Quote:
Originally Posted by BAWITHLOT
I've been watching a lot lately as I have the GT Turbo Picanto that is fun with a claimed 74kW/ 171 Nm and seeing if its worth the upgrade but at over twice the price I doubt it will be twice the fun  |
Not sure about the GT Turbo Picanto as I have never driven. But this Fiesta to me is more fun to drive than a BMW M2, and for 90% of the time way more fun to drive than my FGX XR8.
Lets put it this way- I have been driving my FGX XR8 manual with intercooler for last 5 years and rear wheel drive oversteer is now second nature to me.
Heard about the throttle off oversteer into corners with the Fiesta Mk 8, and was a bit unsure about how to drive it.
Early one morning at 12.30 am decided to go and take the Fiesta around a very tight section of road with corners and speeds between the 40 to north of 100 km mark, put in track mode, no traction esp, and just went for it.
And I just kept pushing it- and the thing is the steering is so super sharp and right, the throttle is so quick and responsive, brakes good bite, chassis so supple and responsive, that you do not think, you just tap dance between steering and throttle inputs and play with understeer/oversteer and insane early mid corner power down. It really is that cliche you become one with the car and everything just fuses together into a seamless dance...
I purposively went into one corner way to hot to see how the understeer/oversteer played out, and it was laughable how controllable it all is and I used about 50% less of the lateral roadway than I thought I would need.
This is the closest I have driven to a track go kart in feel, in that the car pivots around you at the centre.
Take it on a tight section of roadway, track mode, and really push it and you realise it is a serious bit of kit.
The only negatives (lack of top end power being one) is that it does not like high speed bumpy roads- that is a bit freaky and on one straight section of road that I love blasting down in my FGX XR8 the Fiesta spooked me... the Fiesta is clearly designed for smooth tarmac roads like the Ring etc
I am Loving it every time I drive it....