Motortrend Poll: BRZ vs. Focus ST

[Poogles]

Motor Trend Poll

Saw this posted on a Focus ST forum. I thought it's only fair to let the FR-S/BRZ drivers get their vote in.

[leon78]

Mazda Speed3 FTW!

[Gixxersixxerman]

I read that yesterday awaiting my movie Django to start.. I wanted to make a account and post a comnt but never could get it to work and the movie started.. My thing is.. This guy is suppose to be a pro driver, and I know 5 seconds is a long time on a track.. It is, but the first time ever in my car at that track and only been on willow springs once before on my bike.. My best time is just a tick over 5 seconds slower then his best time??? that's just not what I was expecting.. I've never been to a track ever in any car, I had so many spots that needed improvement, I'm in a auto, and still just over 5 sec is all he could get out of the car.. Maybe my intake and exhuast is making that much of a difference idk.. I was just surprised

[Allch Chcar]

There are enough people on Focusfanatics or Focaljet alone to blow the poll to the Focus ST.

But I voted in any case.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Gixxersixxerman

I read that yesterday awaiting my movie Django to start.. I wanted to make a account and post a comnt but never could get it to work and the movie started.. My thing is.. This guy is suppose to be a pro driver, and I know 5 seconds is a long time on a track.. It is, but the first time ever in my car at that track and only been on willow springs once before on my bike.. My best time is just a tick over 5 seconds slower then his best time??? that's just not what I was expecting.. I've never been to a track ever in any car, I had so many spots that needed improvement, I'm in a auto, and still just over 5 sec is all he could get out of the car.. Maybe my intake and exhuast is making that much of a difference idk.. I was just surprised

The challenge is, will you EVER find the 5 seconds?

For comparison, cars over double the cost run about 5 seconds faster than the BRZ, and how much of that can be attributed to those cars having better tires?

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by article

At the track, with pro racer Randy Pobst behind the wheel, the two cars were a second apart at 01:29:27 for the Focus ST, and 01:30:32 for the BRZ.

That much more power and only 1 second around the track. I think that proves which car is superior...

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

That much more power and only 1 second around the track. I think that proves which car is superior...

Tires are the big difference IMO. The Focus ST is on max performance Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's. The BRZ is on grand touring Primacy tires, haha.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Tires are the big difference IMO. The Focus ST is on max performance Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's. The BRZ is on grand touring Primacy tires, haha.

Further cementing my point. More power (~12.78bs/hp without driver) with a better tire compound and ONLY a second faster. Yes we lost the race, yes the ST has "better" specs in some people's eyes, but give me that weight to power ratio with those tires and there's no competition at all.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Further cementing my point. Way more power (~11.88lbs/hp without driver) with a better tire compound and ONLY a second faster. Yes we lost the race, yes the ST has "better" specs in some people's eyes, but give me that weight to power ratio with those tires and there's no competition at all.

A loss is still a loss, no matter what you do to try to rationalize it...

[JDMenrique]

I voted.

it was 65/35 in favor of the focus when I did. we need more votes!

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

A loss is still a loss, no matter what you do to try to rationalize it...

That's true and I knew someone would say that, but when you win...don't you rationalize and analyze how you won so you can keep winning? IMO car tests SUCK because they're almost never done on the same compound, which is the equalizer.

A turbo, FWD hot-hatch beat us around a track by a second...grats, still a FWD hot-hatch! I'm glad we have the ST stateside (even if it doesn't have RevoKnuckle), but I like my impractical 2 door more (which with the identical tire compound would be faster around the track)!

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Further cementing my point. Way more power (~11.88lbs/hp without driver) with a better tire compound and ONLY a second faster. Yes we lost the race, yes the ST has "better" specs in some people's eyes, but give me that weight to power ratio with those tires and there's no competition at all.

Yep. Although not really fair comparing a purpose-built RWD sports car to an econobox-based FWD hatch IMO.

And in fairness to a Focus ST, it will haul a bunch more cargo than our cars

Ok enough devil's advocate for me haha.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

That's true and I knew someone would say that, but when you win...don't you rationalize and analyze how you won so you can keep winning? IMO car tests SUCK because they're almost never done on the same compound, which is the equalizer.

A turbo, FWD hot-hatch beat us around a track by a second...grats, still a FWD hot-hatch! I'm glad we have the ST stateside (even if it doesn't have RevoKnuckle), but I like my impractical 2 door more!

Don't take me the wrong way, but you sound almost exactly like the M3/AMG/porsche/etc guys who were pretty pissed when the 03 Evo8 came out, and then when the 04 STi arrived...

In the end, we all voted with our dollars, and here we are.

The guys on the Focus forums will be talking about how our cars are steam piles of shit and how their souped up econobox destroyed a purpose built car at its homeground.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Yep. Although not really fair comparing a purpose-built RWD sports car to an econobox-based FWD hatch IMO.

And in fairness to a Focus ST, it will haul a bunch more cargo than our cars

Ok enough devil's advocate for me haha.

I dunno, i've shit a TON of stuff into the BRZ before...

How's a set of rims/tires, a second set of rims, a full set of coilovers, and ALL the tools I need at the track, all simultaneously in the car?