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Video: Fifth Gear Drives The Ford Focus RS – Best Hot Hatch In The World?

K keshy
Posted onFeb 26, 2009 at 12:12 AM

Probably the first TV drive of Ford’s long awaited Focus RS, fifth gear presenter and former BTCC racing champion, Jason Plato takes the 300hp, front-wheel-drive hot hatch for a spin in what seems to be the south of France. Now 300hp on a front wheel drive car doesn’t sound very usable and Plato does not hide his fears but despite that, the final verdict is – the 2.5-liter turbocharged Focus RS is one of the best hot hatches in the world – if not the best. Very high praise indeed.

Post Views: 1,387
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    Crazy Biscut
  • Feb 26, 2009
Next evolution of the FF cars it is
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    vincent
  • Feb 26, 2009
and it looks good too!
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    koren
  • Feb 26, 2009
i think its 4wd.. what the hell is a "wrx S"? .. no power out of the exit makes it good? what a lousy driver.. turbo lagggggg...
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    skazareth
  • Feb 26, 2009
cun...cun......... love it..............
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    the stig
  • Feb 26, 2009
hi fellow earthling's

koren need some 101 about proper car driving. it same goes as racing car are meant for racing, not normal driving & Rally cars, for rallying. if given idea everyday people mode of flight would be rocket from KL - KK? hmmm... koren you might as well proposed astronaught as commercial pilot intead. rite?

let leave Korel with its Corel dream. i say bring this type of car to malaysia and throw those garbage from Korean which poluting the street. with this baby intead. so i can reach the airport faster. for my TG test drive :P


best driving:


The Stiggy


P/S : Korel = Korean Car? Stop road polution, slow drivers of the road!
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    u dumbass
  • Feb 26, 2009
koren....shut the hell up if u dont know shit about cars and proper driving...know ur facts b4 writing sumthing here and not make a fool out of urself dumbass
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    jamesweh
  • Feb 27, 2009
Sime Darby, please listen.
Nice advert. that Ford Focus wins rally's! But really the present Focus 2.0 is a real bore with a sick 4 speed auto trans (More for the Granny's)
We want this Ford RS.
Look at TC Renault, for once Malaysian have a chance to drive 2 great cars;
Clio RS
Megane R26
Now if this was for sale at < RM250K
It would steal the thunder away from Subaru's STI V10.
I own a Subaru WRX V8 & I will gladly ditch it for a Focus RS
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    Crazy Biscut
  • Feb 27, 2009
Honda Better do something or they will lose there FF crown
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    hause
  • Feb 27, 2009
Honda better be listening, the age of the turbos is at hand. Their excuse for lack of torque cannot be acceptable now.

Even though the turbo lag is noticeable, its true what Plato is going on about, you don't want the turbo shredding all your tires when you are still exiting the corner with a little lock on.

But Honda with the high rev-ing Vtecs are equally as breathless as an equivalent turbo lag on tighter mountain roads where a more accessible mid range power can give you room to catapult yourself out.

"Horsepower sells cars, Torque wins races." - Carroll Shelby
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    apalalu
  • Feb 27, 2009
If this Focus Rs is made by a japanese co, do you think they will praise it? When it comes to them Brits, their review has always been biased.
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    vincent
  • Feb 28, 2009
"apalalu on February 27th, 2009 7:46 pm
If this Focus Rs is made by a japanese co, do you think they will praise it? When it comes to them Brits, their review has always been biased."

Not really. They loved the R35. The Evo was on their favourites too. I prefer watching Fifth Gear to Top Gear. Fifth Gear is more technical and less nonsense.
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    jamesweh
  • Feb 28, 2009
I am a great fan of the FD CTR, but the lack of torque on normal roads means that it is very tiring to drive as you need to be on the limit to extract 100% of the car.
In Sepang CTR is King.
I am beginning to get tired or my WRX, too much weight and I have to man handle it in Turns 5 & 6.
CTR is really nice on Turn 5 & 6, not so much weight, so body control better.
Looking at it 4WD are becoming irrelevant.
The fact that the Focus RS has so much torque to the front wheels and with a trick LSD, it puts down its power so well despite the front wheels being over loaded with steering and power.
Something similar to the Mazda 3 MPS.
Anyway the Megane R26 has also proven that a front wheel drive powered vehicle that has enormous torque can handle well,
AiYah, what has happen to Subaru's STI V10. It has grown soft and all the BS electronics which you will switch off the minute you drive the car, is absolutely useless.
Evo 10 with their version of DSG is great but again some how it too has gone soft catering for the masses.
We in Malaysia are so unlucky, all these cars sell below 30,000 pounds in UK which is about RM150K.


RM150K will only get you a boring Honda Accord.
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Reading this i finally took a break from my work. I have a hardware store, and i get kinda stress throughout the day =) your post just gave me a few minutes of relax ^__^ I wish i could find a rss feed on your site, so that i could subscribe for some more. Ill be sure to come here more often from now on ^__^
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Props for such a great post, keep up your excellent work.
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