Almost beaten by a new Focus ST....

[tartan_rob]

Up the M4 yesterday, road was damp and this geezer joined west bound from Jnc13, he shot straight into the outside lane cutting everything up. So "I'll show him I thought..>", I came up behind keeping a good gap but put my dipped beam on and he pulled over....anyway I exited at Jnc14, went north and then took the back road to Swindon......he followed...

To cut a long story short, he was with me every time from 20/30mph --> 80mph then I left him for dead, everytime I got held up behind slow trafiic he was there though, every time I passed he did too. Mind you I was keeping to my side of the road where he was using both sides and he was a tad more "adventurous" than me....but it's been a long time since I got noised up like that....and I was quite shocked that he could keep up at all bearing in mind uneven road and 4wd etc, etc...

[BRETTCOLLINS]

Have seen one of them new Focus ST go. They are not slow. Something to do with the volvo engine in it... LOL

[Soupie69uk]

I have raced a bright orange ST on a bypass in my A4 1.8T and there was not much in it lower down but i got away!!

So i would imagine a chipped S4 would be off!

Was well chuffed as that guy and his Mrs will have been thinking they would show me in their new car.

[andy123]

http://parkers.co.uk/choosing/carreview ... 441&page=2

volvo it is! bet theyre a bitch in the wet having all that going through 2 wheels. Slip diff or not your still not going to hook till 3rd if its damp.

[flossymeister]

don't dis that volvo engine..... its a 5-cylinder. they learned from the best

I haven't seen a new ST yet.... from what you said, though, it sounds like a really good car. Both Jason Plato and Jeremy Clarkson really liked it as well.

Tim

[ShaneyB]

I was behind one this morning on the A413 (Denham to Amersham) and noticed a blue one giving it large. Anyway, I'd had a bad morning dropping my boy off at nursery and thought 'What the hell' He was about three cars in front at the top of the hill and visibly booting it so I thought I'd see if I could catch up. Under a mile later once all the traffic had gone I was right up his harris and you could see him shi*te himself. This was at pretty high speed but I got the feeling he would never keep in touch. I spose away from the lights with far less weight they should be there or there abouts but who wants to drive a Focus..? I'd rather have an A2...

[flossymeister]

point taken Shagga, but you've got a remap mate ! I've been in an "old" Focus RS and that was a very quick car on twisty A roads (drove one on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and it was fast). Apparently this new ST is 10 seconds or so faster round the nurburgring than the old RS! if they bring out a new RS i think it may be time to get some KO4s......

[CliveH]

Those ST's are fast - and very light...

[s4woody]

lets find 1 and get it to the pod on the 25th..then we,ll see who,s quick and who,s not...

[littleblue]

i test drove the new rs, didnt like it. the seat makes you sit too high in the car, and it couldnt corner anything like my current car, a V6 TT, was pushing wide in fast corners and torque steering when on full boost, that didnt seem to come in until over 3500 rpm.

if i only had 18k to spend and had to buy a new car, it would be on my list, but then you will look like all the other chavved up fords out there.

i'm currently looking for more space than my TT offers, so have been looking at S4's, hence my first post in here. cant decide between the older twin turbo or the new V8..........

[flossymeister]

hi littleblue, and welcome!

not tempted by a markV golf R32 then are you? not as quick as an S4 of either variety, but still good cars from what i've read.

[tartan_rob]

Don't get me wrong the S4 was ahead everywhere (and occasionally just ahead), I was just surprised by how much I had to try. Normally a slight squeeze of the throttle in whatever gear I'm in does the job. High speeds though he's dead in the water....

I don't have the balls I used too so was not pushing hard in corners etc....I'll leave that for the track....or the jetski..

[DuncS3]

Its a classic case of on twisty B roads where you cant get much more than 70-80mph a lot of less powerful cars will keep with much more powerful cars. Big power normally comes into play as the speeds start to get higher, maybe 80+.

I would totally expect a Focus ST (respect the 5 pot warble ) to keep up with a chipped S4 when speed is limited to between 30-70mph on twisty back roads (in the dry)

Dunc

[harperboy]

0-62 in 6.6 so I wouldnt have thought the ST would have that much of a chance against the mighty S4. As clive says, very light, so nippy at lower down speeds. Wouldn't help if he's had it chipped.

[eatthis]

ur talkin 0-60 where 4wd means everythin 30-60 would be MUCH closer