An odd comparison, the front-wheel-drive Ford Focus RS500 versus one very bright powder blue, rear-drive/mid-engine Porsche Boxster, no? Well, except that in the UK, the two retail for exactly the same price. Auto Express compares their lap times on a wet road course... which of course means this isn't anything close to a complete comparison test, but the matchup is interesting nonetheless.
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church123 says:
09:32 AM, 09/ 7/10
I should have clicked to another entry as soon as I read "wet track".
What a pointless test. "Hey, let's compare two cars on a public road under changing conditions with a self professed wanker driver and see which is faster".
What did we learn? Absolutely nothing.
huyracing says:
04:03 PM, 09/ 7/10
we learned that your average non-race car driver can drive the focus faster than a boxster in the rain... which is quite a feat for a high powered FWD. the result would be more in favor of the Focus on a dry day.
would i rather have one of the best of the FWD breed or an entry level Porsche? I'm leaning towards the Focus.
makakio says:
04:58 PM, 09/ 7/10
Hmmm. A charged up, torque-steering, no-skills-required version of the Ford my 17yo neighbor just got for her birthday - or a mid-engine, superbly balanced Porsche that can actually make you a better driver?
Tough decision.
church123 says:
06:30 PM, 09/ 7/10
Which tells you nothing about the cars huyracing, only about the driver. That's why it is pointless. The Focus could very well be faster under a number of conditions with a pro driver pushing its limits, but we won't know because the driver's skill set in this case limits lap times to levels well below what either car is capable of. In fact, I'd say that the reason the lap times were so close was because that was as fast as the driver felt comfortable going, regardless of car.
I'm no pro driver either and there are certain speeds at certain tracks (Willow Springs, Turn 8-9) that are what I refer to as barrier speeds. Even though the car is capable of more, it takes a lot of mental effort to push through what I perceive as the maximum speed I should be travelling through a given turn. I can only imagine what it would be like to hit such limits on a public road with no run off in wet conditions.
And then there is the fact that conditions were changing significantly. A drying race track gets faster with each lap. It is not useful for comparison purposes.
brn says:
06:32 PM, 09/ 7/10
As my primary car or as a weekend plaything?
windsor5 says:
10:20 PM, 09/ 7/10
makakio ummm the RS500 is not the same ford you get here in the states. Of the 500 made all were sold before they even released them to the public. You couldnt get one even if you wanted one. As for an entry level girly car aka boxter I would take the more masculine focus over the boxter anyday. I mean it just looks meaner as for no skills to drive it takes mad skills to drive both of these cars and a 17old has no place with a car with this much power I am sorry unless their parents have spent a lot of time teaching them how to drive properly and even then just maybe.
damogroove says:
10:18 AM, 09/ 8/10
@Church123: What exactly are you on about? The video is done by a British magazine by a professional driver on Brit roads. Buyers can compare what the cars are like on WET brit roads for Brit buyers. Insideline just reproduce it with permission for I understand predominately US based readers.
So it shows a Ford RS500 performance wise is as good as a Porsche Boxster for the same amount of money. No big deal? I am guessing you watched the video to the end right?
I learnt today that the driver got paid to do things with other people's cars, you on the other hand have to pay to do the same thing! I like the sound of that!
alukashe says:
10:31 AM, 09/ 8/10
Pretty funny. That would be 44k+ in US dollars. The only shmucks that would pay that for a Ford Focus are on the Mustang GT500 discussions as they would pay 55-60k for a Ford Mustang. I laugh at thee. lol.
mrcardio says:
03:13 PM, 09/22/10
So what did we learn?
We learned that a FWD Ford Focus with a way higher power to weight ratio, awful 62:38 front to rear weight distribution was just barely able to edge out a superbly balanced mid-engine RWD base Porsche Boxster with just 255hp. It just goes to show how truly superior the Porsche is and how stupid it is to put so much power in a FWD econobox. The Boxster would tear this thing a new one around any track with just a slight bump in power. The Boxster S would eat the thing alive while still having an inferior power to weight ratio. Not surprising at all when you consider the Boxster / Cayman line is actually inherently superior to the rear engine ass heavy 911.