Ford drops BOMB on STi
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didn't ford's car retire in argentia in wrc because of car/mechanical problems? and i hear it's been happening all season for them...not a good thing, also, i reaaly doubt we'd be getting the cosworth (sp?) engines/cars here anytime soon, it took them a long time to even bring about the svt focus...anyways, the STi is still cooler 
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yeah, actually Marko Martin has retired from the last two rallys (Argentina most recently) with transmission and engine failure respectively in the new Ford. interestingly enough, the old Focus was regarded as one of the toughest cars in the WRC, even though it wasn't the fastest. about the only cars tougher were the Skoda Octavias, but they were twice the size.
the STi is definitely cooler than the SVT Focus, but so is the WRX. when i bought my '03 i'd driven the SVT Focus first, and the WRX blew it away.
the STi is definitely cooler than the SVT Focus, but so is the WRX. when i bought my '03 i'd driven the SVT Focus first, and the WRX blew it away.
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i know someone with a ford cosworth... looks nice in pictures but bad azz in person. FORD (first on race day). But i think that ford really needs to sit down and redesign the focus b4 they bring their awd car to the states... UGGGGGLLLLY
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i don't know, i've always believed in friends don't let friends drive fords. and why is almost everybody in the wrc driving for citroen or peugeot these days? Loeb, sainz, burns, gronholm, and is mcrae?? whatever it is i don't like it...
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the reason that Sainz and McRae left Ford was pretty simple, Ford didn't have the budget to keep them. there is also the argument that neither thought that the Focus could be competative in the championship. the Focus was always a durable gravel car on rough rallys, but wasn't ever really the fastest on gravel or pavement. Citroen had two open seats, and the need for a couple of experienced fast guys to help develop the car and win rallys.
as for Burns moving to Peugot, that's pretty easy too. since Gronholm won his first championship, the 206 has been the car to beat. Burns won the championship in his Subaru due to several other competators retiring on the last rally of the year. his contract was up with Subaru, and he felt he'd be better able to defend his title in the 206. he hadn't counted on Gronholm being so damn fast.
as for Burns moving to Peugot, that's pretty easy too. since Gronholm won his first championship, the 206 has been the car to beat. Burns won the championship in his Subaru due to several other competators retiring on the last rally of the year. his contract was up with Subaru, and he felt he'd be better able to defend his title in the 206. he hadn't counted on Gronholm being so damn fast.
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The ford drivers i did not know. burns i knew why, but it's still depressing. i pull for the subies and they just can't go well... i know that they've got solberg and makinnen but seeing things so dominated.... it's almost like ferrari in the F1. let's just hope that they shrink the wrx a little....
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the thing with the Subarus this year is kinda strange. there have been times that both Tommi and Peter have been able to keep up with, and in some cases take stage wins from Gronholm. the trouble is that they can't seem to do it with any consistancy, and doing so seems to use up the car pretty badly. how many times have we seen either of them out due to a huge crash from pushing too hard, or from the gearbox failing?
the real differance between Ferrari in F1 and Peugot in the WRC, is the unpredictable nature of the events. F1 cars have mechanicals, but nowhere near as often as the WRC casrs, which are beat on a whole lot more. Gronholm doesn't win races like Schumacher does, he tends to either win, or have a serious mechanical failure.
the real differance between Ferrari in F1 and Peugot in the WRC, is the unpredictable nature of the events. F1 cars have mechanicals, but nowhere near as often as the WRC casrs, which are beat on a whole lot more. Gronholm doesn't win races like Schumacher does, he tends to either win, or have a serious mechanical failure.
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oh i know. ui follow both as much as i can. but relatively, gronholm is the same as schumacher. and also with the wrc there is less tactics with pit stiops. i think there is far more driver skill involved, which makes it far more fun to watch. plus there's the whole sideways thing going for it. mmmmmm rally. i might just go hit the gravel pit.
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yeah, F1 pit stops and WRC service parks are a bit differant. lets face it, you'll never see an F1 team swap out a gear box, replace six body panels (or just beat them far enough away from the tires with a hammer), a windshield and a broken wheel in a 20 minute pit stop!
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I've owned 7 new VW and Audi's, everything from the original GTI to a VR6 Corrado to A4 quattro. Great interiors and look great but break all the time. The motor mounts weren't tight on my 92 2.0 16V GTI and with 35 miles on it it launched the motor through the hood, no ****. WRX hasn't had anything wrong in 1.5 years. Sold Audi and got wife a Legacy Outback. As for the Focus RS it's european only and FWD. Ford won't bring it because they don't want to take away sales from SVT Focus. Stupid move.
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F ound O n R oad D ead. hee hee.
one of my co-workers told me this. just wanna share you all.
one of my co-workers told me this. just wanna share you all.
Last edited by SF miami WRX; Jun 5, 2003 at 04:30 PM.
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If you want to find my Ford on the road dead
First, you'll need to go 213.7Kmi to get ot it. Then you'll have to wait for that 1988-1/2 Escort to finally die because it's still running. OTOH if you want to check out my 1980 Phoenix or 1975 Regal, you're out of luck because they both died and have become a bunch of Japanese beer cans or some cafe table weights.
I know various people have bad experiences with various brands of cars, but that humble POS Ford has been the best car anyone in my family has ever had.
That said, the thing is damn near impossible to control at speed on gravel, unlike my Outback.
As for the Focus, two friends of mine got wagons. One owner is a woman living on a ridgetop in Vinton County, and her car lives a farm life with dirt and tools. The other owner is a mechanical engineer who keeps his car perfiectly clean but uses it to pull a home-built trailer with his dirt bike on it. Go figure.
Damn thing is, that Focus wagon shell has more room than my OB in the cargo area, because the rear suspension doesn't intrude as far inwards.
It came From the Wabash
I know various people have bad experiences with various brands of cars, but that humble POS Ford has been the best car anyone in my family has ever had.
That said, the thing is damn near impossible to control at speed on gravel, unlike my Outback.
As for the Focus, two friends of mine got wagons. One owner is a woman living on a ridgetop in Vinton County, and her car lives a farm life with dirt and tools. The other owner is a mechanical engineer who keeps his car perfiectly clean but uses it to pull a home-built trailer with his dirt bike on it. Go figure.
Damn thing is, that Focus wagon shell has more room than my OB in the cargo area, because the rear suspension doesn't intrude as far inwards.
It came From the Wabash
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Ford gets no love here it would seem (go figure it's a subaru board). No surprise the WRX, EVO don't get too much love on the Ford boards either. Just checking in to see how all the STI and WRX owners are doing.
I stopped by a few dealerships looking at the new WRXs. I like the redesign. The old headlights and all are unique, but I like the new look a little better. Haven't seen any STIs yet. A big subaru dealer where I am at still has so many 03 WRXs on the lot, I guess they can't get the 04s until they move the 03s?????
Anybody got ny numbers on what some dealerships are asking for the STIs? I have heard $36,000+ but I was wanting to get some real numbers from some buyers and/or friends of buyers.
-CLD_FSN
I stopped by a few dealerships looking at the new WRXs. I like the redesign. The old headlights and all are unique, but I like the new look a little better. Haven't seen any STIs yet. A big subaru dealer where I am at still has so many 03 WRXs on the lot, I guess they can't get the 04s until they move the 03s?????
Anybody got ny numbers on what some dealerships are asking for the STIs? I have heard $36,000+ but I was wanting to get some real numbers from some buyers and/or friends of buyers.
-CLD_FSN