Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I just read the article and something caught my attention.
They say things like:
Quote:
You can feel the reduction in the car's nose weight - this Focus is wonderfully eager to turn into corners, understeers less than you'd expect, and the front end resists pitching over big bumps.
Implying that they actually drove the car, but then they say:
Quote:
Let's not get things out of proportion, however. This is still a base-engined compact, and it doesn't perform like a hot hatch. Times from 0-to-60 mph w
ill likely be in the 12-second range (Ford claims a 0-to-62 mph time of 12.5 seconds in the six-speed manual version), but the in-gear pickup is what impresses.
Sounds like another "review" based on some PR sheet and lots of assumptions. So I wouldn't take anything in that article seriously, especially the technical stuff about the turbo and the assurances that it can take the heat. Seems like the author has absolutely no clue and just repeats what he is told in his own words.
You gotta love today's "journalism"
.
It may also mean that they drove the car but didn't get a chance to do instrumented testing. That's what I would guess anyway.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
IIRC, Ford is not the first to do this (manifold as part of the head).
Correct, Honda's done it on a bunch of engines. Maybe others too but I don't know of any.
Some of this merging discussion cracks me up. Sure, it's rude to merge excessively slowly and I hate it as much as anyone, but there are slow vehicles out there and they do just fine. All it takes is a little more planning. Having to adjust your driving based on traffic conditions is hardly unreasonable -- that goes BOTH for the merging driver and those already on the road. Do your best not to inconvenience others, and accommodate what needs to be accommodated. Be reasonable. Personally, I will stay out of people's way but I'm not going to redline a cold engine just so somebody who's going 10 over the speed limit already doesn't have to slow down or move over.
And the thought of semis doing clutch drops and chirping tires to get up to speed as quickly as possible, presumably so so car in the right lane doesn't have to slow down a little? Seriously? I'd have to see that to believe it.