Very interesting video. Never thought much of the Focus before I saw this video. But the way it handles turns on the track, for a FWD, is very impressive.

Love the part where he "tests" the torque steer!

 

How to get the rear tires to swing out on a FWD car - Tires with no grip, just like the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ cars. Also, give the car no rear camber, so it just rolls onto the outer edge of the sidewall, and hard rear suspension, so the other side lifts up, and there you go, you're sideways.

BC.

 

The Focus handles good and i was amazed with both cars, but i'm still sticking with the Mazda 3.

 

MS3 is the older car..

Sadly, I don't think we will see a MS3 in the all new gen Mazda 3 with Skyactiv engines later this year?

AFAIK there is no Turbo in the works for SA Engines...well nothing public.

A new Mazda 3 with the 2.5 DI will be the limit.

 

if the 3rd gen has the same dizi motor it would be very disappointing for the ms3, There motors are not mod friendly zoom zoom boom theres a rod. Im not surprised the focus won this battle considering the suspension on the front is the best on the market patent design (forgot the name)

 

Not to forget that European Focus from the start was leader in handling in it's class, and I'm glad that they now sell the same Focus all around the world.

Focus shares the suspension with the first Mazda 3 series and Volvo S40. Not sure about this generation 3 however.

 

my opinion is that a more powerful SA-G engine is necessary into Mazda lineup as seen here under there is scheduled a SUV bigger than CX5 ....and especially for US needs a more powerful engine..., no V6 in development.....the obvious choice will be a 2.5 turbo (or supercharged?..a proper Miller engine?)





N.B. you can found a lot of interesting infos about SA Technology HERE:

http://www.cargroup.org/assets/speak...leman_dave.pdf

 

Nice post, Matt. Thanks.

 

Are you referring to RevoKnuckle?
Its geometry is mainly to reduce torque steer.

I think the actual brilliance in Focus' chassis dynamics is the rear suspension design, more than the front. I believe, the rear Control Blade suspension, adopted by VW, after Focus, is one of the things that enlivened the Golf (MkV) back from the slobbering junk it had become (MkIV) since MkI.

If you watch the video, the Focus' tail is far more lively than Mazda's.

 

yes i was refering to the revoknuckle (it does help with tq steer in return better/more controlled exit speeds ) unfortunatelly it should be on the ms3. Ford did great with the focus but im not sure if the st has revoknuckle