Quote:
Originally Posted by Jordanwolf
So a CTR and Focus RS are appliances?
|
You might disagree, but in my opinion, yes, first and foremost all hot hatches are ultimately appliances (practical cars) first and performance cars second. Impressive performers for sure, but they are impressive despite their econobox underpinnings, not because of them. They are inherently compromised from the start by having to be built around a practical 5-door family hatchback.
Put it another way, take the engine, brakes, suspension and all the other engineering expertise that makes a CTR so quick, and have Honda apply it all to a smaller 2-door coupe that is lighter and has a lower CoG... that coupe would be even quicker than the CTR. If the engineers were given a clean slate and no practicality restraints to design the best handling and quickest car that can still seat two adults, they will base it around a 2-door coupe before considering making it a 5-door hatch. That coupe would in turn be a sportscar first and an appliance second.
To make it even clearer, consider a CTR vs a Lotus Elise. Both can put down impressive lap times, but the Lotus is a dedicated sports car and would be most enthusiasts first choice on a dedicated track day, whereas the CTR is a practical car and would be the only logical pick between the two if you had to pick some people up from the airport or transport some flat pack furniture from IKEA.
It’s no reason to get upset, just the reality of vehicle design and the compromises that must be made to bring these vehicles to market and make them affordable and profitable.