There’s no denying that die-hard V8 fans usually look at hot hatches as bait, but times are changing– everyone knows that these little turbocharged engines are making a huge comeback (and decent power). Over the years, there have been countless advancements when it comes to turbochargers and now they are more efficient than ever. It has always been said that a turbocharged 4 can easily make the power of a 6-cylinder and, in this case, a V8 (well, almost).
Ford took advantage of these advancements, creating the popular line of “Ecoboost” turboed engines and started their plunge into the hot hatch market with the 252 horsepower Focus ST. After its debut, came the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that sends 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels– the Ford Focus RS. Unlike the ST, the RS is said to completely blow WRXs, STIs, and EVOs out of the water.
But come on now, its 2017 and turboed engines aren’t the only things seeing great innovation when it comes to power and overall performance. For example, the naturally aspirated LT1 V8 under the hood of the Chevrolet Camaro SS pushes a whopping 455 horsepower straight from the factory. That’s the kind of power we can’t ever see coming from a 4-cylinder.
Lets get to the point; we see numbers like these all the time, but which one is faster in real life– the V8 SS or the turboed RS? As we expected, the SS wins. But what we didn’t expect is the insanely slight difference in lap times between the two, with the SS finishing in 1 minute, 24.50 seconds and the RS in 1 minute, 24.58 seconds (that’s less than a one-tenth of a second difference).
However, what we aren’t sure of is what suspension and braking options the Camaro comes equipped with. Does it have Magnetic Ride Control? We can see in the video that the Camaro is equipped with the notably faster eight-speed automatic, which the driver controls via the shift paddles. The RS, on the other hand, comes standard with all of the best suspension and brake options possible and a six-speed manual. We can say that the Camaro isn’t a 1LE which would have left the RS in the dust.
And while the options list might be unknown, it doesn’t make what the RS is capable of any less impressive. Though one thing is for sure, in a straight line the Focus RS gets demolished, running a 13.4 at 105 mph while the Camaro SS crosses the line in just 12.3 seconds at 116 mph. Both have similar MSRPs with the Camaro SS coming in at $37,295 and the Focus starting at $36,605. But come on, would you rather be seen in a Camaro or a Focus? We thought so.
So, is the Camaro faster? Yes.
Should we consider the RS easy bait? Definitely not. But it will still get shown a pair of Camaro taillights any day of the week, and that’s really all that matters.
Author: Jenna Schiebe