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VN vs. Focus RS

You know what - This was just a GREAT review of two cars with two car guys. Well done!

Thanks, the presenter wasn't exactly too technically knowledgeable when it came to cars as you could probably tell, but it was good fun. Sam is a great guy, and I'll be doing a track day comparison with him in the future with these 2 cars which should be a lot more entertaining (and upsetting for the Focus RS fanboys :p)
 
Thanks, the presenter wasn't exactly too technically knowledgeable when it came to cars as you could probably tell, but it was good fun. Sam is a great guy, and I'll be doing a track day comparison with him in the future with these 2 cars which should be a lot more entertaining (and upsetting for the Focus RS fanboys :p)
I cringed watching this because of his lack of knowledge. But after getting past that it wasn't terrible. Glad you were on point.
 
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I cringed watching this because of his lack of knowledge. But after getting past that it wasn't terrible. Glad you were on point.

Agree with Ricepuddin, what a write up @1FastStagea :cool: it was interesting.

Thanks! It's sad that where I live there's nothing but dead straight roads for about 2.5 hours in every direction, it definitely could've been more fun with a few twisties thrown in, but c'est la vie.

As I said, the track comparison will be much better I'm sure. I'll also make sure to prepare a bit before so I'm not all "uhh, uhm" like our wonderful (/s) Prime Minister. This was all unplanned/improv.
 
I highly recommend this tire to upset the FoRS fanboys to the maximum extent possible on the track comparison. This tire is much faster than RE-71R (approx. 2-3% faster, depending on the layout of the tracks and cars). Just prevent filming the tire and you're good to go :)

235/40R18
265/35R18
 
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I highly recommend this tire to upset the FoRS fanboys to the maximum extent possible on the track comparison. This tire is much faster than RE-71R (approx. 2-3% faster, depending on the layout of the tracks and cars). Just prevent filming the tire and you're good to go :)

235/40R18
265/35R18

I'm way ahead of you lol. I already have these ready to go, 140TW and sticky enough to pick up rocks in -10*C weather while rolling on the ground without rims in them:

IMG_20181228_190646.jpg


For the sake of a fair comparison however I will be doing the test on the stock Pirellis initially, then switching to the 265s afterwards to see the improvement. Unless he's fine with me putting the tires on for the comparison, but I imagine it would make the internet (specifically RS fanboys who are trying to justify their $55K+ purchase) erupt in a sea of fury.

I don't think the N will have any problems thrashing the RS on the track even with the stock wheels/pirellis to be honest. Although I'll probably be running my JB4 hot tune on it to be safe ;)
 
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I've burned more than a hundred sets of tires (including the Zestino 07RS). That tire is much slower than SUR4G, not to mention RE-05D.
 
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I've burned more than a hundred sets of tires (including the Zestino 07RS). That tire is much slower than SUR4G, not to mention RE-05D.

Hmm, good to know. I got them for an insane deal so I'll just burn through them this season and see how they are. I also have a set of Nankang AR-1s coming this year for my other car (which I can swap wheels to/from for the N) so I could use those too.

EDIT: Sadly it seems as though those RE-05Ds you linked aren't available in Canada, or North America at all for that matter :(
 
EDIT: Sadly it seems as though those RE-05Ds you linked aren't available in Canada, or North America at all for that matter :(
Yeah. That tire(RE-05D) and some other hardcore Bridgestone/Dunlop tires are only available in Japan and nowhere else. I had to use a freight forwarder as well, which makes it even more expensive.

FYI, stock sized SUR4G (which is globally available and pretty cheap everywhere) is about 4% faster than stock sized P Zero HN on the JSN. I presume 265 SUR4G would be faster even more. I believe you won't be getting this much of an improvement with Zestino 07RS, as they were about 2-3% slower than SUR4G in my experience. However, if you try the 265 SUR4G, you might need to do some more work on your fender, since SUR4G runs noticeably wider than the same sized Zestino 07RS.

And SUR4G is kinda fast to warm up and low consistency (or short peak performance period) type of tire. It only takes 1 lap to warm up in Winter season (much faster than RS4) and first 1-2 laps are noticeably faster than RS4. However, it won't maintain those grip throughout the session, which makes it good for time-attack type of comparison, but bad for sprint race type of comparison.

EDIT - I missed this part last time.
I also have a set of Nankang AR-1s coming this year for my other car (which I can swap wheels to/from for the N) so I could use those too.
AR-1 is also slower than the SUR4G. I bought them once in Japan, only because I can buy 3+ of AR-1 at the price of 1 RE-05D. AR-1 certainly has aggressive-looking tread patterns, so judging by its look, I thought it would be pretty similar to one notch above of SUR4G or RE-71R, R-S4, ZIII (something like A050, Z221 TD, 03g, etc). However, the performance of AR-1 (in terms of best lap time vs best lap time sort of comparison) was not in line with A050, Z221 TD, 03g at all. It's kinda like a R888R. Looks very fast, classified as competition tires by the manufacturer, but pretty heavyweight and slower than the fast road tires (RE-71R, ZIII level of) on the modern heavy cars(i.e. >1300kg).

RE-05D is faster than Yokohama A050 GS or Dunlop 03g S5/M5/T3.
 
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Thanks! It's sad that where I live there's nothing but dead straight roads for about 2.5 hours in every direction, it definitely could've been more fun with a few twisties thrown in, but c'est la vie.

Where I live there is mostly twisty back roads and 80 km/h speed limit. Perfect for the I30N.
Some advatages living in the boonies :p.
 
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It looks like another tyre topic again - is it really so difficuilt to stay in topic?
And just because of not making another OT here, I will write about my own experience:
I am currently driving MY 2017 Focus RS because we have proper winter in Poland and I´m not using my N on winter. What can I say about Focus RS?
First about advantages of Focus RS:
1. 4WD
2. Door protectors
3. Getting warm much faster than N
4. Headlamps are better
Advantages of i30n:
1. Car feels faster
2. Rev matching
3. Sound of engine and exhaust
4. Bigger boot
5. Better infortainment system
6. Custom modes
7. Keyless locking and unlocking works much better
8. Car feels lighter
9. Suspension is also usable on country roads
....
If I am honest, I don´t like Focus RS at all. For everyday usage N is much better car to drive, N offers 100% more fun than RS and N is also more prctical and comfortable car to use.
There is a possibility to turn RS much more fun car to drive but you will loose warranty in this case or you must spend tons of money for Mountune products. Stock RS is not fast car.
 
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Thanks! It's sad that where I live there's nothing but dead straight roads for about 2.5 hours in every direction, it definitely could've been more fun with a few twisties thrown in, but c'est la vie.

As I said, the track comparison will be much better I'm sure. I'll also make sure to prepare a bit before so I'm not all "uhh, uhm" like our wonderful (/s) Prime Minister. This was all unplanned/improv.
I figured the uhms were from your suprise at his limited knowledge.

I almost bought an RS, but my poor experience with the ST made me reconsider. Now I am between the CTR and the N and honestly the N seems like a good bang for the buck.

The RS is a great track car but it has it's limitations.
For one I wouldn't really cross it on the stock suspension as that shit is harsh on it's softest setting.
 
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It looks like another tyre topic again - is it really so difficuilt to stay in topic?
And just because of not making another OT here, I will write about my own experience:
I am currently driving MY 2017 Focus RS because we have proper winter in Poland and I´m not using my N on winter. What can I say about Focus RS?
First about advantages of Focus RS:
1. 4WD
2. Door protectors
3. Getting warm much faster than N
4. Headlamps are better
Advantages of i30n:
1. Car feels faster
2. Rev matching
3. Sound of engine and exhaust
4. Bigger boot
5. Better infortainment system
6. Custom modes
7. Keyless locking and unlocking works much better
8. Car feels lighter
9. Suspension is also usable on country roads
....
If I am honest, I don´t like Focus RS at all. For everyday usage N is much better car to drive, N offers 100% more fun than RS and N is also more prctical and comfortable car to use.
There is a possibility to turn RS much more fun car to drive but you will loose warranty in this case or you must spend tons of money for Mountune products. Stock RS is not fast car.

It's cool that you actually have both and can compare from an unbiased point of view. I felt the same way when I drove the RS, maybe I was just spoiled by the newer interior/electronics/functionality but the RS didn't excite me the way the N does when I drove it.

Obviously AWD is a big plus, but beyond that... I can't see what makes it anywhere close to a $60K (CAD) car.
 
I can't see what makes it anywhere close to a $60K (CAD) car.

Headgasket issues that hydrolock the EcoBoost engine after 2-3 years :p


But seriously the Focus RS has a few cool features, mechanically speaking. For example the RWD part of the AWD system has a different ratio than the front wheels, which (i think, don't quote me on this) is controlled by 2 different clutches on the diff that splits the torque, which means in Dorifto Mode the rear wheels spin faster than the front ones which makes it surprisingly easy to drift for an AWD car.

Also the intercooler is a bit "oversized" on most of the Focus RSs, by which I mean that they stick a bit of foam on the intercooler to reduce performance when its shipped to areas with high humidity to prevent condensation in the intercooler which might cause misfires.

(but if you need more cooling performance you can just tear that foam off and get like an extra 10% or so, which would be much appreciated for the VN/i30N engine, as they tend to get heat-soaked quite quickly because the intercooler is very conservatively sized)

Anyways, couldn't be happier with my Fastback N right now, no need for a Focus RS :D
 
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