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Hatchbacks Best Hot Hatch - SVT, Civic Si, GTI, RSX, Mini, Beetle...
894 messages, Last post on Nov 12, 2008 at 6:09 PM
You are in the Hatchbacks Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
| Here is a question, has anyone heard anything on another new focus (besides the SVT) that is supposed to have awd, turbo (like the rally car) and 230hp to be sold in the US? I think I read something about in a UK mag. | |
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| There is a Focus RS in Europe right now, and the car you describe is the upcoming Cosworth Focus. Neither car will come to the U.S. - I think you can be pretty sure of that. Why? You can thank our products liability lawyers and their friends in the insurance industry for one... and Ford isn't likely to offer U.S. consumers a hatchback that will stomp a Mustang and cannibalize sales from that creaking dinosaur. | |
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| This topic is going to be a problem as well... who says the Matrix is a "hatchback"? Four doors and a tailgate sounds more like a station wagon to me - horrors! You'll have to open the floodgates and include the upcoming Mazda Protege 5 door, and the PT Cruiser, and the hilarious Mercedes "sport coupe" wannabe hatchback, and... you get the idea. | |
| But 4 doors and a hatch can also be a hatchback. It is kind of hard to draw a hard fast line between a 5 door hatchback and a station wagon, but I think the real determining factor would be that a wagon is 1. as long as a sedan and 2. has a mostly squared off back. Thus the Matrix is a wagon because it is probably as long as a sedan on that platform would have been and it has a squared off back.. The Golf 5 door is shorter than the Jetta hence it is a hatch... etc. | |
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I think the real difference is that a wagon has a trunk extension past the back tires built in to a covered area and a 5 door hatch has the rear door coming right up behind the wheels. Yeah, with the mustang selling so good why would they stop now right? Their is a new mustang set to come out built on the lincoln LS platform , maybe if they made it big enough it they wouldn't compete as much. Ah who am i kidding, No one in the states would pay 25-27k for a focus anyway (well if it was good I might). What is the deal with product liability lawers anyway? So the industry gets in trouble if it builds a really fast inexpensive car? The new WRX has about the same hp as the cosworth focus and they are both AWD what is the difference? |
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Edmunds.com's First Drive of the 2002 Mini Cooper is now available. Here's a direct link.
Thanks for your comments.
Pocahontas |
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Speaking of the Matrix..anyone notice that the Pontiac VIBE GT looks like its evil twin...well, it is. It's built on the Matrix platform and apparently, Toyota is going to give Pontiac the V6 from the current Celica GT-S. I'm sure Ponitiac will find a way to crapify it ! (Is that a word?) But it's interesting that Toyota is NOT using the same V6 in theirs. That leads me to believe that they are probably developing a BETTER engine for the Celica and Matrix. After all, pay MORE for the MATRIX unless it's BETTER than the Vibe. just a thought....it's not very surprising to see this happen, since GM's Chevy Prizm is really a reworked Corolla....and Pontiac is just another useless GM company. (Yes, I do hate GM...sorry if I offend anyone). On the other hand I love Toyota, maybe they can actually teach GM to make good cars someday, instead of just giving them all of their designs !!! later |
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| Oh, yeah....I own a 2001 Focus ZX3...my honest opinion is that the SVT Focus is going to toast them all...especially the new Civc SI. My regular stock ZX3 toasts the regualr Civic's all the time...and the Ford SVT team like to win !!! | |
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V6 in celica GT-S? I believe its a four. What is the svt focus going to weigh in at, anybody know? also how much is it supposed to cost? The new GTI GLS is supposed to get an hp increase to 170 hp. Its more expensive but I drove the current one with the 1.8t engine and it was pretty quick. This could get interesting. All the numbers seem to be very close on these new models. |
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As 'rev' noted, the GT-S is a DOHC four cylinder with VVTi and either 6-speed manual or four-speed e-shift transmission. It produces 180 hp. The Matirx and Vibe share the same platform, and only the styling is different. I like both, although I prefer the more carlike styling of the Matrix. the Vibe should do very well, and there is no way for Pontiac to mess it up -- they will be built at the plant they share with Toyota in California. Toyota and GM have had a good working relationship for years, and will continue to for some time to come. They're sharing technology in other ways, including using the GM OnStar system at Lexus. They are also working together on alternate fuel technologies. |
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