That time when Jeremy drove the Ford Focus RS and to prove hot hatches are fun he invited Richard to find a competitor…
From Series 13, Episode 4
Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lr4wc/top-gear-series-13-episode-4?seriesId=b006mj59-struct...
00:00 Ford Focus RS
03:31 Renault Megane R26.R
04:25 The Test
Welcome to the official home of Top Gear Classic on YouTube. Here you'll find all the best clips from your favourite episodes, whether that’s Richard Hammond driving Oliver, Jeremy Clarkson in the P45, James May getting hopelessly lost, or the fastest power laps from our in-house performance benchmark: The Stig.
This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios.
Service & Feedback https://www.bbcstudios.com/contact/contact-us/
From Series 13, Episode 4
Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lr4wc/top-gear-series-13-episode-4?seriesId=b006mj59-struct...
00:00 Ford Focus RS
03:31 Renault Megane R26.R
04:25 The Test
Welcome to the official home of Top Gear Classic on YouTube. Here you'll find all the best clips from your favourite episodes, whether that’s Richard Hammond driving Oliver, Jeremy Clarkson in the P45, James May getting hopelessly lost, or the fastest power laps from our in-house performance benchmark: The Stig.
This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios.
Service & Feedback https://www.bbcstudios.com/contact/contact-us/
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It's called the Focus RS, and let's cut straight to the chase.
00:20It costs £25,000, which is family saloon money.
00:26But its top speed is 163mph.
00:40There's a reason for that insane speed.
00:45A Volvo engine.
00:46It's the same one they used in the Focus ST, but now it has new pistons,
00:51a new intercooler, a new inlet manifold, and a new type of turbo.
00:58The result is a front-wheel drive car that produces 300hp, which is impossible.
01:06Asking the front wheels of a car to do their normal job of steering
01:10while handling, let's say, more than 170bhp
01:15is like asking a man to wire a plug while juggling penguins
01:22while making love to a beautiful woman while on fire, on stage, in front of the Queen.
01:29It's all going to go wrong.
01:36To try and make sure it doesn't, the RS has a new type of front differential,
01:40featuring things that only James May can understand.
01:44But does it work?
01:47So, watch the steering wheel, okay? Hands off.
01:53Yeah, that's torque steer, look.
01:55The power is actually turning the wheel and violently turning it.
02:00So the diff hasn't fully cured that problem.
02:05But what about cornering?
02:10You can actually feel the whole system working through the wheel.
02:15It's odd.
02:20I have to say, though, the grip is absolutely phenomenal.
02:25Look at that!
02:28Eventually, of course, you will slide wide,
02:31but only after your face has come off.
02:36This is an amazing car.
02:39And let's not forget, shall we, that behind the noise...
02:44...and the power, and the massively flared wheel arches,
02:48this is still a Ford Focus.
02:50It has a big boot, a fold-down rear seat, sat-nav and air conditioning.
02:56You might think this is a bit garish,
02:58the sort of car that would turn up to court with its hat on back to front.
03:02You might think your BMW is better.
03:05But when it comes to offering the maximum amount of fun
03:09with the most amount of practicality for the least amount of money,
03:14I honestly can't imagine a car like this.
03:17I mean, look at that.
03:19I mean, look at that.
03:21I mean, look at that.
03:23With the least amount of money,
03:25I honestly can't think of anything which even gets close.
03:33Oh, I can!
03:39This is the Renault Megane R26 R.
03:48It weighs 19 stone less than the standard hot Megane
03:51because it has no sandbag,
03:53no sat-nav,
03:55no radio,
03:56and even a titanium exhaust system.
04:01As a result of all of that,
04:03this car has just been around the Nürburgring in 8 minutes, 17 seconds.
04:08No other front-wheel drive car has ever been around faster.
04:13So if it's fun you're after, forget Jeremy's fat Ford.
04:17This is what you want.
04:22Hammond.
04:24Yes, what?
04:25Let me ask you a question.
04:27Yes, go on.
04:28How many horsepowers do you have in your Renault?
04:31227.
04:32227.
04:33Same as a normal hot Megane.
04:3573 less than I have in the Ford.
04:38Shall we count them?
04:39One, two, three.
04:41Yes, it's got less horsepower because it needs less,
04:43because it's lighter.
04:44How much does your Ford weigh?
04:461.4 tonnes.
04:48Yes, about 200 kilos more than this.
04:50It's a sports car.
04:51Power, Hammond, is everything.
04:53No, it isn't. It's lightness.
04:55Power.
04:56No, it's not.
04:57It is.
04:58It isn't.
04:59It is.
05:00It is.
05:01Well, it is a bit.
05:02Do you know what?
05:03What?
05:04We should settle this and there's only one way.
05:05Yes.
05:06A race.
05:07A drag race.
05:08Yes.
05:09And I'm thinking not just a conventional drag race,
05:10let's make it a Le Mans-style drag race.
05:11Right, come back here.
05:12What?
05:13Where you run to the car?
05:14Run to the car.
05:15That fight's quite a long way.
05:16Run to the car.
05:17Belt on.
05:18Engine on.
05:19Steady.
05:20Yeah.
05:21Go.
05:22You see? I'm in already.
05:24Yeah.
05:25Right.
05:26Belt on.
05:27I don't have a belt on, to be honest, but that's okay.
05:33No, that's...
05:35Oh!
05:36Come on, I'm sitting on it.
05:43Well, that's not right.
05:45Oh.
05:50What do you think of that?
05:52Let's do more.
05:53I won the race.
05:54Came back to the start line.
05:55You haven't even begun.
05:56What's the matter?
05:574.5.
05:58Hammond suggested we had a new race
06:00where we started in the cars.
06:06Whoa!
06:07Come on!
06:09Oh, he's got a bit of a corner.
06:11Come on!
06:13Oh, he's got a bit of a quick start.
06:15Lightness versus power.
06:19Knocked me off the line.
06:20The lightweight helped there,
06:21but now the power comes in.
06:30I add you up to 120.
06:32And then what happened?
06:33How much does that cost, anyway?
06:35£25,000.
06:36Well, there you go.
06:37That's £2,000 more than the Renault.
06:39What's this?
06:40Yes, that's to save weight.
06:41It's thin.
06:42It's not thin.
06:43It's lightweight.
06:44That's the point.
06:45Look at this.
06:46It's to keep the weight down low
06:48so that the bits high up the car are light.
06:50It's not a car.
06:51It's a pole-thin bag.
06:52No, that's to make it...
06:53I'd love to know just how much room there is in the back
06:56for somebody of my height.
06:57Oh, no.
06:58Ah.
06:59It's all full of scaffolding.
07:00Yes, and that makes it better through the corners.
07:02That's the point of it.
07:03Better than what?
07:04Better than that thing, for a start.
07:06Let's have a look in here, shall we?
07:08No radio.
07:09No, we don't want a radio in there.
07:10It's about...
07:11You want to listen to the engine.
07:12Passenger airbag.
07:13Who cares about that?
07:14Any more...
07:15I've just got one airbag.
07:16Yes.
07:17There's nothing in...
07:18That's because it's been, what's the phrase?
07:20Stripped out.
07:21Aired down.
07:22Let's look at the opposite end of the scaffolding.
07:24The wind in.
07:25Let's just have a look.
07:26Stereo, yeah.
07:27Big unit.
07:28And what's all...
07:29What's this big stick down there?
07:30No, just push that.
07:31Yeah.
07:32Voice...
07:33Voice control.
07:34Voice control.
07:35Er, put the radio on, please.
07:38No, just don't be stupid.
07:40Important speech commands on radio are...
07:42Oh, God.
07:43How does that help you go faster?
07:46Let's just go to the graphic equaliser, shall we?
07:48I don't want any of this on my sports car.
07:51None of this has anything to do with a hot hatch.
07:53The thing that gets you...
07:54What do you mean?
07:55None of this has anything to do with a hot hatch.
07:56No, the whole point of a hot hatch is that it should do everything.
07:59Yours just does fast, and not very well.
08:03After another hour of bickering, we swapped cars.
08:06And both of us were in for a big surprise.
08:10That's a lot of power.
08:12God, it's quick in the corners.
08:15Then it all turned into a big race.
08:21Ah.
08:22It looks like I have myself a big green Ford.
08:25Burring down!
08:28Every time I catch up on the straight, here we go.
08:30Yeah, this is better under braking.
08:33And I can turn tighter.
08:34Ah, my oversteering! Oh, no!
08:42Power.
08:43Bring him in.
08:46Soon, the film crew realised it would all end in a big crash
08:50and tried to stop us.
08:57We've got to stop the film. Please come back in.
08:59What?
09:00Having too much fun.
09:03Crew's going mad for some reason.
09:08What?
09:09Bloody fracking shots. Come on, stop tearing around.
09:13What are you thinking? What are the shots to do?
09:15It was him!
09:16Sun's going down.
09:17I wanted to come in. I actually did say we should go in.
09:25After a whole day's testing, we arrived at three conclusions.
09:30One, the Renault is the best to drive on a short blast.
09:34Two, the more powerful, more comfortable Ford is better to own on a day-to-day basis.
09:40And three, if you had your heart set on one of these before the banking crisis came along,
09:46don't worry, because you can now have just as much fun for a whole lot less.
09:59Thanks for watching.