Subaru BRZ with $10k in mods or Ford Focus RS?

[Alltezza]

Originally Posted by Darkone

The Focus RS is ugly as hell and overpriced at over 40k, however it has better performance than the FRS.. but not 20k worth more performance! Your are also stuck buying the Focus brand new while you have plenty of great used options for the FRS as low as 20k for a newer FRS with low miles. So you could buy 2 used FRS for the same price as one Focus RS! Plus the FRS looks way better than the focus and the general public will think the FRS cost more than the focus....
Buy the used FRS ...enjoy and do not modify it...this is a corner carver, who cares about drag car speed. Stamp the pedal and take those corners at full throttle...lol ... keep it for 1.5 years and save your money. Then purchase a used Focus RS for 28k in the future. Rinse lather repeat...

Then go buy something super fast modify the hell out of it, waste tons of money. Then realize you dont need 700 hp and sell it. Buy another fast car and sit around worrying about the engine because all high HP cars have mechanical issues that can cause the engines or transmissions to crap out and the cost to replace is around 20k. Worry about it all the time, make big payments, waste your money. Sell it and buy another high hp car and find out it also has potential mechanical issues and then after multiple multiple years of doing this and wasting tons of money ....then come full circle and repurchase a FRS and live happily ever after.

This is what I did and you cant learn from my mistakes you can only experience the same thing ....its a learning process that we all must partake in ...this is where I am now and happy to own a FRS.

Reading this, as I been saving up for a turbo kit.......why man

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by guybo

I had a Genesis Coupe 2.0T with right around 270 HP at stock (I had modified it so it was running more than that when I had it) and over 100 MPH it just kept going no problem. It was scary because it ran so easy over 100 sometimes I'd look down and I'd be going much faster than I thought. It still pulled up over 125. I got it up to 135 before but not more than that and it had some more to give.

The FRS loses any momentum up over 110 and takes forever to go any faster. It has more to give but you need a LOOOONG stretch of road to get it.

I get my car up to 125 no problem...

Jaden

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

From what I ahhhh "understand" it really doesn't take long at all.

Yes. It has nothing to do with HP though and 300 would be as bad as 200. I think that someplace around 110 you would start to pee a little (I have heard) as the front of the car starts to lift at every little bump (in theory)and the steering starts too get all funky ( I think). I shut it down pretty fast after that. OH WAIT I mean if I ever went that fast I would WANT to shut it down. Not that I have ever gone that fast with it.

Say what now? Maybe I misunderstood you, but assuming the same vehicle, 300 hp will give you considerably more top end acceleration than 200 hp.

And my Cayman S will hit 140 mph pretty damn easily. Can't say that about a BRZ.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Say what now? Maybe I misunderstood you, but assuming the same vehicle, 300 hp will give you considerably more top end acceleration than 200 hp.

And my Cayman S will hit 140 mph pretty damn easily. Can't say that about a BRZ.

You did misunderstand. The posts prior to mine put it into context.
Once moving at 100 MPH it doesn't matter if the car is 10HP or 1,000HP the effects of the aero on lift are the same. Wasn't talking about accelerating more just the lift that the wind had at that particular speed.


I would hope that a Cayman will hit 140 pretty easily or you wasted your money. Now, just how often and where exactly do you get to hit 140?

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

And my Cayman S will hit 140 mph pretty damn easily. Can't say that about a BRZ.

I can hit 140 mph pretty easy, but I have a 3.727 final drive. The 4.1 fd cannot hit this speed with 5th gear and with 6th gear it is much weaker.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You did misunderstand. The posts prior to mine put it into context.
Once moving at 100 MPH it doesn't matter if the car is 10HP or 1,000HP the effects of the aero on lift are the same. Wasn't talking about accelerating more just the lift that the wind had at that particular speed.

I would hope that a Cayman will hit 140 pretty easily or you wasted your money. Now, just how often and where exactly do you get to hit 140?

Ah, okay makes sense now! And the answer to your question would be road courses The car's high speed acceleration is a bit odd since it has very strange gearing. 1st, 2nd & 3rd gears are too tall (2nd good for 75 mph, 3rd 110) and then 4th - 6th are kinda short and right on top of each other. So my perception is that the car accelerates just as fast in 3rd gear above 100 as it does in 2nd - which is obviously not true of course. Published top speed is around 170 and I feel like after 150 or so the acceleration probably tapers off big time, but I haven't confirmed that (and prob never will).

I've also had my GSR up to an indicated 135 mph, but that was on a road in Mexico On track 115 was the most I could get out of her (shortish track with 1/3 mile main straight).

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by glamcem

A sports car is not a sports car if the camber is not adjustable, or Front biased / on demand AWD system, awful dampers and drive shaft

Just like many people around here who became disillusioned after modifying their 86's to become 'Porsche killers', there will be many disillusioned Focus RS owners in the coming years lamenting how they thought they were buying a sports car but instead got a very fast econo-box.

Word will get out, I bet there will be a day when you can pick up a Focus RS for new Focus ST prices if they don't limit production.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I think that someplace around 110 you would start to pee a little (I have heard) as the front of the car starts to lift at every little bump (in theory)and the steering starts too get all funky ( I think). I shut it down pretty fast after that. OH WAIT I mean if I ever went that fast I would WANT to shut it down. Not that I have ever gone that fast with it.

In an FR-S? Interesting, I felt fine in mine up and over 110 mph. I haven't hit 120 but I'd be surprised if the car's composure deteriorated that quickly, but I can see a rough road making it very sketchy very quickly, the joys of closed circuit lapping

Originally Posted by Alltezza

Reading this, as I been saving up for a turbo kit.......why man

As long as you don't think it'll transform your car into some monster and you expect to spend time and money troubleshooting when something doesn't work right you'll probably be happy.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

In an FR-S? Interesting, I felt fine in mine up and over 110 mph. I haven't hit 120 but I'd be surprised if the car's composure deteriorated that quickly, but I can see a rough road making it very sketchy very quickly, the joys of closed circuit lapping

I've had mine at 120+ and it felt fine. There weren't any bumps on the road though (smooth track pavement).

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Word will get out, I bet there will be a day when you can pick up a Focus RS for new Focus ST prices if they don't limit production.

I don't know about that man. Currently, you can literally buy a new Ford Focus ST for less than $18,000 if you search nationally. Hell, there are 21 for sale in my area for less than $19,000. $19,000, it's freaking crazy!

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

I don't know about that man. Currently, you can literally buy a new Ford Focus ST for less than $18,000 if you search nationally. Hell, there are 21 for sale in my area for less than $19,000. $19,000, it's freaking crazy!

You don't think a strung out econo-box will drop to 50% of it's purchase price? Ford is cranking these things out as fast as they can, yeah if they decided "oh we're only going to make 2k-3k per year" I'd agree with you. But last I read they're on track to turn out 7k units per year in the US, that's almost matching peak BRZ sales.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-foc...rs2-94956.html

You're right, STI/Evo/Golf R have held their value incredibly well, but given the Focus' declining reliability ratings as they age and the how many Ford is trying to crank out I don't think the FoRS will do as well on resale as it's competition.

The average car hits ~50% value in ~4 years, I'll be impressed if the FoRS outdoes that is all I am saying. Hell, I could be wrong, but I think these things are the next WRX at a higher price bracket, or BMW M car, half of them clapped out needing expensive repairs in 5 years and owners trying to dump them quick, maybe 2nd hand demand will be stronger than I think and keep prices in line with STI/Evo/GolfR.

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

In an FR-S? Interesting, I felt fine in mine up and over 110 mph. I haven't hit 120 but I'd be surprised if the car's composure deteriorated that quickly, but I can see a rough road making it very sketchy very quickly, the joys of closed circuit lapping

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

I've had mine at 120+ and it felt fine. There weren't any bumps on the road though (smooth track pavement).

Exactly, at 120+ mph or even at 140 mph it feels fine. I don't have even the rear spoiler, but I have the underside panels. Only issue on very high speeds is that the front aluminum hood moves a lot and you think it is already opened.

[darthpnoy1984]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Just like many people around here who became disillusioned after modifying their 86's to become 'Porsche killers', there will be many disillusioned Focus RS owners in the coming years lamenting how they thought they were buying a sports car but instead got a very fast econo-box.

Word will get out, I bet there will be a day when you can pick up a Focus RS for new Focus ST prices if they don't limit production.



In an FR-S? Interesting, I felt fine in mine up and over 110 mph. I haven't hit 120 but I'd be surprised if the car's composure deteriorated that quickly, but I can see a rough road making it very sketchy very quickly, the joys of closed circuit lapping



As long as you don't think it'll transform your car into some monster and you expect to spend time and money troubleshooting when something doesn't work right you'll probably be happy.

That's why waiting patiently always works, honestly people were expecting too much from the Twins. Funny people are still wrecking the Twins.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RIĐO]

Originally Posted by arrow34

The autobahn isn't all about straight line high speed. There are many places where it slows down and you have to pay attention to the speed limit, I was mainly saying the handling aspect of the FRS. I would have liked to see how it handled the autobahn. There were great curves and I would have liked to have pushed it to the edge... legal like... Not that I have found myself above 100mph.... here.


Tcoat - I doubt the handling of the fsr is worse then a focus station wagon at 220 kph.... That was VERY floaty and felt very unsafe.... didn't stop me though.


I should add... I got a speeding ticket 2 months later.... 8 kph over... 10 euros.

I have plenty of autobahn experience with my gt86. You are correct autobah can be quite curvy. I managed to hit 250km/h with my bolt on NA car. The thing is that due to the short wheelbase the gt86 is not all that stable at high speeds. You have to be extra concentrated and if there is a bump in mid corner you can spin out. Oem diff will help you with that. My "safe" fast driving on authoban is now between 180 to 210 km/h. Also as underpowered as gt86 is even on autobahn the momentum is the key. I managed to keep up with much much faster cars better then I expected. Once gt86 is rolling and the revs are up it is quite fun also on autobahn.

[deejaylew]

Test drove an RS not long ago. Notchy shifter (not necessarily a bad thing). Not a great feel on the clutch pedal. Decently quick but was disappointed that it felt about as fast as my wrx. Biggest take away was how hard and heavy it felt, kind of like a brick. Really liked it but subaru has shown you can do awd and 4 doors without feeling so heavy.

Maybe my expectations were too high but it was a very cool car. Sound from the exhaust and fake exhaust noise were nice actually. Also I personally like how it looks in Nitrous Blue.

I just knew I would be trading it in the moment they made an STI with an FA motor in it, so i walked away and now that I have time to think about it I know I made the right choice.

Oh yeah and they are having wayyy too many issues over there in focus world... leaking transmission fluid, the infamous head gasket issue, who can really bother with that junk on their DD???