it's the inline 6 that makes them so darn understeer prone. It's a heavy and long Engine that sticks out way past the front axle, which completely screws the polar moment. I'm looking to drop my m42 for a ford duratec 2.3 I4/ 3l V6/ chevy ls l33, so that I get a power increase, with a better polar moment, so that I…

Random quip - ford's most recent cars have been pretty good about controlling understeer.

tons of power means GIAC software flash, handles on rails means it handles damn good for a FWD car, probably best one I've driven stock. All FWD cars have understeer tendencies, as just about everything, engineered in for safety.

Why'd you buy it, what with that perfectly good e30 there in the background?

If you can afford a GT-R or a Hellcat, you can afford a track day.

Take it to the track, kids.

Or the judgement and wisdom to know you shouldn't.

It would be interesting to see a comparison from an owners perspective after owning two great hot hatches!

I have driven both cars and the GTI is worth more. They are both really fun to drive and the limits are high for FWD, but the diff on the GTI is vastly superior to the brake burning electronic stability control on the Focus and the interior is significantly better.

The GTI interior is nicer, for sure. But the Focus ST drives so damn well.

Not all summer tires degrade in handling that noticably. The summer tires on my Mini are ExtremeContact DW tires (which tramline in any weather, so I wouldn't notice it more in the cold...), and I got stuck using them in weather down to the mid 20s a couple weeks ago (before I could swap on the winter ones). On dry…

DC drivers are some of the shittiest in the world, so this traffic can be attributed to 10% snow, 90% idiots.

Are you sure it's not just regular DC traffic?

Don't believe the 0-60 numbers. Matt Farah does a great job of explaining how advertised hp/tq numbers are meaningless. What really matters is how the car feels accelerating from 1500-3000 RPM, and how it feels when driving spiritedly (above the speed limit, but well below the limit of grip). In other words, a…

Haha thanks!

The ST is barely faster than my mini-van. To me, that makes it slow. On a tight momentum track, sure the light weight will make it a contender but on any track with any kind of straights like VIR, the lack of power will be very noticeable. It's basically got the same power as a mini-Cooper S. Maybe the suspension…

I'm pretty sure they have a big painting/poster of the track at Summit Point in the room where they do the classroom sessions.

One thing I can recommend is to never be in a car on a track as a novice without an instructor with you. I doubt many organizations will even allow novices on the track without an instructor, but if you are able to find one that does, don't go it alone - grab an instructor. Not only will you be much safer (the most…

Now let's not get all literal and spoil the fun. Besides, technically, if you shorten the suspension you are lowering it too. ; )

if you want to get pedantic, lowering springs with supposedly matching stock spring rates, on stock shocks, running big 19" wheels. I switched to stock springs and 17" wheels (maybe 18, I don't remember now) after the crash and loved it.