[DarrellGB]

Is the RS coming to Bedford? Love to see one in the flesh as it were (even blag a ride)

I was always a Fast Ford fan growing up, ever since I saw the Escort Cosworth at the Lambard RAC Rally flying through the air after hitting a hump bridge and flames coming out of the exhaust!!! Defining moment

Edited 5 May, 2016 by DarrellGB

[BossFox]

Is the RS coming to Bedford? Love to see one in the flesh as it were (even blag a ride)

Yes,

Yeti not done, deposit taken on Fiesta and everything too noisy for the 98db Bedford sound limit.

Hoping the pops and bangs when changing gear don't set anything off as Bedford has a one strike policy.

V5 states idle db as 89, compared to 100 in the orange thing.

[BossFox]

First track day in the RS yesterday, at Bedford GT circuit.

We had a group of 25 cars out of 75 and it was a great day with the track and social element.

I had Jake Hill from the BTCC in with me, giving me some pointers.

 

 

Focus RS:  Deeply impressive machine.

 

As you read about in the reviews, the way the car rotates, the firmness of the ride on track, the grip and cornering speeds.

It really is great fun, better than most cars I've driven on track.

 

Mine is still on road rubber with OEM brakes/pads and it went well all day on the 2.8 mile Bedford track with some serious braking areas where you have to get a lot of speed off.

No brake fade all day.  After three or four laps you'd get a little more pedal travel and that's in, then it'd just work and work and work with no fade at all.

The tyres allowed it to move about nicely, so you could brake late into a corner, rotate the car with the rear out a little and then for fun four wheel drive it through the whole corner without the 4x4 system trying to get it pointing straight.

 

Amazing how Ford have managed to make it so much fun and so capable at the same time.

Not to mention the cornering speeds you can achieve mean even on road tyres and brakes it's quick on a track day, not much overtook us all day and we were often having a play with cars on semi-slicks and passing them.

 

Just got to get a few flies off now...

 

 

Overall I am really, really happy I ordered the RS unseen on the strength of how good the Fiesta ST is.

It's a cracking car with a real breadth of ability.

Five doors, five seats, child seats in one day going to Tescos and on track the next power sliding round corners on road tyres overtaking other cars on semi slicks.

 

Awesome car.

Out of the road cars I've driven I place it only second in fun to my 680bhp R32 GT-R which is an animal and no where near as practical, not to mention the Focus RS is still in "out of the box" spec which makes it even more remarkable.

[Skoda_Saint]

Thanks for the ride in this car as well Richard it is truly an awesome car.

 

You taking that chicane at 100mph was unbelievable. The fun factor can't be stated high enough with this car as the way it goes around the bends with the backside kicking out and the grip through the corners throughout... well let's just say a big grin is induced!

[Lady Elanore]

It sounds like at long last we have a car to displace the mighty Fabia 2.0 petrol

 

It's good to see that after all the naysayers who live their lives through nothing more than magazine articles, that in the real world, the brakes are up to the job

 

I've never really liked Haldex cars, so the fact that Ford can make such a superb transmission at a reasonable cost, gives me hope that I'll be able to afford a mega 4x4  hatch/saloon one day :)

[BossFox]

A video of a nippy five door Focus on the Bedford GT circuit.

Edited 18 May, 2016 by BossFox

[RobLarby]

A video of a nippy five door Focus on the Bedford GT circuit.

Is that someone else driving there?

[B33fy]

Nice film clip, merc totally owned, driver probably lost his load given the closing speed, hope I don't drive mine like that... lol

[Skoda_Saint]

Is that someone else driving there?

Sounds like Jake Hill to me.

[BossFox]

Sounds like Jake Hill to me.

That's right.

Clearest lap, he did one lap to warm the tyres after lunch having never driven the car before and this was the next lap after that...

Skills.

[BossFox]

Waheey!

 

Some track pictures from Monday.

 

 

[MartynVRS]

I'll have to try one but then lots of people are wanting to. I'll wait for the initial hype to die down. Watching Jake drive was the best thing I've seen in terms of really seeing what it's like and how it handles. Media always over hypes a fast Ford but it sounds like this is actually a good one. I've driven a Fiesta ST, albeit briefly and even that took a call to Ford UK to get it. Local dealer wouldn't even entertain test drives as he said they were selling without them.

[BossFox]

I'll have to try one but then lots of people are wanting to. I'll wait for the initial hype to die down. Watching Jake drive was the best thing I've seen in terms of really seeing what it's like and how it handles. Media always over hypes a fast Ford but it sounds like this is actually a good one. I've driven a Fiesta ST, albeit briefly and even that took a call to Ford UK to get it. Local dealer wouldn't even entertain test drives as he said they were selling without them.

 

I think I mentioned it before, but I just don't get your Ford Dealer.

I just walked into mine, booked a test drive in the ST and a few days later was wizzing down a B road with the salesman holding onto the seat.

Then I ordered one.

[MartynVRS]

I think I mentioned it before, but I just don't get your Ford Dealer.

I just walked into mine, booked a test drive in the ST and a few days later was wizzing down a B road with the salesman holding onto the seat.

Then I ordered one.

And that's the thing. It's not like I don't get test drives. A 10 minute conversation and I got a Type-R for over an hour. Tried Clio RS200, Mazda 3 MPS, several Skoda's, the list goes on.

I'll wait a month and I'll phone for one but may pick a dealer that's more rural. My local one is a group of a few and really isn't good. Apparently after care is awful.

[Mikek3111]

Was there a ford event in London/Essex yesterday? On way home from picking wife and kids up from Inlaws in Leyton and on A12 and then M11 I saw 3 Sierra cossies, escort cossie and 3 escort GTI's. Unusual to see so many close together without an event taking place?

[old newbie2]

Was there a ford event in London/Essex yesterday? On way home from picking wife and kids up from Inlaws in Leyton and on A12 and then M11 I saw 3 Sierra cossies, escort cossie and 3 escort GTI's. Unusual to see so many close together without an event taking place?

I was also in Essex yesterday & noticed a brand new blue Focus RS, with the registration, "RS1GARY" Swap the G for a 6 & it makes sense.....

 

DC

[BossFox]

Addition to the family...

 

 

Fiesta ST200.

Good fun, nice spec.

 

 

Great daily.

Late last year Ford softened the suspension a little on all STs so it's better at low speed.

The ST200 have nice all black seats, plenty of toys incl Nav, bluetooth and rear colour parking camera.

The 200 model has a lower final drive, effectively giving it a lower ratio gearbox too.  Certainly feels more sprightly through the gears than regular or Mountune ST.

 

Averages 37mpg to the RS's 23mpg.

Edited 26 August, 2016 by BossFox

[KenONeill]

Addition to the family...

 

 

 

Fiesta ST200.

Good fun, nice spec.

 

 

 

Great daily.

Late last year Ford softened the suspension a little on all STs so it's better at low speed.

The ST200 have nice all black seats, plenty of toys incl Nav, bluetooth and rear colour parking camera.

The 200 model has a lower final drive, effectively giving it a lower ratio gearbox too.  Certainly feels more sprightly through the gears than regular or Mountune ST.

 

Averages 37mpg to the RS's 23mpg.

Not sure either way about the "Arbarth grey", at least without red stripes.

[BossFox]

Not sure either way about the "Arbarth grey", at least without red stripes.

 

Neither am I.

[KenONeill]

Neither am I.

Anyone for doing a Fotochop on this?