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Here's the Golf R vs. Focus RS Drag Race You've Been Waiting For

From Road & Track

The Volkswagen Golf R has been one of the fastest hot hatches on sale in recent history. With it's 292-horsepower turbo-four and all-wheel-drive, it's able to lay down a 5.2 second zero-to-sixty, and top out at 155 miles-per-hour. Thanks to its German origins, the car is also pretty nice inside.

The Focus RS, on the other hand, pushes out 350 horsepower from it's Mustang-sourced four-cylinder turbo motor. With its trick AWD system, zero-to-sixty happens in 4.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 165 MPH. It's a much more manic beast, developed with input from all-around hooligan Ken Block. It's even got a drift mode!

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What'll happen when these two AWD hatches face off then? The RS might have a 58-horsepower advantage on the Golf, but the Golf weighs almost 170 pounds less. Is the difference enough to tip the scales?

Apparently not, as the Focus RS beats out the Golf R in the 1/4 mile by a scant 0.2 seconds. Though we expected the Ford to win, we didn't think it would be this close. Getting the Focus not to bog down at launch doesn't seem too easy, either, as the guys over at EVO have to flat-shift the car from first to second to keep it in the best rev-range.

Watch for yourself as EVO figures out which of these two hatches is the best do-everything car.