Which Is The King Of The Hot Hatches? Ford Focus RS Vs Volkswagen Golf R

Camouflage, secret test locations, PR denials in the face of overwhelming evidence… Mostly, car manufacturers conceal new-model testing, so it’s unusual that Ford commissioned a documentary to chronicle Focus RS development. There’s marketing puff, but proper fly-on-the-wall moments too: a car breaking, engines failing, deadlines missed, all of it on YouTube.

Towards the end of the series of shorts, chief technical officer Raj Nair drives the RS. ‘That’s Normal mode?’ he asks. ‘That’s terrible!’ His parting shot is a You’re Fired-style ‘it’s not signed off yet, guys.’

Brave, but it underlines the effort Ford has put into making the third-generation Focus RS the best it can be. Of course, it ends happily when the crack team don’t sleep for weeks and give the RS a final polish, and maybe they took the really bad stuff out. But now no amount of editing can help them, as the first RSs are released into the wild from Valencia airport.

jameswisrik - 10/4/2016 5:37:10 PM

+1 Boost

neither of these POS~ throw away after use once

my money on STI or Type R.

MDarringer - 10/4/2016 8:07:15 PM

0 Boost

I love the RS. What makes it even more remarkable is that it is on an OLD platform. The 3rd generation Focus is at the end of its cycle and the 3rd generation Focus was a reskinning of the 2nd generation Focus with minor tinkering to the mechanicals.

What perplexes me is that Ford has not done a Focus ST sedan, though it would not surprise me to see the next-generation Focus ST and RS produce a Lincoln sedan to replace the MKZ.

TomM - 10/4/2016 8:24:00 PM

0 Boost

None of them

I know at least 3 people who have Chevy Chevette Hatches with Built Small Block V-8s in them. And it is not a particularly unusual thing to do either. And they don't suffer from being front wheel drive either.

It is shame that the time when - if you wanted a real runner - you went out and BUILT it yourself - has been replaced by cars that don't even include a spare tire or jack - because the drivers would not know what to do with them!

MDarringer - 10/4/2016 8:33:55 PM

+2 Boost

Leave it to grandpa to pontificate pure bullshit and pretend that his non sequitur response is cogent.

Terry989 - 10/4/2016 8:37:05 PM

0 Boost

Leave it to Matt the psychotic moron to pretend he knows what buyers want in a car. Matt is just having wet dreams about being in the car business. #BanMattTheMoron

TomM - 10/5/2016 7:39:42 AM

+2 Boost

The fact is - the Chevy Hatches regularly run at Englishtown -= and no production vehicle Focus or Golf could possibly come close. And they could not possibly do that with either front wheel drive vehicle without tearing out most of the drive train and making them rear wheel drive. The one thing that the teams could never do is make these cars habitable for tall drivers like me and Agent 009.

You cannot call them "King" if there are better runners. AND there are.

As far as being a Grandpa- I am proud to be so - and first became one when I was 40 - a lot of years ago. For a person who relishes TVRs - which are cars from a still older age (When they were at their height) - I would think this distinction would be something you have already had too - if you ever had kids - or were capable of having them.

MDarringer - 10/5/2016 10:00:16 PM

0 Boost

Mental note: To TomM acceleration in a straight line is the only performance parameter. All of those crapstorm Chevy hatchbacks that are so vastly superior would lose their mud the minute a curve appeared.

PUGPROUD - 10/4/2016 8:44:45 PM

+1 Boost

Can't we all just get along?

My vote is the Ford...the everyman's hatchback.

valhallakey - 10/4/2016 11:01:55 PM

+3 Boost

Ford needs to offer a toned down version of the RS to broaden it's appeal into the Golf R space. Spruce up the interior and drop some of the boy racer looks - for murk and I.

bw5011 - 10/5/2016 3:34:11 PM

+2 Boost

Its called the ST

valhallakey - 10/7/2016 2:08:13 AM

+1 Boost

The ST has nowhere near the performance of the RS. But sure, tone it down the ST levels, love sleeper cars.