WTF? Ford Wins The Day AGAIN!

"Groagun" (groagun) 02/03/2015 at 21:44 • Filed to: None

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For reasons I'm unsure of, today, February 03, 2015 three of the biggest auto makers in the world decided to debut three very different but very significant sports cars. First, the Ford Focus RS, second the Ferrari 488GTB and last but not least, the Porsche Cayman GT4.

Ford Focus RS

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Ferrari 488GTB

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Porsche Cayman GT4

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I put them in this order for a reason: Once again Ford won the day just as they did in Detroit with the new GT.

The new Focus RS is a super car for the Everyday Joe. It's the one we can all have. The Ferrari is awesome, not that pretty, but awesome. The Cayman GT4, well for me it's just another Porsche. I'll expand more on that later. The real crux of this victory comes from the "Everyday Joe" moniker I bestow upon this machine.

The Ferrari and Porsche are outside the grasp of most buyers: and don't think for one second you will ever be able, or want to get that base Cayman GT4 for the $85k list price.

I'm pleased as punch that cars like the 488GTB and Cayman GT4 exist and if lucky enough, even I can put one in my driveway someday. But the Ford, hell I can have that now!

Is there a comparison to be made between these cars? Yes! And it's all down to 300+ horsepower and AWD.

The Focus RS, like some have pointed out to me today, as the Subaru STI is, a WRC car that I can actually buy for reasonable cash and have a warranty and get insurance on. I love Subaru's but the Focus RS is hotness on wheels. The STI is a bit ugly and a bit of yesterdays news and technology. Still a great car but this Focus RS just gets my blood boiling.

Ideally I want a sequential crash box transmission with the correct 'backward' actuation to go through the gears: pulling back on the stick to go up the gears and pushing forward to go down the gears. A tight and supportive racing bucket with ample padding for my big ass and what sounds like a squirrel being minced under the hood every time the blow off valve actuates.

I think I will get most of that so I'm pretty happy already and the aftermarket and SEMA show next year will have all kinds of addon's for me to buy.

The Ferrari and Porsche, to a lesser extent, are unreachable dreams, objects of nothing but desire: things for posters or in the modern world, desktop pictures. I quibble more with the Porsche because to me, Porsche has created the answer to questions that nobody has asked. It seems to me that every Porsche, the venerable 911, Cayman, Boxster, Panamera, Cayenne, Macan and 918 each have at least a dozen different variants. I swear all it takes is 15-25 more HP and or a specified options package and a whole new model designation is born.

Enough of pissing on Porsche for now, they do build great cars and have maybe the best engineers in the business, I'm just not one of those 'Porsche Nutters'.

I'm no Ford guy either but wow this thing looks impressive and fun, obtainable fun. It ticks all the right boxes. 300+ HP, AWD, Recaro seats, manual gear box and the list goes on, all for an affordable price the most anyone can afford.

Ford is the blue collar company and today they proved it. Congratulations once again Ford for taking victory in a contest with both of the heaviest hitters in the biz taking shots on the very same day. 2 and O for Ford so far this year and it's only February.

ly2v8-Brian > Groagun 02/03/2015 at 21:51

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Tim (Fractal Footwork) > Groagun 02/03/2015 at 21:53

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Interesting to think that the seemingly-endless Evo vs. STi Rally-for-the-road battle will now be replaced with the next era of RS vs. STi Rally-for-the-road battle.

Groagun > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/03/2015 at 21:54

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Hadn't really though t of that, good point.

Soloburrito > Groagun 02/03/2015 at 22:15

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Ferrari 488 GTB

Porsche Cayman GT4

Ford Focus RS

Groagun > Soloburrito 02/03/2015 at 22:24

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Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!

Milky > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/03/2015 at 22:24

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*cough Dart srt next year cough*

TheHondaBro > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/03/2015 at 23:45

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Toyota might bring an Alltrac Yaris to the fight.

xrey > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 00:57

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I have always wondered even in the 80's why the European counterparts of Ford & GM are so much better in design and overall simplicity(maybe because they are smaller for Euro roads?). Now the same style like the Focus are making it's way in the US shores and yet we are surprised that they are better? You shouldn't wonder why more people who don't have Bill Gate's bank account and opts for a car that probably cost their full year's salary and will likely get a loan to appreciate it for many years to come. Because that's all they can afford. And lastly, probably more fun to drive ala-stripped down version of a Porsche Cayman.

xrey > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 00:57

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I have always wondered even in the 80's why the European counterparts of Ford & GM are so much better in design and overall simplicity(maybe because they are smaller for Euro roads?). Now the same style like the Focus are making it's way in the US shores and yet we are surprised that they are better? You shouldn't wonder why more people who don't have Bill Gate's bank account and opts for a car that probably cost their full year's salary and will likely get a loan to appreciate it for many years to come. Because that's all they can afford. And lastly, probably more fun to drive ala-stripped down version of a Porsche Cayman.

Gamecat235 > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 01:06

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As amazing as the Focus is, the idea of a GT Cayman is... well, I cannot fathom a world where this isn't worthy of dozens hundreds of posts about how the entire hierarchy of how Porsche carefully crafted their vehicle lineup so that the better handling, more balanced, smaller, and more aesthetically pleasing car, which, by the way, is cheaper, just overtook most of the lineup of it's bigger brother.

Now, I'll give you a pass on the Ferrari, because, well, price, but it handily beats the model it's replacing, and that is what it is intended to do.

Don't get me wrong, I love that the US is finally getting a Focus RS. But the GT4 is going to be the bigger game changer here. Would I take the RS over an STi? Yes, I probably would. I'd take it over a Mustang GT as well. But I'd gladly take the GT4 over anything else in that price class (Z/28, Z06, and the Evora S are the primary cars I can think of in this category, with some conversation for the M3 M4).

But that's just me, and I can't afford a GT4 (yet), and if I could, I'd very likely want mine with a PDK (it's the superior transmission, and now that all of the edge case scenarios are worked out - can enter a true neutral state with a double paddle pull, I can't see the arguments for a manual for a vehicle which encourages you to keep both hands on the wheel at all times while driving). I do wonder if they left the PDK option off because of the GT3 backlash, or because it needed to be still just a tiny slot below it's biggest brother (the GT3).*

*(for the record, I'm the guy who is hoping that the DCT in the next gen Ford GT takes a page from the Porsche playbook and is a valid and legit transmission option. The future has arrived, and some change is inevitable, like a Turbo Ferrari =).

Dirty987S > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 05:11

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Here's the thing, Porsche isn't a blue collar company so they could really give two sh*ts what a blue collar guy says. The GT4 is significant because it is the GT3 in a mid-engine chassis unlike the GTS which is additional options and tuning of more power. The GT4 gives you different components other than just some interior touches. The world has been crying more for a GT4 like Cayman than a Ford RS and now that world has the car and with some minor work I don't think 400+ hp is out of reality with stock components.

Dirty987S > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 05:12

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Agreed!

john herd > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 05:23

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cant wait for the ford rs

Ryan > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 05:28

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I am a huge Ford fan and this is great news. But...the Focus and WRX are no longer WRC cars. That would be the M-sport Fiesta RS and the ???? from Subaru who no longer competes in WRC. Now Ford can work on a road going Fiesta RS with 300 plus and its WRC four wheel drive!!!

Hugh Lokey > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 06:44

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I suspect that there will be a lot of folks driving Camaros, Challengers, and Mustangs that will end up being spanked by a RS driver and wonder what the hell just happened and what was it!

Sam > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 07:45

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Good analysis, dude! The GT4 is the biggest "game changer" of the three.

Groagun > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 08:22

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I agree with most of what you state. I'm simply not in love with Porsche like so many seem to be and honestly, just how different is this car going to be from other variants of the Cayman?

The question of hierarchy in the model family is fascinating however. The blended line between Cayman and 911 is closer now than I think anyone at Porsche thought it would ever be or even wanted.

In my capacity as a journalist some time a go I was attending one of the shows that Porsche has since dropped but it was the year of the Cayman debut. What struck me was the reaction of women to the car.

By a fair margin the Cayman was seen as more upmarket and sexier. One Porsche sales woman from the largest dealer in the country actually stated, and believed that the Cayman sat above the 911 in the family. She was not joking and clearly had not gone through the factory to dealer model training for the Cayman yet.

I informed her but to her credit, she just loved the Cayman more and for her, and I think many others, it represents what seems to be the new threshold for the modern Porsche buyer. The 911 is old school and 'my dads or granddad's' car.

It's pretty simple: Porsche itself knows this and has accommodated the customer. The new 911 has grown old and fat to fit the huge guts and asses. The cayman is sleek, sexy and light. The Cayman is the new 911 and what it represented way back in the 60's and 70's.

One other smart thing you say is the possibility of Porsche answering for the desecration of the 911 GT3 itself. I think you are on to something. The current GT3 is a great car but it's not a GT3! The GT3 is a stripped out race ready 911. The current GT3 is a base Carrera with a few other options.

Groagun > Dirty987S 02/04/2015 at 08:30

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I wrote a response to these exact points brought up by others as well. You are spot on about GT4 being the answer to the 'disappointment' of the GT3.

Do not fool yourself however into thinking that Porsche does not care about cars in the Focus RS category, they do! They do because money is to be made and the mother-ship, VW, is the one calling the shots.

A new 914 is in the cards. Many things have to line up first and VW has to work out what to do in the American market and turn that around first but given that, you will see a new entry level Porsche sometime in the future.

Groagun > Ryan 02/04/2015 at 08:35

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Technically you are correct but that is not what I am saying. Maybe I should just say Ralley car instead of WRC car but I think most people get it.

As for Fiesta RS, I'm not sure. I don't think there would be any way you would get 300 HP in that car. 250-275 yes but how close do you get to the Focus? If you see one, I think it will be 2 years from now or at the end of run for the Focus RS.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 08:36

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I might end up owning an RS, but this is the one I'll lust over for a decade.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 08:57

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This. As a guy who's dreamed of owning a GT3 for many years, the prospect of a car that's the equal of a 997 GT3 for an entry price of $85k mean that this car could be in reach for me (on the used market) in 5-10 years. My excitement watching the EVO video was un-containable. When they finally fired it up at the end, I let out a noise that made my wife shush me for fear of waking the baby - ha!

*I'll be more than happy with the manual, thankyouverymuch. It sound like they had such a clamor for a manual in the GT3 that they threw up a bone with the GT4. I'm perfectly fine losing a few tenths to keep the involvement and experience of a traditional manual.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ly2v8-Brian 02/04/2015 at 09:00

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Do you have no strong feelings for any of these cars? Or strong feelings for them all?

mrhinton101 > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 09:06

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Im with you on all aspects until you said PDK over manual. I have been to the porsche dealership and experienced the pdk. Its nice, dont get me wrong, but to me you get the cayman because you enjoy driving. The PDK literally pulls some of the "driving" away from the driver.

How can you be ok getting a car as near perfection as the cayman sans that rush you get when you're at the top of the revline in second and punch it into third like you are trying to your best Muhammad Ali impression? How can the PDK replace that feeling of hitting that perfect revmatched downshift to first and carve that corner at 5500rpm then right at the exit as you near the limit and the car is screaming like a banshee you keep the revs high shift into second and peel out?

PDK, to me, is like a woman with implants. yea they are nice, always perky, perfectly shaped. But would you really take them over al natural?

(I own a 135i and am currently deciding whether to get the 2016 miata and keep the 1 or get rid of the 1 and get the Cayman S. Opinions? The GTS is too expensive, I agree with the OP)

Gamecat235 > mrhinton101 02/04/2015 at 10:26

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I never said I was right... I just implied that I would rather have both hands on the wheel at all times in a vehicle which appears to be purpose built for the track. =)

99% of the time I'd rather have a manual, performance Porsche's are the only case where, given a choice, I'd probably go with the DCT.

472CID > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 11:23

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At least Honda didn't try to show off the Civic Type R yesterday...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/04/2015 at 14:05

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sounds like

threw US a bone

Sheesh...

StorminMike2000 > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 14:36

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"The Ferrari, and Porsche to a lesser extent, are unreachable dreams, objects of nothing but desire; things for posters, or in the modern world, desktop pictures."

PGCP (Pedantic Grammar Correction Post)

Vintage1982Benz > Gamecat235 02/04/2015 at 15:22

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That GT4 is now at the top of my "want" list. I've been in love with the Cayman since the refresh a couple of years ago, and this is the best one yet.

I agree with everything you are saying here, except the transmission - I for one was excited by the fact that this is manual only. I've never driven a PDK, so that may change my mind, but it would have to do some serious convincing to move me away from rowing my own gears.

ly2v8-Brian > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/04/2015 at 17:00

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NO

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ly2v8-Brian 02/04/2015 at 17:26

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Is that you, HAL?

lucky's pepper > Groagun 02/04/2015 at 19:53

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Apparently a lot of people either didn't comprehend the point of your post or they just felt like arguing.

I get it completely. The Focus RS has gotten me to stop drooling over the GT350 (which I doubt I will ever own) and has me wondering how much I could sell my Forester XT/manual for.

Groagun > lucky's pepper 02/05/2015 at 01:08

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I appreciate all, well almost all, who take the time to write and express their passion through a response. I respect those who think that for them the Cayman GT4 is the real news here. I have a unique perspective on the industry as a whole and most times my manufacturer and OEM business guy dictates what I write.

My background in racing invokes more passion but it was tied to 'the biz' as well so I have to reach all the way back to when I was 12 or 13 and going to the auto show by myself for the first time to really feel that pure joy of the car. That's a story for another time and a different post.

So most people write on OPPO or Jalopnik with just their passion and fan mentality. That's ok. I however take a broader view of the 'car' and industry. If you have read any of my other posts you may get that sense.

You are correct: cars like the 488GTB and Cayman GT4 make up about 5% of the total auto sales for any one year. The focus RS on the other hand has the potential and dare I say a direct pathway to doubling those numbers. That is all incumbent on Ford producing enough of them by choice.

You will see the 'new' Ferrari produce somewhere around 5-6K of the 488GTB and the Cayman I can see similar numbers, slightly higher: and those are world wide numbers. The Focus RS on the other hand could sell just that many in one country like the UK alone every year.

The scale of difference can be enormous here, again if Ford decides to go for it. I just can't imagine they wont. If the money is on the table they will not ignore it, they have a new F150 to pay for.

Ryan > Groagun 02/05/2015 at 06:09

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I agree...it's just nice to dream (and to even have it be a remote possibility!). Until recently, the RS designation was reserved for homologation specials (Escort RS, RS200, Sierra Cosworth, original RS500, etc.). It would just be incredible to have a car on the road again that is closely related to the ones that turn their wheels in anger!