Old vs New Rally Cars: Ford Focus WRC vs Ford Fiesta Rally2

Get ready for an epic showdown as we compare two rally cars from two different eras: the legendary Mk1 Ford Focus WRC, and the formidable Mk8 Fiesta Rally2.
Join us as we delve into the history, tech specs, and driving experience of these two fast Fords. In collaboration with Fix Auto UK, this video takes you on a thrilling journey through 20 years of rally car evolution.
To gather first-hand insights, we sought out an experienced driver who has had the privilege of piloting both these incredible machines. Our search led us to David Wright of Fix Auto in Bentham. As a rally enthusiast who has not only driven the WRC Focus but also owns and races the Rally 2 Fiesta, David is perfectly placed to guide us through a comparison of the two rally cars. In our interview, David shares his excitement about the cars' performance, their unique histories, and his personal experiences behind the wheel.
Discover how the advances in technology over the past two decades have transformed rally cars. From the engine specifications to suspension systems, we explore the differences between the powerhouse WRC Focus and the nimble Rally2 Fiesta. Even though they may have similar power outputs, each car possesses its own distinctive characteristics, making for an exhilarating comparison.
With stunning cinematography, our expertly filmed footage will transport you onto the open rally stages. Feel the thrill as the drivers unleash their skills, pushing these cars to their limits during high-speed cornering and heart-stopping manoeuvres.
Whether you're a rally fan or simply love high-performance cars, this video is a must-watch!
Special thanks to David Wright and the Fix Auto UK team for their support, ensuring that these incredible rally machines get the care and repair they deserve. And a shout-out to Mantis Pro Media for helping us capture all the action and bringing this showdown to life!
📺 Subscribe to the Fast Car KZbin channel for a regular dose of incredible cars, tips & advice, on the channel that defines global car culture: kzbin.info...
Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - History of the Cars
01:50 - Focus WRC History
03:00 - Fix Auto
03:40 - Tech Specs: Engine
05:35 - Tech Specs: TURBOS!!
07:25 - Tech Secs: Suspension
08:30 - How do They Feel to Drive?
10:08 - Tech Specs: Gearbox
10:40 - Top Speeds!
11:07 - Conclusion
12:09 - Which Do You Prefer?
12:35 - Outro
Visit Fix Auto UK: fixauto.com/uk/en/
Footage contributed by Mantis Pro Media: @themantisboys
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[@fastcarmagazine]

If you had to choose one? Would it be the Old Skool Focus WRC or the modern Rally2?

[@beijingbond]

Focus WRC for it's history.

[@ajrichar0]

Focus WRC every single time. It was a proven FIA WRC event winner.

[@anthonyk8027]

rally 2, it’s just more useful

[@fairrodthecapacitor]

Old school Ford Focus RS WRC

[@Tom-xn7zc]

Focus all day long

[@EmreYurdakulOfficial]

It is just amazing that when i was 25 yo, i did full 2 rally seasons behind the wheel of this iconic Focus WRC. 2 different Focus WRC's. One ex-C.Mcrae and the other one ex-C.Sainz. X7 FMC & V3 FMC. Extraordinary days for me..

[@ironskyheart7749]

Okay and we care why

[@szalonysebcio5]

@@ironskyheart7749 It's a hell of an achievement, he just wanted to share. It's related to the video too. No need to be a dick

[@nindschagaming]

What is more realistic - DiRT Rally or EA Sports WRC?

[@EmreYurdakulOfficial]

@@ironskyheart7749 Why are rally drivers driving rally cars in rally racing? Interesting question.. Why they even share their memories.. Right?

[@EmreYurdakulOfficial]

@@nindschagaming Richard Burns Rally :) DiRT Rally is really nice, too. I don't have experience with EA Sports WRC, yet..

[@mikestaceywilkinson8453]

I would prefer the Rally 2 fiesta of course. Love the looks. Probably one of my all time favorite Ford cars/rally cars.

[@dct1]

Waited for something like this for years. Excellent!

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thank you. More to come in the future :-)

[@pappieee9409]

widebody wrc inspired fiestas will always look absolutely stunning imo, so aggressive and mean looking

[@guygittins6934]

Loved every second of this excellent video. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thank you :)

[@dmcasson]

What an excellent review. Enjoyable and informative. Love both cars.

[@fastcarmagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Martin.M93]

The old rally days were awesome❤

[@PaulinhoThompson]

A brilliant video guys, I really enjoyed all the information put across in this video.

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thank you!

[@SlimPickingsCF]

That's a gorgeous video! Well done guys.

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thank you very much!

[@toby000000]

Great video and a couple of dream cars there ❤

[@fastcarmagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@FlatOut2.4]

That was Such a enjoyable video to watch, more of that please!

[@fastcarmagazine]

Your wish is our command!

[@hughstultz7849]

Great reflection on the two ( relatively close ) eras. I would go with the 2017 onwards 1600cc high aero cars. Awesome cars, awesome to watch.

[@kubamikulski5744]

amazing video!!!

[@fastcarmagazine]

Glad you liked it!!

[@florian_montuzet]

Brillant video !

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thank you :-)

[@VasilisKavanozis]

David is a very talented driver and amazing person! 🙏🔝🏁 Excellent review!

[@fastcarmagazine]

We agree!

[@NovaMad2010]

Good interview

[@Diehard148]

Focus WRC is epic. However for this comparison it seems to be on gravel spec, while the fiesta is tarmac. That would explain more body roll etc?

[@DctrBread]

interesting video. Was coming into this video thinking about the differences I notice driving these cars modelled in richard burns rally. Certainly the power-generating characteristics line up with what was shared in this video. As for handling, I hardly know what to attribute to the car versus my ability to create a decent or realistic setup, but i do always feel like the 2000s era cars conform very closely to the road and they were easier to maintain oversteer mid-corner on loose surfaces with. meanwhile i always felt like the modern rally 2 cars were a bit harder to keep the rear out of line with, but very predictable, and very very good at dampening undesirable oscillations.

[@ededdynova]

Fantastic video can you do one of a new wrx car and a old group b car next vid plz ???

[@fastcarmagazine]

That would be awesome👌🏻 we’ll see what we can do

[@cmc6040]

Great video. Shared with friends so hope you get a few more subscribers. I've just subbed myself. Looking forward to the next vid 👍

[@fastcarmagazine]

That’s fantastic. Thank you for the support!

[@ruialbertosoares72]

The Focus Wrc was awesome

[@StavTech]

Good video, anything to do with anti lag and turbos gets my vote

[@fastcarmagazine]

That means a lot coming from you!! Thanks Stav ❤️

[@otacon5648]

No way, hard disagree. WRC now is only three manufacturers as opposed to half a dozen and the cars barely resemble their road going brethren. The 1997-2003 seasons of WRC were absolute peak. Same years for the BTCC coincidentally. They were the times where cars were still raw, just about analog enough to still be dangerous and wholly unreal at the limit. Pushing a four door saloon on those roads, at those speeds required a set of skills and a bigger set of balls than doing the same run in a Fabia.

[@kbdiesel]

There were 4 teams in 1997 and down to 3 when Toyota got booted And I’m sure purists said the same thing about sequential gearboxes not being analog enough at the time I get that 3 manufacturers ain’t great but it’s not like the sport hasn’t been down and then rebounded on top of the motorsports world multiple times

[@otacon5648]

@@kbdiesel Yes in 1997 but over the years that I said you had Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, Citroen, Skoda, Hyundai, Toyota and I’m sure I’m missing one. Now there is Ford, Skoda and Toyota because Subaru and Mitsubishi both suffered a head trauma in the mid 2000’s and didn’t enjoy selling cars anymore so dropped out and started selling substandard crossovers.

[@stevieb026]

Going back to the cars, I feel there's far more appeal advertising wise to having an actual car you can buy being seen winning rallies rather than a spaceframe chassis that has the word "Puma" written on it. Nobody buys a puma because it wins rallies. Because it doesn't win rallies. There's no connection

[@joshuawalcott321]

​@@otacon5648 these manufacturers were never all competing at the same time it has always generally been 3-5 teams with only 2 being competitive at the same time

[@_RobertS]

@@joshuawalcott321 Wrong, in 1999 and 2000 there were seven manufacturers. Ford, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Seat, Skoda, and Subaru all did both of those years, while Toyota did their last season in '99 and Hyundai their first in 2000. The following three years had six manufacturers, with Mitsubishi and Seat dropping out but Citroen joining instead. The seasons 1998 to 2006 all had at least five manufacturers. And that doesn't include the semi-works teams, which ran additional identical cars under different team names, and privateers who were allowed to enter top level machinery as well. The difference being, today there are 9-ish cars in the top class, and back then there were usually 25 or more. For me, that's a huge difference that has made me loose interest almost completely despite the modern cars being absolutely awesome.

[@Rogerjatsu]

Nic video😊

[@fastcarmagazine]

Thanks 😊

[@FailedRacers]

Why is one on tarmac, and the other on gravel tyres?

[@user-nm6sp1eg5o]

Focus is in full gravel specyfication

[@LS1conehead]

YES, THIS! IF you are going to compare them currently, they should BOTH be on tarmac suspension, with tarmac (wet?) tyres and tarmac width wheels!! 😉 Now, David I am sure has driven the Focus WRC on tarmac on the appropriate suspension and tyres in the past. So maybe he can extrapolate the Focus' tarmac performance by/from memory, but yes it would have been nice to see them on the same tarmac setups for this video, since it was shot on tarmac roads.

[@slimrr4]

Just put em head to head in a super special with 2 equal drivers 😂 I'm hoping for the old school focus 🤞

[@jamesgrant1111]

Got to go with the focus I grow up watching them

[@eddiec438]

On Tarmac RALLY2, Gravel WRC 😊

[@fastcarmagazine]

Great answer 👍

[@countmurcielago9802]

Put a millington Mk2 against fiesta and see how they compare

[@SantosST170]

Serra de fafe Portugal que maravilha

[@danielhosker7396]

Them roads he was driving on r some of the best roads ever 2 drive! And in 2 epic cars! But got 2 be the focus wrc!

[@fastcarmagazine]

I think we're leaning towards the WRC too!

[@jezdyson7490]

Do you know where those roads are by any chance?

[@danielhosker7396]

@@jezdyson7490 Yh man up above a place called betham from the cross of greet

[@Fester_]

The Focus is still too young for me although it is looking better nowadays. Heaven knows how it looks to 14 year olds nowadays. A really tasty home garage pairing. Cheers for that. Old Fords Never Die They Just Go Faster.

[@LS1conehead]

Old school, Mk1 & 2 RS Escort fan, are we?? (Or is even that 'too young' for you?! Lotus Cortina maybe?)

[@Smilog]

Focus wrc 2000 forever

[@TheDoK666]

hum a car on gravel setup vs a car on tarmac setup on a tarmac test ... : /

[@KiG1208]

The turbo housings are factory but the internals are bespoke so you can’t buy a bmw turbo and slap on as you’ll be severely down on power

[@Ruudiii]

Clickbait. showing 2 cars together racing and only chatting wtf

[@yanceyboyz]

This your first day on the internet?

[@Ruudiii]

@@yanceyboyz tHiS yOuR fiRsT dAY oN tHe InTeRnET? Still lame as fuck, anyone can chatt about what car will be faster, and these two are not even qualified to do so. Literally useless video

[@Ruudiii]

@@yanceyboyz tHiS yoUr fIrSt dAy oN tHe iNteRneT?

[@arturgatarski751]

Focus

[@fastfordsuk385]

Focus wrc

[@yesexactly3120]

Should have used the better mk2 focus tho

[@daveruda]

The old rally cars are always better because they have some character and soul. The way they move, sound look. Modern rally cars might be fast but incredibly bland and boring to watch

[@tomasgti8153]

Should compare at least same spec... here we have gravel vs tarmac and thats not fair for proper comparing.

[@petera4476]

Fawds

[@femountain]

I prefer RS200

[@fastcarmagazine]

Well, yes, that's another kettle of fish.