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  • Thread starter Thread starter Impreza Man
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Originally posted by Gt3iSaLlIc
I have no doubt that hatches can perform well, but as a personal preferance i dont like them.. In responce to the Citroen Saxo Porshe 911 comparison id like to see the Saxo up against the new STI version 8 or the Evolution series. Plus i dont doubt your reasearch but from the reports ive read about the 911 Turbo is that its quite a nimble car?. And as for the the RS focus lets hope they decide to put out a 4wd version, that would be something special.
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Don't get me wrong, I hate the Saxo and its twin, the Peugeot 106. I can't drive one for a start - the pedals are too close together - and the build quality starts off as "shaky" and just gets worse when kids modify them.

In most situations, you are correct, the Evo8 (and predecessors), Impreza III (and predecessors) and Porsche 911 (and... sigh) would take out their collective John Thomases and tinkle on the Saxo VTR from head to toe - and at between 3 and 11 times the price, you'd bloody well hope so too. But it's been well documented that a collection of Saxo VTR, Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 and Mk1 Golf GTi can run rings around anything up to, and including, a Diablo given the right road (there's one or two B-roads in Northamptonshire, and one in Wales they like to test on).

The Focus RS already is a bit special - it matches both the Impreza III and Evo8 to 60mph and thanks to the ingenious front diff can keep up with (and ahead of) them on the twisties.

Hatchbacks do their job well - and are much better suited to most normal British driving situations than a lot of other cars (imagine a 50mph motorway swerve test in a Range Rover...). Let's put the Porsche 911 Turbo (RR, remember, not 4WD) up in the Pennines in a nice 6 foot of snow in January. Would it even start? I'd get there quicker in my (soon-to be-gone) 1.3i Fiesta. I could fit more shopping in there too. It costs less to service. I don't have to worry about it being there when I get back - or being scratched. I get 50mpg combined (and petrol costs 80p a litre - about US$6 a gallon - here). In fact, the only time the Porsche would win would be accelerating to the speed limit, since I can drive down most roads dead on the speed limit (and I wouldn't advocate breaking it). Or a track day - which I never go on, because my car sucks.

This reminds me of a time I was stuck in a queue on the motorway. A guy in a £95,000 brand new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 thought he could muscle his way into my lane (in traffic I go by "one-in, one-out" - let one person in in front of you, then you go. If everyone does this the queue shrinks on both sides in no time). I'd already let one guy on and was no way going to let this pillock in. He drew up level - I closed the gap to the car in front. He edged over and over towards my door - so I did exactly the same back. A £95,000 car costs a couple of grand to repair a scratch. I wouldn't care about my £1000 one - he yielded and filtered in behind me (or that was his intention - the guy behind me saw what I did and copied it, although he should have let him in for 1i1o).


Faster and more expensive doesn't always mean better. Right now my Fiesta, and her replacement, the MX-3 V6, are far better cars for me than a stupidly fast car I couldn't use or afford to run. Or do half the things I'd want to do in it (fetch the shopping, pop out for a video and so on).
 
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I agree about the Porsche, if you've got the money go for it but as for practicality and the "Bang for your buck" you could do better (although build quality my not be as good) with Peugoet or Alfa hatch.
But as for the RS focus down here there is not the same applause, the british press seem to praise the "claimed" 0-60 figures of 6.4 seconds, ( Although when tested buy NZ Autocar magazine the best they could get was 7.2) and the Quaife LSD coupled with 5 speed, when the industry standard seems to be moving more towards 6 speed. Although the ridged chassis is good.
But opposed to the the new STI i dont think it would compare, although im only going on what a magazine has reported ive never driven this focus, but i have driven an Evo and an STI version 5 and they are impressive.
But this debate could go on forever cause there are advantages to both.

My choice.
 

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Mine too... :D I prefer the Impreza III to the Evo8 - although I prefer the Evo7, 6 and 5 to the corresponding Imprezas... Odd world, innit :D
 
Yeah Evo 5 and 6 all the way and if your a real enthusiast why not a 6.5 Tommi makinen edition??.
 
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