Yahoo Autos How Does a Ford Focus RS Compare to a Prodrive-Built Rally Racer?
The Ford Focus RS' spec sheet reads like a car enthusiast's dream. It's a five-door hatchback with a manual transmission, a 350-horsepower turbocharged engine, and an advanced all-wheel-drive system. If you'd prefer something a little more tail-happy, it even offers Drift Mode. For just north of $35,000, it's the kind of all-in-one package that few other cars can beat.
But while it looks great on paper, does the Focus RS have what it takes to become a rally car? Team O'Neil Rally School decided to find out, pitting a lightly-modified Focus RS against a Prodrive-built Open Class Subaru, an actual rally race car.
To fit Team O'Neil's needs, the Focus RS has been given smaller brakes (to fit 15-inch wheels and tougher rally tires), Bilstein shocks, and a skid plate. ABS has also been disabled. Other than those minor tweaks, though, the Focus is pretty much the same car you can buy from your local Ford dealer.
In the end, the purpose-built rally car still had the edge, especially at higher speeds. But the Focus definitely held its own. For a near-stock car, that's pretty darn impressive.
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