Newbie. Audi S3 8V to Focus RS

[9designs]

@ Tango…….     But your still here ???      I guess you drove the RS like an Audi?     Err  you don’t, you have to learn how to drive the RS as it’s unique with it’s torque vectoring.    For sure plenty of other cars are as quick or quicker in a straight line from the lights, but that is missing the point.

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Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[sebbcb]

@bobcat Thanks ? Nice to be part of this forum

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[rampant]

LOL @ 9designs when you say “learn how to drive it”.  TangoDelta is an ex Evo owner.  As am I.  We both already knew how to drive the RS.  Overall, the RS just wasn’t anywhere near as good as an Evo. Torque vectoring is not new.  Our Evos had it over 15 years ago.  That’s how long it has taken Ford to catch up.  Sadly, they didn’t get their formula quite right.  The RS is a *great* drive under the correct circumstances,  an *exceptional* drive, even.  But those circumstances – twisty b-roads – are fleeting at best.

@TangoDelta I’m just presently considering another Evo as a 3rd car!  I’m really enjoying the M3 – very thrilling and rewarding to drive and with nothing that really irks me. But it isn’t a winter car and it defo isn’t a car that I’d take on track, so an Evo is being “considered”.  Or maybe a cheaper Imprezza???

 

Yours Aye

Mark H

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// ’17 Nitrous Blue // Forged Alloys // Michelin Super Sports // Painted Calipers // Sync 3 // Lux Pack // Winter Pack // Black Gel Spoiler Badges // Blue Gel Wheel Inserts // GTechniq Liquid Crystal // GTechniq Alloy Armour // sold Jun ’18

[9designs]

Not had the pleasure of driving an Evo myself, but the RS is unique in it’s torque vectoring as it over speeds the rear axle I believe, so I’d suspect makes it a unique effect or character and the way of driving it different from other AWD systems?

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Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[andy-k]

Sebb, not sure that you’ll need BA in the Focus. Great purchase, welcome to the family. You will quickly work out that there are a few non-believers on this forum who have unrealistic expectations, (its a Car, not a star wars speeder bike). I have had the privilege of driving the top models from Porsche (911 Carrera S PDK), Mercedes (SLS), Jaguar (XKRS) and all the Audi RS’s and R8. A lot of great, grown up and expensive cars for wealthy gentleman. None of them make me feel quite as connected as I do in the Focus! Feel for your money, Ford did an utterly brilliant job.

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Edition, FPM 375

[9designs]

“Like wot he said … innit”

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Magnetic Grey with all the best bits

FPM375/COBB/MSD-  Quaife LSD,  DSC+Tractive  Suspension,  HJS200 cell sports cat and MT Cooler. Sync3 upgrade.

Was UK seller for DSC & Tractive  Active suspension !!!

    

[flywafu]

Just jumped from an RS4 into RS ownership.  Smiles and drivability on a B road, and the RS is much better.. and I can’t drive mine too hard as still running in.. Yes motorway, straight lines etc RS4 is faster but don’t miss the Audi understeer… Plus the V8 lump really has to be driven hard to get the most from it.

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Magnetic Grey with Dreamscience IMAP. K&N filter plus a few other goodies..

[Lionel Mandrake]

The commentary on this site sounds like a bunch of PlayStation owners trolling an Xbox site. If you’ve never owned/no longer own an RS could you please stop sounding like a fanboy; we’re all middle-aged men for Christ’s sake!

[rampant]

RS compared to Evo…

It is very, very much the same in the twisties. Same braking points, turn in points, power-on points.

If anything, the Evo has superior mechanical front end grip and better part-throttle turn in response.

Corner speeds are so similar that theyre not perceptively different. Car reactions differ, a little, in that in the Evo with AYC, the system didn’t affect the carsc trajectory as much, merely allowing more power without spinning an inside rear wheel and not affecting steering angle. The subtle difference with the RS is that under full power at the apex, you would be forced to remove a smidge of steering angle to stay on the same desired line.

Where the RS falls down is that the 4wd system isn’t always sending much power to the rear wheels. Plant your foot on a greasy surface in the RS and it has a tendency to spin up the front wheels – odd behaviour for a 4wd chassis. Likewise – no matter what mode is selected in the RS, when pootling around on deep loose snow, it behaves more like a fwd car. Again, odd, and not exactly playing to the strengths of a 4wd chassis. I should’ve been able to drive to work when the snow storms hit earlier this year, but I couldn’t.

In sum, the RS definitely does do some things exceptionally well, but ultimately I found it to be compromised for my own taste and needs. Other owners opinion may vary.

Yours Aye

Mark H

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// ’17 Nitrous Blue // Forged Alloys // Michelin Super Sports // Painted Calipers // Sync 3 // Lux Pack // Winter Pack // Black Gel Spoiler Badges // Blue Gel Wheel Inserts // GTechniq Liquid Crystal // GTechniq Alloy Armour // sold Jun ’18

[Lionel Mandrake]

@Rampant – Are you really suggesting that we all should sell our RS’ and buy ten-year-old Evo’s?!? That’s like telling us to sell our washing machines and start washing our clothes in the nearest river.

[rsdom]

I have had modified Evo’s and scooby’s and whilst they are great machines especially the Evo, driven in anger there is not a huge difference in my humble opinion, would take my RS over a ten year Evo/Scooby old daily driver every time, also my RS is more rear biased when I am on the limit in race mode not FWD?

As a track weapon or second car then yes I would seriously consider another Evo

Good to have forums to share experiences and opinions 🙂

[Lionel Mandrake]

I can’t believe I need to fight the corner for the MK3 RS, on a website dedicated to owners of the MK3 RS. What a world.

[sebbcb]

@andy-k That’s good to know ? Thanks for the welcome, looks like you have had the opportunity to drive some amazing cars! I am certainly not regretting the RS purchase at all, did my homework and that includes reading page upon page about verring steering. Waiting to take it on a quiet road with camber and simulate an overtake to see what happens, I shall post my findings…

@rampant Did consider an evo but the RS won ?

@flywafu I know what you mean about understeer, was the first thing i noticed driving the RS back home 225 miles.

@lionelmandrake    ??‍♂️??

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