On this week's episode ofHead 2 Head, associate road test editor Carlos Lago hits the track to see if thenew 2013 Ford Focus ST has what it takes to challenge the direct descendant of the original hot hatch, the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R.
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Lago starts out by comparing how the Focus ST and Golf R stack up in the canyons. The front-drive Focus ST clearly has the most boy-racer appeal of the two, with its throaty induction note, gobs of torque steer, and Tangerine Scream paint job, but Lago can't help but enjoy the visceral driving experience it offers. The VW Golf R on the other hand is more refined, quieter, and to Lago, feels more like a GT car than a true hot hatch.
After evaluating the cars on the road, Lago hands the keys over to residentMotor Trendhot shoe Randy Pobst, so the former Daytona 24 winner can lap the two cars around the track. There's just one problem: Volkswagen won't let you turn off traction or stability control in the all-wheel-drive Golf R. That detail significantly hurt the hatchback's figure-eight time in testing, with the Golf R posting a 26.5-second result compared to the Focus ST's 25.4 seconds. So instead of driving the Golf R on track to confirm what we already learned from handling tests, Pobst grabs the Subaru BRZ to see how the Focus ST stacks up against a genuine rear-drive sports car.
Check out the latest episode ofHead 2 Headbelow to see how they compare.
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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