[BLANK_AUDIO]
[MUSIC]
Europe or America, who makes the best cars?
Well that is the answer we're trying to find out here today on Road Show Shootout and in the American corner representing the red white and blue, is a 2017 Ford Focus RS.
345 horsepower, all wheel drive, that makes this a hyper hot hatch indeed.
And in the red, gold, and black corner is the brand spanking new BMW M2.
365 horsepower, rear wheel drive, and looks to kill, but I do have a slight bone to pick with you and your car.
Because while it's forward and all American and all that, actually Well, a lot of the engineering work and the development stuff was don in Germany, so it's a German car.
All right, you get a half a point of credit on that one.
But this is the first time that the Focus RS is being offered in America, and that is a huge deal.
Let's talk numbers.
So the Ford will do 165 miles an hour, compared to the BMW's Comparatively meager and weak 155 miles an hour, a gaping chasm between them.
But not the 62.
The Ford, 4.7 seconds.
The BMW, 4.5.
And then, we get onto the small matter of price.
So the Ford It is about $37,000 and the BMW is a little bit more.
It's about 52 before you start putting toys on it.
Wow, okay.
So that's a pretty big difference.
Little bit, yeah.
But who knows, it might be worth it.
We;ll see.
Why don't you take me for a ride in your German scream machine and how me what you can do.
We shall make you scream.
[LAUGH]
[MUSIC]
[SOUND] [LAUGH] [UNKNOWN] welcomes the BMW M2.
This better be the German scream machine.
I'm pretty sure it is.
While we're settling in, how about you have a look around the interior.
Look at this.
It's properly put together.
It looks good.
It feels really nice.
I've got little m stitching on the wheel.
There's cubby holes.
There's space for things.
There's loads of Activity is-
Yeah.
[UNKNOWN] isn't it?
It really is.
I really like this texture right here on the dash and on the door handles.
That's quite nice.
Then here on the center stack, as well.
It is nice.
It really is.
Now, what kind of power are you putting down?
Cuz I know it's feeling good, but tell what the specs are.
I've got a streaming [UNKNOWN] turbo charged straight sig, and it's kick
Looking at 365 horses, 370ish if you're from Europe, and 343 hands and feet.
[SOUND] Ha, ha, ha, ha.
That's 100 down the back straight.
This is not a German scream machine, it's a German laughing machine, because I'm giggling all the way.
Woo.
and I loved it.
You know, with the rear wheel drive, like, you still feel like you're having a little bit of fun, like maybe the rear's going to kick out just a tiny little bit, but it feels like it's really easy to get back under control.
[SOUND]
Let's talk about handling a little bit.
I know, that's your favorite part.
It's my favorite part.
Okay.
Because we're in [UNKNOWN] plus.
Okay.
And it will also match your downshift if you ask it to, and because it's rear wheel drive, you
Hit it, how many you got?
Look at the brakes, look at the brakes.
[UNKNOWN] and off we go, lots of power.
[SOUND] [LAUGH]
This thing is so much fun.
And it likes to play with you and it'll [UNKNOWN] very
Beautiful!
And that engine noise is-
It's so good.
It sounds so good.
And this is why my German car is better than your German car.
First of all I don't drive a German car.
I drive a Ford, and it is American.
It is red, white, and blue.
It is American as apple pie my friend.
It was made by Germans and on sale in Germany first, for Germans and European people.
You know what?
Take that thing around, let you lap let's get in the Accord and I'll show you what you can do.
[SOUND] So Alex, welcome to the Ford Focus RS.
Thank you very much.
You are welcome.
This is the first RS to be sold under Ford's global platform.
Which, that's not really the most important part right?
The most important part 2.3 liter turbo charged four cylinder engine which is good for 350 horsepower.
An equal amount of torque.
Okay, that is really quite impressive considering that it's a Focus.
But because it's a Focus, it means underneath all of this, you still get massive trunk space, right.
And loads of space in the back, and cubby holes and all of that stuff.
Now, but you do have to admit that your Ford The interior isn't quite as good as in my BMW is it?
Well, sure, but it's also much, much less.
What about the entertainment?
Because [UNKNOWN]
Yeah, Ford has had a hard time with their regular
Entertainment system, but this is the new SYNC 3, and I have to say it's pretty spot on.
It's not really much to look at.
But what I really like is in the navigation, you have single box entry.
So, it's super fast to input your address, and it's got a destination search, right?
So, I can just put in ice cream, and it'll take us to the nearest ice cream parlor.
It'll take us to ice cream?
Yes!
We're so doing that when were done today because I need ice cream.
It's very warm It wants.
[LAUGH]
The all wheel drive system is you've got a track mode and all that kind of thing, it's not just a normal car, it's got other stuff.
Right, right, right, so it's got a lot of different modes, right, I've got a normal mode which makes it pretty easy to drive on the streets, plus a sport mode, a track mode, which we're in right now, and like you said, it's all wheel
All wheel drive, but it's kind of a funky all wheel drive system in that while you're just kind of toddling around town it goes front wheel drive.
But, as soon as you give it the beans,
yeah
then the computer will send up to 70% of the torque to the rear and it will also kind of apply the brakes to
Do the inside wheel when you're in turn to kind of [SOUND] get you right around that turn in the most efficient way possible.
So like proper torque vectoring, like you get on super cars?
Yes, proper torque vectoring, as the Brits say.
Proper, proper, proper torque vectoring.
[SOUND] Not a Ton of turbo lag.
I wish th power came on just a little bit sooner.
There's a tiny little bit but not much.
It's not too bad, especially for a car that's priced as it is.
Tell you what, we've been going into corners pretty quickly and there's not much on this here.
Not at all, not at all.
[UNKNOWN] [SOUND]
Yeah!
Feel the power.
Go on, let's do that again, do that again.
{laughter}
It's fantastic.
Come on let's do a hot lap.
Okay, okay
Let's go fast, push it.
I reckon we can get about 110 That's 95.
102.
Are you reading it?
Are you reading it?
I'm reading it.
I'm reading it.
Ahhhh.
My god.
[LAUGHS]
What was that?
109.
Holy crap.
And I was actually late on the throttle coming out of that turn.
So that's how capable this thing is.
[SOUND] Both of our cars are capable of going sideways, cuz you not only have a track mode, you have your drift mode.
I do have a drift mode!
Which uses your magical all-wheels drive system to force the car's bottom out, right?
[LAUGH] You said bottom.
I said bottom.
It forces your [UNKNOWN] on my end too
May not be all-wheel drive but I can turn everything off.
So I have an idea.
What?
So what we should do is retire to the pits and I've got someone you need to meet.
A surprise!
Surprise guest!
Surprise guest
[SOUND] Right, Amy.
Both of our cars are capable of going very sideways, yours especially.
Yes, mine has the drift mode.
But I'm not sure if it's going to be as good as what your calling a.
Proper car.
I hate it when he says that.
It's a proper car.
[LAUGH]
Front engines, rear wheel drive, lots of power, classic.
Yeah.
But, because we're both a bit rubbish at drifting, really.
Or no, let me rephrase that, because we're not as good as our illustrious editor-in-chief.
There you go, there you go.
We're sending him around.
Great.
One go each.
Let's decide who's best, we get to judge.
So, I get to judge my boss?
Yes.
This is the best day ever.
It could be a career defining move.
Listen, Tim, we really need an american win.
So, don't mess it up.
Except.
I shall do my best with stars and stripes in my heart and spirit.
Here he comes.
Here he comes.
Come baby, come on, come on.
He's going, he's going.
Looking good, looking good, looking good.
Boost it.
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Awww, that was, that was respectable.
That was really good.
Did you see that inside wheel, man?
That was all right.
That was all right, you did good.
Yes!
Nice job Tim, nice job.
Proper cars don't forget.
Proper cars don't forget.
Not enough angle on it.
What I really want is the nose to go past us like that.
Yeah, you want it completely sideways.
You realize we still have to drive these cars home, right?
We don't have a big tire budget.
Well, the good thing is, I get to drive that one home.
And because it's so undramatic, I'll be just fine.
[LAUGH]
Right, I make time for the end too.
I'm a little excited about this because this is going to be all Tim.
No nannies.
No Trickery, right?
All fun, all the time.
Right.
Okay.
Tim, you are hot to trot, go ahead, nice, smoky, and sideways please, sir.
I'll do my best, here I come.
[SOUND]
Come on, come on, come on,
Want to angle them.
right now, right now, right now.
[SOUND] Woo!
Yes!
My god, that was so good.
[LAUGH] That was so good.
Damn it, that was So good.
In your face other German car.
It's not German!
Wait, yes it is.
[LAUGH]
Yes it is!
It is German!
Well Alex, I hate to admit it, but I think the M2 won.
Yeah, by a long margin.
The fords very clever, it's very fast, but proper rear wheel drive cars.
Yeah and also I feel like Tim had a more enjoyable time getting that drift in.
It looked like when he came back that he was much more engaged.
It was just it was more fun and isn't that really what driving is supposed to be all about?
Pretty much.
So,
There's one more thing we need to do.
What's that?
Drag race.
Yes!
[NOISE]
[MUSIC]
[LAUGH]
[INAUDIBLE]
Stop!
No!
Take that Amy.
Aah!
[NOISE]
German car is better than the german car.
Brake, Brake
[MUSIC]
We've reached the end of our day of playing in two absolutely fabulous cars what do you think.
Well I am a patriotic American as you can tell I'm repping some Uncle Sam today but I gotta give it to your German scream machine.
M2 It was just that little bit better.
It was quicker in the drag race.
It was better at going sideways.
The interior's nicer.
It looks a bit better and wouldn't you just rather have the BMW key on your key ring?
Yeah, this has got a lot of things going for it, right?
It's got all wheel drive.
It's got a lot more utility and there's some kind of an emotional connection And a little bit of charm that with this car that I didn't necessarily have with the BMW, but across all metrics this one just outperformed.
It is just that little bit better.
And it is only a little bit better.
It's a very, very close second.
So essentially, what's happened here is Germany's come first And then Germany's come second.
Okay, this time I'm gonna give that to you, because as an American I do not like to lose.
So the winner of this Road Show shoot-out is the BMW M2.
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