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RS is maxed out from factory

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#21 ·
Some tuners are dyno claiming up to 370 WHP with Accessport tune and E30.

http://www.focusrs.org/forum/16-foc...rs-performance/10506-tune-cobb-accessport-custom-tuning-results-dyno-track.html

They're trapping mid 11xs and mid 12s in the quarter. This is better than I was expecting to see from them after the "maxed" statements. The low numbers on stock dynos appear to be from the AWD system not liking dyno mode. They need to be dyno'd in a FWD state. It is a difference of 230 WHP to 300WHP when disengaging the rear wheels.
 
#22 ·
So here's where I see the RS having a problem, when tuners decide to add a bunch of power that's when. The way they designed the AWD system on this car generates heat, the heat is controlled to some extent by limiting the power output, and cooling strategies and algorithms. The center differential is always slipping, the front and rear gear ratios are not the same, they do this to achieve better torque vectoring supposedly. The rear differential, by design, is built to handle the stock power output. I just don't think that Ford built this car, at this price point, to be able to have a ton of headroom for power.

Just a little reading about how and what goes on inside the RS's AWD, it's an older article but pretty informative.
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2016-ford-focus-rs-gets-the-worlds-most-advanced-awd-system/
 
#23 ·
Regarding the actual drivetrain, specifically the rear drive unit. There have been a few threads now about the car shutting off the rear end entirely during track time.

This post indicated that his only made it for 12 minutes! The thread is about a cooler plate that was designed to try and prevent the overheat warning, but he was promptly shut down by the members. Fairly entertaining read.

http://www.focusrs.org/forum/9-focu...scussions/14497-focus-rs-rdu-cooler-introduction-availability-2.html#post347081
 
#25 · (Edited)
grantmm said:
Regarding the actual drivetrain, specifically the rear drive unit. There have been a few threads now about the car shutting off the rear end entirely during track time.

This post indicated that his only made it for 12 minutes! The thread is about a cooler plate that was designed to try and prevent the overheat warning, but he was promptly shut down by the members. Fairly entertaining read.

http://www.focusrs.org/forum/9-focu...scussions/14497-focus-rs-rdu-cooler-introduction-availability-2.html#post347081
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It looks like the vendor doesn't have any test data specific to this product and the RS and since the product doesn't ship until next week, there isn't any anecdotal data from customers. $90 is an inexpensive solution if it works. I hope it does.

edit: and it looks like my buddy should keep spraying the thing with his tire sprayer and keep that heat sink cool.

(and it looks like that forum has as many yammerheads as this one does)
 
#26 ·
Yeah, that will help with the actual unit, but it won't help as the calculations that control the unit shutdown are unknown at this point. They're definitely responding better to mods than we were lead to believe early on. How will the longevity be? Should be fun to watch that car evolve.
 
#27 ·
tofur said:
Considering we are getting reports of the car going into limp mode at stock power levels when driven hard and Ford's own admission that the drivetrain was designed for 350hp, you would think no tuning house would even bother.
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Exactly. Strange how they have a dyno of the RS before the R considering how tapped out the RS is.
 
#29 · (Edited)
grantmm said:
Some tuners are dyno claiming up to 370 WHP with Accessport tune and E30.

http://www.focusrs.org/forum/16-foc...rs-performance/10506-tune-cobb-accessport-custom-tuning-results-dyno-track.html

They're trapping mid 11xs and mid 12s in the quarter. This is better than I was expecting to see from them after the "maxed" statements. The low numbers on stock dynos appear to be from the AWD system not liking dyno mode. They need to be dyno'd in a FWD state. It is a difference of 230 WHP to 300WHP when disengaging the rear wheels.
Click to expand...
Mid 12s is absolutely mediocre considering that they they are making 372whp/382lb-tqa and are running a custom tune E-30 blend and running at 603ft elevation. I run the same times on my S3 with 91oct off the shelf tune at 3100ft elevation and I don't have the fancy AWD, I don't have the extra 300cc or the overboost feauture. And I only have 335hp/363lb-tq to the crank
 
#30 ·
You're also a DSG. I ran 12.9 @ 105 in SLC with a DA above 6100ft with my stock (also DSG) Golf.

Looking at tuned 6 speed Golf Rs, they are ahead of where our cars are. Granted, many of the folks on their forum are reporting high 13s @99-103MPH, but with a good driver, they're getting the times down.
 
#31 ·
grantmm said:
You're also a DSG. I ran 12.9 @ 105 in SLC with a DA above 6100ft with my stock (also DSG) Golf.

Looking at tuned 6 speed Golf Rs, they are ahead of where our cars are. Granted, many of the folks on their forum are reporting high 13s @99-103MPH, but with a good driver, they're getting the times down.
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But that is only because of the way that VW restricted the way you can launch the 6 speed manual, it does all kinds of crazy stuff that wouldn't allow you to launch properly. I have done comfortably 1.6 sec 60' on cheap Khumo $90 tires 205/55/16 on Eclipses GSX with medieval clutches and medieval AWD system but I could launch with decent rpms without boggin. Same thing with the Evos and STIs, you can launch them hard. The problem seems unique to the Golf R. With that much power(Stage I) a Golf R should be in the 1.7 sec 60' all day long

The Focus RS might be ahead of the 6 Speed olf R because VW hasn't put a fair launch system and is a fragile and inconsistent way to launch but once rolling the Focus RS aren't that superior considering all the hype and the extra power and fancy AWD.
 
#32 ·
We all spoke about this on the RS forum back in January (I originally had a maxed out blue RS on order back then) and it was something debated even then. Once the first reviews started coming out, there was word that the RS testers were going into limp mode during the track demos for the reporters. That was happening with actual professional drivers that were trained to "demo" these cars to the reporters. That being said, I'm not surprised that drivers now (not trained on how specifically to drive these cars, especially to avoid the negative side of the car) are going into limp mode on track/auto-x.
 
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Discussion starter · #33 ·
At the end of the day, it's still a pos ford
 
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#35 ·
ZPayne said:
Ugh. The elitism on this forum.... :facepalm:

The Focus RS is an amazing car, I prefer the R, but it's good in different ways
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Agreed. And I guess this post is MKVII R related if you consider all the posturing of people justifying what they bought. The fanboi is strong in this forum...

j
 
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#36 ·
This car with its all wheel drive system had a lot, I mean lot of hype surrounding it when Ford announce they were building it. Now it has to live up to the hype. I am surprised at how with so much more HP/TQ its not much quicker than a golf R or STI.
 
#38 · (Edited)
chalice12 said:
This car with its all wheel drive system had a lot, I mean lot of hype surrounding it when Ford announce they were building it. Now it has to live up to the hype. I am surprised at how with so much more HP/TQ its not much quicker than a golf R or STI.
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Yeah it's not being a R fanboy to point out the issues with the RS. Beyond any issues, it's barely any faster 6-speed to 6-speed despite having 50 more hp from the factory. Not impressive, I would be saying the same thing if I had bought another car instead of the R. We'll leave out the questionable exterior styling since that's more subjective. Add in this drivetrain stuff and it's even more of a letdown.

We'll see tuning houses develop tunes for it because there is demand, it's not their problem that a component on the car won't be able to handle the extra power, just like APR and co. don't care that the 6-speed R's clutch can't handle the power. Not their problem, people want the tune so they will make it, people asked for a low torque file so they made one. Should be interesting to watch though, clutch is an easy fix, a complicated expensive Ford created drivetrain is a whole other animal.
 
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#40 ·
todd92 said:
Kind of like the R's clutch is maxed out?
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Is it though? Some people have problems on stage 1 tuning levels and others don't, there was a guy I was talking to on Facebook that said he was stage 2 with his stock clutch still.

Me personally, I have. Jb1 with downpipe and haven't had any problems. I think what a major part of bad clutches was the delay valve, depending on when you took it out of the car could help decide the clutch life left on the car. It intentionally makes the clutch slip so it's better for newer drivers. I took mine out almost immediately after getting my car
 
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