BMW M2 vs Ford Focus RS: Which is king on track?

The Ford Focus RS undercuts the BMW M2 by £16,000 but can it outclass the mighty M car on track? There’s only one way to find out and that’s to have an epic track battle between two of the best compact performance cars on the market today. But which one is fastest? Watch Road Test ed James Disdale find out…
BMW M2 review: www.autoexpress...
Ford Focus RS review: www.autoexpress...

[@kraenk12]

The M2 does NOT have the M4 engine!!!

[@cnscm2614]

+kraenk12 I thought i was the only one who heard that. That video should be edited immediately

[@MasterSteve_117]

+kraenk12 Same engine.. diffrent Turbo.

[@danaichinyenze2105]

+Cjkologe yeah he should have mentioned it was a detuned version of the M4 engine :/

[@CarswithB]

+kraenk12 true rather the 235 I

[@MTreddevil12]

+Cjkologe it's a different engine but uses m4 pistons. The blocks have different names and maybe slight differences in castings, but in truth they are pretty much the same.

[@donbagab9627]

The RS still impressing me even more on each comparison video!

[@jrzez]

So the RS is basically as fast as the M2, probably faster vs the manual. It's significantly cheaper. And it's infinitely more usable in daily use with space and especially year round weather performance. Ford really knocked it out of the park here, wow. Car of the year awards for it would be justifiable indeed.

[@fread51]

+jrzez No no they will give to the BMW cause it's a BMW

[@TheDustyaman]

Should do a competition on how many chicks each car can pick up.

[@fread51]

TheDustyaman lol wow if you need a car to women something wrong

[@TheDustyaman]

+billy heaton It was a joke. im married with 2 kids. I have no need to impress.

[@Dgannt]

+jrzez It also has a very harsh ride, even on silky smooth Spanish roads, in comfort mode. Not easy to daily a car with such a harsh ride, unless you're a teenager. It has a plastic cabin. Did I say it's a Focus? There IS a reason why some cars are cheap. Fast yes, but cheap. Autocar ran it against Golf R and they preferred Golf R 9/10 of the time. The ONLY time they preferred Focus RS was when taking a corner. Ford could have done a better job but they wanted to keep it cheap. People who can afford Golf R or M2 will choose those cars.

[@Dylan-C]

The thickness difference between the steering wheel of the BMW and the Ford explains the £16,000 for sure ...

[@EugeneMthis]

+Tirididi972 LoL!!

[@superspec4177]

+Tirididi972 Damn, didnt think making the wheel less than half an inch wider would cost £16,000.

[@JAMEZJEE]

+Superspec here we have a man who completely missed the joke

[@superspec4177]

JAMEZJEE And here we have a man who didn't get the sarcasm

[@tt-ln4mc]

and here we have two jackasses about to argue

[@pedrobarros1655]

I´ll have the Focus and the extra 16 grand please!

[@milosilic23]

Me too. More room, drifty, a LOT of power, practial, aaand i can go round the world for that money

[@iainmurray9961]

+Padrino´s Family you could use your £16,000 change to buy a clean used M135i. Best of both worlds imo :)

[@Dgannt]

+Padrino´s Family Maybe you guys should look at buying cheaper cars. You also could buy a Fiesta RS and save much much more than 16 grand :)

[@pedrobarros1655]

+Fast Er mate, I love the M2, but I also love the Focus... If they were in the same price range of course I would choose the bimmer... In my world, the Focus is more than enough and the extra 16 grand in my pocket makes a big difference! That's all...

[@bighands69]

One car is a gt sports car the other is a hot hatch sports car. They are two different things.

[@Hack_es]

Engine in the M2 is the N55 not the S55 like in the M4.

[@TheTiDablju]

M2 is an M car but without an M engine

[@Hack_es]

true, just a modified "regular" one

[@mikeshino6888]

if only it had the S55. it will be the fastest ///M. but for now M4 is the all round king ♔

[@Hack_es]

M2 is fastest production car on Hockenheimring (Germany) and it beat the M4 on Willow Springs (USA). So the m4 is just king on the Nordschleife, but with some small tweaks the M2 will be faster there aswell. M4 is not a very good car for the money with a lack of soul AND sound.

[@es3502012]

IKR. Shockingly Auto Express would get that wrong. I thought I heard it wrong. LOL

[@MrSlash00r]

Man, lighten up everyone - its a general comparison. Who is cross shopping these cars anyway? The point is that the performance difference is negligible enough so that your choice is more determined by budget and driving style than all out speed advantage.

[@creepingedge5941]

Four years later....me...the price compared to a low mileage rs vs a reasonable mileage m2 are quite comparable in my market...lol

[@kuddin9021]

I stopped taking this video seriously as soon as he said it has an M4 engine. Huge fail

[@supercooled]

idiot. this is the same mustang engine but isnt. so wot?

[@ThePgR777]

+supercooled He is talking that M2 doesnt have the M4 engine, you look salty

[@DIgitusSmartas]

+Peder Hansen Its de tuned engine same but detuned, RS engine is actually diff from mustang with diff turbo cooler etc.

[@supercooled]

DIgitusSmartas Ford said it themselves that it was the same 2.3litre engine with different engine maps and turbo/intercooler setup.

[@boljdurk8790]

+supercooled There are actually more differences then just engine tune & turbo/intercooler, but I see your point. Its the same block.

[@FezzaYT]

The Focus is one hell of a car...and I'm picking mine up next week!! Performance bargain of the century

[@ashworth9999]

Fezza so very quick! I’m still getting an M2/M4 but that Focus is amazing

[@Mojo522]

As far as I'm concerned the Ford is far more car, specially if you factor in the price.

[@adamperkins3125]

So you're quite a bit slower than Steve in the M2 then.

[@BADOOORE100]

with a DCT !

[@tomikispal]

yes, shame on him, it makes the comparison irrelevant

[@MegaGecas]

Yes, it's a shame. So I'm ordering him go knitting.

[@reerbaadia1896]

Adam Perkins the M2 was a manual while this one is automatic.

[@LOLVTECFAG]

Um, it's not the M4 motor. Why aren't you doing your research before making a video like this?

[@losmosquitos1108]

Marcus Wilson isn't it the R6 3.0 lt turbo engine???

[@sc0llay]

Hans Wurst the M4 has the S55B30T0 which is a 3.0L twin turbo straight 6 but the M2 has a N55B30T0 which is still a 3L straight 6 but only uses a single turbo

[@Tommywilliam209]

Jake Scollay m2 n55 uses m3/4 pistons, rods and crank though

[@Tefloncoated]

Still waiting for the hot lap. I thought he was bringing the shopping home!

[@eugenehvorostyanov2409]

Pointless numbers without certified Stig.

[@daison96]

Fuck the stig

[@eugenehvorostyanov2409]

daison96 :-D

[@Dappadanz]

agreed 👍

[@d.b.cooper2277]

The better the driver, the bigger the advantage to the M2

[@delitha1]

Hate to admit it, but, yes. But the RS is still the better every man's car! Easier to tote the wife and kids without having to explain the car payment!

[@Gippo50]

That RS is incredibly quick! genuine M-Car competition for 30 grand. Wow!

[@ChrisSs993]

So you can buy the Ford Focus RS and a really nice e46 m3 which will not lose its value for the same amount as the m2. I think that sounds f*** awesome!

[@Kimoto504]

So on the track they're pretty much the same. That much "difference" is well within margin of error. Bimmer sounds great. Ford makes sense.

[@Prokilla486]

what is bimmer

[@Kimoto504]

pro_killer It's a colloquialism that means BMW.

[@LostNbound]

Wouldn't it be Bemmer or Bmmer? I know what you're saying, but Bimmer looks like it would sound like trimmer.

[@Kimoto504]

Capt Flea I've seen "beemer" and "bimmer" in magazines, especially the latter.

[@VicharB]

For the price RS would be my choce; with more cash to spare, you go with M3 for sure.

[@paulwilliams2024]

m2

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

RS with tuning will leave the M2 for dead. Plus you will still have loads of cash to spare for even more tuning :)

[@paulwilliams2024]

***** true

[@garydoctor3578]

+BlatentlyFakeName you are joking, 3 litre twin scroll turbo, they're getting 5-600 bhp out of them and with the twin clutch gearbox you've no chance.

[@PoorIllyrian]

private tuning aint safe as factory hp man , :)) safe test 5/5 stars

[@karlmalone11]

How about you sit a little closer to the steering wheel of the focus next time lol

[@leiya107]

Yeah, I hate those cars. And it usually takes an entire trip (like on a hire car) for me to adjust to my optimum position.

[@apt62]

+karlmalone11 track driving position is different than street.

[@myharryface]

1) That track is terrible for comparisons. Every time I see comparisons on this track I immediately discount them. It's way too short, has no elevation changes, barely has any interesting turns, etc. to get any type of meaningful information from any lap. 2) The driver does not have a clean lap in the M2 ... he clearly drifts accidentally and is surprised by it. I'm sure that cost him nearly a half second. If you're going to do a comparison you should compare two clean laps.

[@person2186]

+Harry Chambers So in order the BMW to win you need to chooce the track, tempeture, humidity and many others. Doesn't sounds the business for the "mighty new m2"

[@zachbooze8553]

+Nikolay Boris where in his post was humidity or temp. mentioned.. lol. He actually has a point. Short tracks in general minimize performance disparities between cars.

[@ZenzDeluxe]

You guys should check out the other track tests that feature these cars (both youtube and from the written press). Guess what, the conclusion is the same, there's not much between them. I have an RS on order that i will track weekly in the summer. I wonder how many rationalizations and fallacious arguments i'll have to deal with, just because a "cheap" Ford has close peformance to an M car (while anyone sensible, including RS owners, will admit the M2 is clearly the better drivers car). Might stick to Ford or "lesser brand" only events to avoid yuppies and other random BMWtards.

[@hulk257]

Every track has his flaws and a track may be better or worst for some cars. This is just a comparison dont get over exited.

[@delitha1]

Short tracks only minimize performance disparities when it comes to acceleration. Handling is accentuated! As for temp, and humidity, I believe it was just to show some excuses needed to justify the 16,000 difference in price!

[@xxxxx4381]

Bmw is faster and much more fun to drive because its RWD. Also look at the interior and overall quality... Thats why its more expensive... :)

[@Ultrabenbooyah]

+Luka Lazarevic The interior is actually more of a weak point of the 2 series, compared to the 3/4 series. Cheaper materials, less design, etc. Ford's interior is still not as refined as the M2's, but it comes close. The BMW has a 6 cylinder and genuine rear wheel drive, while the Focus is a FWD 4 cylinder with an additional drive shaft. The Ford probably won't be able to put down much more power without huge mods, while the BMW can probably be pushed more without the drive train disintegrating. I think that's the reason the BMW is more expensive. And the BMW badge, obviously.

[@mark-1rc502]

I grant you that , The BMW interior is nice , and should be the quicker car in the right hands , The Focus looked a little disappointing inside of I'm honest It looked like a 1.5 ecoboost Zetec S inside . But the reviewer does have a point , £16g less than the BMW and Unless your the next stig you ain't never going to make the most of that power in a light Rwd car. Focus laughing all the way to the bank.

[@pllumajsgarages9149]

Shut the F**k up you bmw fan boy, you most likely haven't driven either so how are you gonna say the new is "more fun to drive" freakin quee*

[@inesserna590]

is not expensive in the USA. you just need good credit to get the M2 , and 800 monthly payment for a 3 year leasing. I own an RS and my monthly payment is 725 a month.

[@johnfeatherbe7810]

Luka Lazarevic the Ford is way better in the wet and 4 wheel drive, like the guy said the bmw driver will be looking to see what direction the focus went in and scratching his head

[@Vm94-p7u]

It depending who drives !

[@HollywoodF1]

BMW are the ones who've been playing synthesized engine sounds over the speakers. The Ford only uses a pipe from the intake to the cabin to bypass the fire wall so you can directly hear the actual sound that's being produced.

[@fatboy19831]

He lost 3/10 of a second when he lost control of the M2.

[@tayl0rd553]

+fatboy19831 He could have picked up more than 5/10ths of a second in the Focus RS if, instead of shifting like a granny, he had shifted like he was actually racing against the clock.

[@bighands69]

More than likely there was multiple laps done in both cars. And the commentary was probably not the real lap.

[@kidlat1968]

I own both cars, but the focus gives me a more attached feeling to the car than the m2

[@goodnewsmusic.5638]

You lucky guy😅👍🏼Nice one buddy.

[@king-manu2758]

That RS just did the same track lap as the Civic type R. I didn't expect that at all.

[@alexgontijo]

Very nice. I think this a very close call on track, but 16K would make a big difference in my pocket!

[@great4ever845]

So would bmw repairs 🤣

[@bartvv1770]

dunno if it is said already , but the " voice" in the intro states they put the 6 cyl turbocharged engine from the M4 into the M2 . This is not true ! The M2 is actually an N55 engine( single twin scroll turbo) with some love from Msport. The m4 has the S55 engine blow by 2 turbo...completely built by Msport For a car magazine/channel.. plz get your facts straight !

[@tubestubb]

+Bart VV True facts, but are you of the opinion that the N55 is a less competent engine? Many people are claiming that the M2 is not a real M-car since it has an engine starting with the letter "N" instead of "S". I mean, if they chose to call it the "S255" (or something else) instead, would people even bother? There are pros' and cons' with both engines - the twin scroll being lighter and more responsive - according to some. I just dont get the hang-up people have with the engine being "not a real M-engine". Of course BMW use what they have - do not think that a "new" engine does not use parts and/or technology from other, previous engines.

[@weed46]

This track is too tight for RWD cars as it was proven in other videos. BMW's lap was also very messy with some nasty understeer.

[@lopez1102]

I think this track is most like real world mountain roads than a huge track with open sweepers. I'm sure the M2 would be faster given more space, but in the real world with average drivers I'm not betting the M2 would walk the RS. Both are quick that's for sure.

[@waynerhea6649]

+Jonny Oliveira like the other comment said you really test a car on tight and technical roads here you are going slower and you have move control a big open track isn't realistic to what ppl drive in real life and if you are going this fast it does pose more of a danger

[@abdsabd6403]

+Jonny Oliveira the lap shown is not the best lap time achieved in either car. It's also worth mentioning that the Focus is a manual

[@lopez1102]

+Peder Hansen I said mountain roads. My local canyon/mountain run is Latigo Canyon, Malibu, CA. Also, the top of Corral Canyon Rd, Malibu, CA is pretty tight. On regular roads I'd agree but maybe you don't have a local canyon/mountain road to drive. Check it out on Maps. Awesome drive.

[@supposedly6991]

Rwd cars nowadays understeer more than fwd and awd hot hatches 😂😂

[@luimarco]

Propahhhhhhh BMW ! HUGE Mistake though ! They did not pack the M4 engine into the M2, it has the M235i Engine with M4 Pistons, it is still the N55 Single Turbo..... Mistake not Saluted !!!

[@michaelbauer4301]

yes but the ford have a 4 cylinder engine

[@salooooome]

luimarco is here!! big fan of ya.

[@HENRYHOBBS1]

On a daily....

[@UTVH21]

FANBOY ALERT...

[@its_EZ]

well it's more fun and faster in willow springs than the m4. It's a twin scroll turbo btw. And not only the pistons are from the m4.

[@rainfallsnk]

These laps times don't mean anything. He needs to actually focus, 100% focus on each lap in order to give us a somewhat decent idea of how the cars compare. When he is blabbering so much during the laps, the deciding factor will be pretty much in which lap he happened to distract himself less... And come on, with those results that are in the margin of error... you guys were there anyways, you could have ran 2 more laps with him concentrating to actually show us the faster car.

[@DavidTapster]

I agree, but at the same time in 'real world' conditions on the road, not much splits them - I bet if they met on a country road it would be very close, after all no one drives 100% all the time :)

[@housedreams7224]

+rainfallsnk you're just upset the BMW won

[@rainfallsnk]

+Massive Monkeyy lol the BMW lost here, in reality it costs twice as much and it tied, 0.1s is within the margin of error. Which is ridiculous,The Ford is the clear winner in this video all things considered. But that's not the point, he point is that the video itself isn't accurate, in fact I think the bmw should have done better.It's harder to handle on this track which means it will get a lot from better concentration/driver.

[@housedreams7224]

rainfallsnk yeah to be honest I can see this point. But I'd rather drive the BMW since it's a higher branded car and more reliable and rarer too

[@staggabob]

How do you know that he's talking during the Hotlap? This is TV Land, just because he says "now we're going for the hotlap" doesn't necessarily make it true. They could easily be recording the times off camera but watching that with no commentary makes for less entertaining footage.

[@Sandouras]

I just want to say that the M2 (and the 2 series in general) looks absolutely gorgeous. Also, that is a pretty shit and tiny fucking track. Anyway even if the M2 lost by a century i'd still take it over the ford, simply because of the looks, rwd and fun factor.

[@Sandouras]

barrymccloskey I dont understand the point you're trying to make.

[@barrymccloskey]

+Sandouras never mind

[@Sandouras]

barrymccloskey you better check yourself before you wreck yourself

[@razorworks9942]

That was damn impressive!!! Having the Focus ST now, I've been waiting to give the RS a whirl!!!

[@PeterPan-he9rf]

So sorry for you :(

[@MrLathor]

The M2 does NOT share an engine with the M4. You would think somebody would have caught that mistake before uploading the video.

[@mooniewant]

Crazy boring video for two amazing cars.

[@aleksandarandreev6451]

+James Want You Nailed it

[@adamandersson9663]

Did he even drive the bmw at 80%? Didn't hear any revs at all..

[@AJ6644]

What a comparison! This is what the people want to know. Cheers.

[@oldschoolracinggames5729]

+Aaron Neighbour lol yeah that was my dream to see some fucking focus near the latest of BMW M-division car.

[@iSOBigD]

+Sergey Popov yes how dare a much cheaper and better designed car beat the ultimate driving machine? remind me again which one is the ultimate driving one again? The m2, m3, m4, m5, m6 or is there one that isn't slower than lower priced cars from other companies? :/

[@1D0N]

Now it's waiting for the first car with auto-drift mode, which fully automatic drifts the car while cornering.

[@nathanroodt437]

While you watch from the road side with a remote control...

[@TheGh02t]

I thought those were called RC Cars?

[@ninjaface09]

Ahahahah holy shit man, is the RS even allowed to do that?!?!?!?! Such a good little car and I cant wait to get my hands on one! That BMW is sooo sexy though.

[@jamesmcclendon3932]

$16K for a 10th of a second quicker? H E L L N O ! ! !

[@bighands69]

You do not buy those cars for track times. You buy the for the style of sports car that you want. Some want a hot hatch others want a GT coupe car. The BMW has a higher level of finish and looks nicer but you will pay for that.

[@romaincondezza9601]

The M2 doesn't have the engine of the M4

[@PROJECTDRIVEN1]

Love the Focus RS!! Amazing colour in the sunlight as well

[@tjprovo24]

I'm sure Randy Pobst, a real race car driver, will get a much better lap time out of the M2 than the RS

[@dominicancash]

Is the same guy gonna drive both cars? Cuz if he does maybeeeee he can get a better time of the rs too .

[@teunisswart8236]

+WeekEnd133 At the same time Randy will get a faster lap from the Focus as well.

[@tjprovo24]

Teunis Swart He will get a faster lap in the RS too, yes, but because the M2 is better, he will do much better in it compared to the RS.

[@snowcrest7863]

+WeekEnd133 Whatever...........

[@Hack_es]

+WeekEnd133 He already did a faster time compared to the m4.

[@frustratedmillennialz]

First the Dodge Viper and Chevy ZO6 destroyed some insane good euro cars on several tracks, then the GT350 stole the hearts of millions, the M4 lost to the new Camaro SS across many videos/reviews, now the Focus beats the M2? Jesus #USA #USA

[@pathe02]

+Billy Bob Joe It's funny since Ford has been separating the design and production of the focus between North America and Europe since 2004 and only the European variant is recognized as good and performs well in rallye. Europe is even better than americans at making American cars...

[@sdvdub1]

+Billy Bob Joe the only problem is the rs is designed and built in Europe.

[@Dgannt]

+Billy Bob Joe Unfortunately Viper productions will end soon as nobody wants to buy it, not even Americans. It's very fast but crude. Z06 is also fast but only in the hands of a pro. It has very doggy handling with a lose tail. Also quality is not the best as it has a lot of overheating problems. This Focus RS has a very harsh ride, even in Comfort mode. Not exactly a daily, except maybe for teenagers. And then there is that cabin. Many will choose a Golf R over this as corner speed is the only thing RS does better, as already mentioned in comparison between the two. Camaro SS and GT350 are very fast and good handling cars. They are new so we have to wait and see if they also are good cars or have problems, just like the others. Unfortunately the experience tell us US car makers never go all the way but start saving before the car is finished. There is always something missing to make it a very good and complete car.

[@vulcanproject]

+Billy Bob Joe While I know the Viper and Z06 are good track cars, a match for European rivals in build quality, refinement and road manners they are not. Also about 3 people will buy them outside the USA. Unfortunate truth but truth all the same, nobody in Europe is buying Corvettes. Nobody is buying Camaros in Japan, or Challengers in Germany, or Vipers in Brazil, or anything American anywhere. It's pointless and rubbish outside the USA. So the problem is most U.S cars only make sense in the U.S. Whereas a great deal of European cars can make sense almost anywhere, and increasingly so in the USA itself. As the sale of the first ever Ford Europe RS model here shows. The reason why this Focus RS is so good and better than everything else in this class is it is a better driver's car than all it's rivals, easily beating the Golf R for thrills and enjoyment, or matching the performance of vastly more expensive rivals like the BMW here.

[@Alex-FFM]

If the driver would push the M2 to the end and stop drifting it would end about 0.5 sec before the ford. The revs in this test didn't sound very high to me. Especially in the beginning

[@michaelgoodwin593]

6:36 Ironic considering you get that horrible speaker noise in the BMW.

[@Fermion911]

is it possible to switch it off?

[@michaelgoodwin593]

+Helmut I hear if you buy the HK sound system on the m4 you can unplug it without losing the radio. Maybe it's possible on this too. but it's so irritating in real life. I've been in the m5 and i8 and it's enough to drive someone insane

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

+Helmut it can be turned off with coding or by un hooking it. I'm not put off by it in my M4 Cabriolet. It's very subtle to me.

[@patrickwoodmency]

I unplugged it in my RS. It made a huge difference.

[@edgimson5706]

Spend 16k on mods for the focus and then re test let's see what the difference would be then .fair test then

[@brandondannys-menary3678]

damn, I'm impressed!! lately ford has been on a role...they've been making excellent cars and trucks lately...first the ford gt350 and now the rs?!? awesome...great job ford!! bmw, you've done fine also

[@llanfairpwyllgogogoch1279]

+Danny Menary roll*

[@misutatomasu]

+Danny Menary yeah Americans are generally doing really good with the last gen cars, Z06, SS, GT350, Focus RS. pretty well done

[@sanpt7777]

+Danny Menary you are forgetting the normal Focus and Fiesta, and the ST models. Escape and Fusion too

[@brandondannys-menary3678]

yup yup, so true

[@goodnewsmusic.5638]

This guy's super composed! Very skillful and confident. Nice review buddy. Well done. God bless 🙏🏼

[@nasomaz]

How can he do a hot lap while commenting and looking at the camera. Sorry but these times mean nothing

[@kobrien4121]

nasomaz He's the complete opposite of the Stig

[@iaindupreez7372]

Put a proper driver in the m2. One that won't spin the wheels out of corners.

[@phantomloita]

Jesus did u guys even read the press material. F8x M3/M4 have a S55 twin turbo closed decked bespoke M engine. The M2 only have the 35i's N55 single turbo with a tune basically.

[@PinoyShuffle]

I'm trading in my ST for an RS as soon as it hits dealerships here. Ford knocked it out of the park with the Focus lineup of recent years

[@nickyman1405]

Are you going to make a vid on it?

[@PinoyShuffle]

+Choco Man I probably will if I have the spare time because of school

[@nickyman1405]

+PinoyShuffle I really hope so! I'm super hyped for this car.

[@webcrawler9782]

6:16 massive driver mistake in the timed lap c'mon really?

[@BronchoGillespie]

16k difference in price? Absolute bargain, I'd pay the 16k not to be seen in a chavvy ford.

[@tt-ln4mc]

same here the 16k is worth it

[@ZenzDeluxe]

I'd pay 16k to mod the Focus, give fuckall what other narrow minded douchebags think about it, and have yuppies be embarrassed by being beaten by a long margin on road and track by a chavvy Ford.

[@BronchoGillespie]

+ZenzDeluxe yeah OK LMFAO

[@tt-ln4mc]

ZenzDeluxe dont make me laugh the focus is a cool mom minivan

[@JudokidAlex]

£16k more id buy a used bmw m4, ford focus rs is an amazing car, Zenzdeluxe your £16k overly priced bmw beat the chavvy ford for 1/10 sec!! hahahahha thats shame on the bmw

[@Hypersonik]

A BA in Computer Science? Someone never went to school did they?!

[@beem132]

+Hypersonik There are BAs in CS but its usually Applied Computer Science. No idea what the difference is though.

[@TimChump]

The Ford looks like a shopping trolley the BMW looks 😎

[@bighands69]

Shopping trolley is cheaper so keep that in mind.

[@markhorton4504]

Well done Ford, once again you have provided us with performance and technology that we can actually afford to buy and run.

[@armenstaubach9276]

+Mark Horton lol, was that a sarcasm?

[@markhorton4504]

+Armen Staubach It wasn't sarcasm lol. I drive a lot of miles on my commute to work everyday. The Focus just fits the bill with it's running costs and believe it or not, lower insurance premiums. The BMW M cars are superb vehicles, no doubt, but in my experience, the cost of using them for fairly high mileages gets a bit steep and with a car of that pedigree, you have to use genuine BMW parts. I think that with all the rain and slippery overcrowded roads in the UK, the Focus would be a safer bet for commuting too. At the end of the day, we should all be grateful that there are so many excellent cars to chose from.

[@armenstaubach9276]

Ok Mark, you have tested the ford but I have not, so I cannot comment further... Agree that cost of maintenance is an important role.. cheers

[@markhorton4504]

+Armen Staubach All the best.

[@JustCruzzz]

The RS is the hottest value car on the market.

[@SgtSeth]

Maybe its just me, but it felt from the very beginning that the "host" of this video was biased towards the Focus RS before any driving was every done. Im sure James is a great driver, and being an editor, did not go into this video any bias towards the RS, but it just felt with the way he crowed over how great the Focus RS is and how much less it was than the M2 it is. Add to that, he spent very little camera time in/on the M2. Basically one lap around the track and then straight to the lap time. I almost feel cheated for the M2. This is not to say he only did two laps in the M2. It just feels that way, because of the editing done to the video. Then you have the M2 barely beating the RS, he congratulates the M2 for its win, halfheartedly, and he is on to how badly the RS would have won had it been wet or raining. And the track isnt really where these cars shine, its on the road. But where is the video showing the road? And wasnt the title of the video "Which is King of the Track?" Hmmmm...Hey James, leave your bias in the bag with your non-track shoes.

[@SpyderRios]

It's just a crappy review that's all. I actually thought the guy was praised the BMW and talking smack on the RS. He mentioned engine sound, and artificial drift mode in the RS. I think the guy is just not one you want to see behind cameras

[@jayrave4]

After the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 I would never own another BMW M car unless it came with 4WD. My 2008 M3 was absolutely useless in the snow - even with winter tyres. Even so, the M2 here is a car you could drive around town in without embarrassing yourself; the Focus is something a 14-year-old would dream up.

[@arlind530d]

That bmw is just so beautiful ❤️

[@mbmpablo3631]

And the focus so horrible 🤣

[@rafadelblanco7760]

My dad has a bmw m2 2016 in alpine white

[@derbigpr500]

M2 is a far better car in every single way, and with proper driving, faster as well, not that the lap times matter that much in the end.

[@EdgarRenje]

This comparison confirms my opinion on the Focus RS: there is no better car at that price point.

[@jamesey271975]

are they for real? the M2 doesnt have the M4 engine. It has the 335, 435, 235 engine. Thwe twin scroll N55.

[@MrVikingdane]

Focus all day at least between these two... 💵 dif and 4wd in my winter climate in Canada 👍🏽

[@TuddecBMW]

Pretty shit driving with the BM tbh

[@fread51]

+Tuddec Get over it dude BMW not the end all be all

[@jlue1993]

A tight technical circuit like that is always going to favour AWD slightly. On a more open track BMW would've won by more probably. But a more open track wouldn't represent a real road so well.

[@TuddecBMW]

+Peder Hansen yeah well it still won but they should've had a professional driver do the hot laps.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

+Peder Hansen LOL, nobody thinks Ford is British, it's originally American (as American as can be!), but now it's a global mega-corp like most car manufacturers. Their head office is in the US though. The Focus RS is assembled in Germany FFS!

[@rvind92g]

So the Honda Civic Type R is faster than the Ford Focus RS and the BMW M2. Pretty amazing if you ask me, can't imagine how frenetic and extreme the next Civic Type R will be.

[@soundseeker63]

This track is so tight and twisty that more power can actually be a disadvantage here. The BMW nudged it because of its lighter weight, not its extra power. Add a bit of rain and a few bumps it would be advantage RS. You can see where the extra money goes in the BMW, interior, engine etc... but that RS gives incredible performance for its price! I can't believe it starts at under 30k! Imagine what it could do with a set of slicks on it! :-o

[@ggill1313]

+soundseeker63 A reasonable comment on KZbin? What?! I agree here. As much as I love BMW, the RS is a lot of car for the price.

[@Wooskii1]

I would be afraid to mod the RS after hearing what Ford engineering said about the AWD system being almost under engineered to a point where its near its limit making stock power. I think they said its stressed like 90% of what its capable (did they fix this?). Great car to lease lol, scary to own/mod. Maybe next year's model will have a beefier AWD system.

[@Hack_es]

+soundseeker63 I guess with slicks the engine would break down pretty fast, cause of the much higher g forces. Against that problem they had to make some modifications to the sump (right word?) of the BMW.

[@soundseeker63]

Rocco0002 I don't agree. Both cars have been built with hard cornering in mind and probable track use. Their engines will have oil pumps up to the job. My only worry would be diff durability in the focus.

[@absolutium]

+soundseeker63 That would be right despite the fact of how much would you pay for a focus with 70k miles against a BMW in the same term, owning one of them for the long run might not be the expected result the brochure shows

[@turkishstig8489]

20 k dollars and a Dual clutch gearbox buys you 0.1 seconds.

[@madsmax9273]

the bmw feels good to drive to me. i have not driven the rs but i got to sit in one, feels cheap inside but it is still a nice car. I would like to drive one before i make a assumption. So far the bmw drives the best to me out of all the competition. but it is the most expensive too.

[@AlanHell080]

+Mads Max I have sit in an m2, and trust me, it feels even cheaper than my base Ford Fusion.

[@madsmax9273]

Alan Fang i have a m235i. i am not gunna trade up for the m2. i finally saw one and you cant even upgrade the interior. its a fixed model that comes one way only, you get to choose outside color and there are 4 choices only. I honestly think my m235i is the best car i have driven ever. Its really comfy and powerful. I have 30,000 miles on it now and it still drives exactly like it did when i bought it. Feels tight, i had a subaru sti before this car and after about 30 miles it felt like it loosened up a bit and felt like lesser of a car. Little things like when the AC would kick in the whole car would shake and make noise. Everything still worked it was just loose feeling. My m235i still sounds and feels new even tho i ragg it out daily. I am sold on BMW but i agree the m2 is not that much more of a car than what i have. in fact its less of a car just more power and wide body. I want to drive a ford rs and see if it stays tight throughout the life of the car. In my past experience with fords, its not the case. But i am open to try the new one cause this thing does look sweet.

[@Modmaann]

I miss ford when they were competing in all segments Had the ford mustang gt350r, the ford feista st, the ford focus st, ford focus rs, the ford raptor, even had decent a sedan with the fusion sport and so on. They were killing it then! I want this back lol

[@tattude1974]

manual vs manual and the ford wins by .2 Damn, impressive

[@pinchofgold5]

👍

[@LegendInThaMakin]

+LJ Balongue How you figure that?

[@drpoomanchu]

+LJ Balongue Nothing like taking a stab at it huh... M2 vs RS with a REAL driver .... M2 by .4 manual to manual

[@LegendInThaMakin]

drpoomanchu Have you ever driven a dct? I frown upon autos too but dct's are a different story. The shifts are incredible to the point where it made my stick shift skills feel like shit. No human on this planet can shift as fast as these dct's.. just amazing. I mean i still appreciate a good stick shift but you should drive a dct before you talk down on it.

[@drpoomanchu]

+LegendInThaMakin I never spoke down to a DCT. I own a 6spd manual M235i and have Driven the Zf8 version while not DCT is a near instantaneous shifting 8spd and while fast does not create enough driver involvement for some. My point was with a Great driver that is capable of complementing the M2 with a manual would beat out the RS and was partially joking because much like LJ I have no way to back the statement.. This is all too funny because i was just trolling LJ due to the fact he is assuming the DCT was the determining factor. all I'm saying is this even with DCT is not a fair comparison, would need manual to manual, and a actual DRIVER. I think the gap would grow with a pro driver even with the M2 6spd.

[@sjpb1982]

The comment about the BMW driver not knowing where the Focus went in the wet is a bit silly. It would be easy to find; just go to a supermarket car park after it closes, mcdonalds drive through or Sports Direct. Failing that, the next edition of Crime Watch.

[@下上-n2n]

BMW more beautiful .

[@bobbrown8661]

+石炎 BMW has the heritage, ford put out a competitive package though

[@daynight1921]

+石炎 ugly

[@stevenhearnden522]

do you mean 'bland'?

[@CitarNosis317]

M2 looks like ass. But it's already more costly. And if you can afford pricey cars, why not go with the M3, that looks normal at least? Or the M5?

[@stevenhearnden522]

Bob Brown, I really am no Ford fan, but I think you will find that they have far more heritage than BMW throughout history?!

[@rob327c]

The difference isn't the lap times, it's how deep your pockets are. Awd was an afterthought in the focus and no matter how cool the paint colour is, it's a Focus.

[@davidrowley6500]

And therefore the better car

[@rob327c]

@@davidrowley6500 better value.

[@Franc39A6DD]

time 46.1 for the BMW in the test MACAN vs M2...

[@C0RRAD0VR6Storm]

Yes. in manual gearbox !

[@capteo4208]

Both incredible and beautiful machines

[@skillz1855]

Focus shitted on the BMW in all areas, More tech, better handling, reliability, cost & the list goes on.. Less power, I less turbo, 2 less cylinders.... Win win

[@Ultrabenbooyah]

+MadeMan The M2 has one twin scroll turbo (N55, not S55), just like the Focus RS.

[@hansmustermann3881]

actually M2 is better racetrack car

[@skillz1855]

+Ultrabenbooyah correction, less HP and 2 less cylinders.. Kudos to the Focus

[@andrewgauthier5433]

+MadeMan Who care? BMW is ultimate driving machine and ultimate recognize brand for status, wealth, money and good taste. Nobody going to care if you drive FORD! Only teenager and people who watch Fast and Furious. Everybody going to know you have money and drive best driving cars if you buy BMW. End of story!

[@skillz1855]

+MrLewisbate numbers, can u really deny them

[@atnstn]

"All ///M cars feel this way - they feel better than Mercs, better than Audi's, better than much anything!" Jeremy Clarkson

[@Ioanides001]

16k more for the BM??? Sign me up, anyway ;)

[@upilufti]

I love BMWs, and have owned a few. Probably would go for the RS in this segment. At least a 340i M-Sport/M3 is a full sedan and competes with similarly priced cars.

[@notludez]

Can't wait for my RS to arrive

[@nickyman1405]

Are you going to make videos on it? I would love to watch you to own a RS

[@Pond_life]

Wow The RS is really taking the wind from the sails of some Great Cars! Ford Focus RS WINS AGAIN!

[@TheCarista]

that powerslide costed atleast 1 second..you have to do a clean lap on both cars to make it a fair comparison. In rany conditions, the bmw would lose for sure btw. The Focus seems to be a great car!

[@ITRIEDEL]

You do know they run these cars several times on the track and then choose the best time. The lap you see on the video is strictly for commentary purposes.

[@TheCarista]

Never heard them saying this, if its true, then is my comment completely unnecessary :D

[@ITRIEDEL]

All car review metrics are based on multiple laps and acceleration sprints. They then pick the fastest times. This is because nobody can run a perfect lap in one try without some seat time. You know? :)

[@zachbooze8553]

+ITRIEDEL you definitely cannot assume that. From the looks of it he only posted the single lap that was during the recording for each car.

[@ITRIEDEL]

+Zach Boozé I'm assuming it. It's based on fact. If you don't believe me; go to the website and they explain how they gather their data. All reviewers do that. Research a little

[@hulk257]

So both are faster than the hot hatchback "king" Civic Type-R

[@saucysimpson259]

It's not the M4's engine. it's the N55 t of the M1/235i wit different headers, crank and intakes

[@bobbrown8661]

+luke simpson N55 != S55

[@saucysimpson259]

It's the N55 engine

[@bobbrown8661]

+luke simpson yep and the 1M was a n54, not n55

[@bobbrown8661]

+luke simpson yep and the 1M was a n54, not n55

[@spgsmilespergallon3216]

AutoExpress ... WHY, OH WHY HAVE YOU NOT COMPARED A M2 WITH MANUAL?

[@Dolby109]

+Jerome Justitz They specifically stated why not in the video.

[@gm9464]

Ford Focus rs is better

[@davidchubo]

People who talk about price difference needs to realise that most of the price difference here would be on the car itself. The base model 2 series is a lot more expensive than a base model focus. Performance wise it make sense to compare, but it's ridiculous to compare price. Just look at the interior and the cost of making these cars... The biggest difference between the buyers of these 2 cars is pretty much the amount of money they have. Focus buyer will almost think BMW is overpriced. BMW buyers will never consider a ford. (In general)

[@JamesJDMoe]

Easily would choose M2. The RS looks nice tho

[@JustSayin993]

Accept it - the Focus RS is a game changer. I'd prefer the BMW for its tight turning circle, brand cachet, and probably more comfy ride in the suburbs. But the computer-controlled asymmetrically-geared AWD system of the RS is such a compelling proposition. I'm glad I ordered one - even though it was last October and I won't take delivery till at least July. Another thing too, I'm expecting that maintenance won't be the costly disappointment I endured when I owned an E46 for several years.

[@christophejergales7852]

I am so jealous. enjoy your RS.

[@justpassingthrough...6128]

Mine's coming in July too, can't wait.

[@armenstaubach9276]

It was a very bad review; there several other things which need to be mentioned in a car comparison. Well, let me summarise it: whoever can afford the BMW of course will buy the M2, if money is an issue, then you will try to convince yourself that the cheaper car is better...

[@z2153]

+Armen Staubach In this case you don't have to convince yourself because the cheaper car is better if you're talking performance. If the BMW had a manual it would be slower. As far as looks and status the BMW is better. But for $22k USD difference in price. I'd get the Focus and buy a used BMW.

[@armenstaubach9276]

Brat, there are several other factors; this video was focused on the speed only, however from safety to the brake system, fuel system etc.. of course the BMW is better... when I purchase a car, I just don't care about the speed... I wish they would upload a collision tests on these two cars and compare them.. however like you said, money is always a factor. In my opinion this video and comparison didn't make sense; he should have compared the BMW with Audi or Subaru similar classes and the the Ford with a similar VW...

[@z2153]

I agree 100%. When I purchase a car I don't care about top speed since I don't take my cars to the track. I look at reliability, gas mileage, safety, and cost of ownership. I own a BMW now and compared it to a Ford ST. The BMW was a better overall deal. Though for my next car I'll definitely test the Focus RS.

[@jeremy8146]

+Armen Staubach brakes? Did you watch the video?

[@MrMiggoH]

+Brat Meister That track was a joke. If they compared them on a real track I'm fairly certain the RS would get beaten by quite a bit more than 0.1s.

[@GooseUK]

Looking at testing an M2 whenever it is available, however the more I see the more I think I'm going to have more fun in the RS>

[@bighands69]

RS is cheaper but not as nice looking and is a different type of car. One is a GT coupe the other is a hot hatch.

[@warrenwells3802]

Wow that focus looks very stiff

[@AryanM3]

This is insulting to the BMW M2. That's like comparing an Aventador to a GTR, completely different cars with respect in different ways.

[@awlonghurst]

Couldn't help but notice that the footage of you on the Ford shows you bouncing up and down as if you're driving down a rutted farm track. The BMW seems to have better ride quality. FWIW I think the Ford does fantastically well and it's so much cheaper than the BMW. No doubt the Ford will be far more practically in icy and snowy conditions too. But if I had the money (which I don't) and I had to choose only between those two I'd have the BMW every time.

[@tt-ln4mc]

same here

[@Dolby109]

Kind of figured the M2 would win on the track (as on Laguna Seca it was faster than the M4), but this was quite a lot closer than I expected it to be.

[@joobaggs6886]

+Adam S (Dolby109) short tight track favors the 4wd and cup2 tires on the focus. m2 power and aero will gap it more on bigger faster tracks.

[@rf9224]

B.Sc in Computer Science. Tch.

[@alf2633]

+Rachael Firth what's wrong with that?

[@jacobbrozenick8366]

He said "BA" in the video. Not that big of a deal.

[@PatrickEVRAable]

+Jacob Brozenick Coming from someone with a B.Eng, (bachelor of engineering) if someone said I had a BA I'd be pretty pissed off haha, so is kind of a big deal

the track favors an RS setup BUT you just can't avoid the price difference...