Focus ST vs 135i

StrongTurd

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I was on my way home on Sunday night when I stopped behind an ST and a 135i at the traffic lights. I could see that they were going to race and I immediately assumed that the ST was going to get a hiding, what with being FWD etc. I was very surprised when the ST started pulling away from the BMW right off the line and then rapidly opened up a bigger and bigger gap!

I was obviously falling behind too much to accurately judge by how far the ST won but the gap at the end of the 800 meters or so was very big, probably around a hundred meters or more. For people familiar with Pretoria this happened in Soutpansberg direction east going past that new government building and up to the next set of traffic lights at Clapham High.

I couldn't believe how hard that ST pulled! It looked 100% stock from the outside but I could hear from the way the turbo growled that at the very least it was running some serious boost pressure. At least it appeared that the BMW driver wasn't a bad loser as he acknowledged the guy in the ST when he turned right towards Hatfield.
 
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Indeed it is almost a given that this one was highly modified but the ease with which it dispatched with the BMW was very impressive nonetheless.

BTW I owned an ST for more than 2 years and it was as bone stock the day I sold as it was when I first got it so there is indeed such a thing as a stock ST.
 
The BMW driver might have had a bad launch. Was it the 135i Coupé or convertible? Also, 3.0L RWD vs 2.5L FWD, it's quite clear who the stock winner would have been (assuming both cars had a perfect launch).
 
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Nope, I saw nothing wrong with the way the BM was launched. The two cars both got away very rapidly with the ST opening up only a slight gap in first. After that it just grew wider and wider. The 135i was a coupe.
 
the 135 is not turbo charged is it? takes a few secs longer to reach his torque lines, whereas the ST would get it upfront. Not to mention it probably wasnt stock anyway.

I dropped a 135 from pull-off in a 1.9dci cause i get all my torque right then and there. of course by before 3rd gear he comes past like a jet but anyway ;)
 
The ST is a serious piece of kit.

Both cars are seriously FUGLY though.. with the 135 winning by a long way. (ITO the FUGLY stakes) ;)
 
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the 135 is not turbo charged is it? takes a few secs longer to reach his torque lines, whereas the ST would get it upfront. Not to mention it probably wasnt stock anyway.

I dropped a 135 from pull-off in a 1.9dci cause i get all my torque right then and there. of course by before 3rd gear he comes past like a jet but anyway ;)

Rofl good read...

you are right.. The 135i is not turbo, but twin turbo ;)

and please.. 225kw 135i 0-100 in 5.4 seconds... No doubt the ST (0-100 in 6.8 sec) was running some sh*t under the hood..
 
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guys you will be amazed what a remapp can do nowadays turbo'd cars gain silly power.. ST clearly had remapp with a few otherthings, but give that 135i a remapp and M3's will be no contest
 
def not a stock st. The 135i is a serious machine. At rurapente: trust me, you thought the 135 was racing you :) at 400nm of torque you will get murdered and then killed ... In one go ... We raced the 135 against a z4 mcoupe, against the new scubby sti, rs4 .... The 135 is amazingly much quicker. Off a line its deadly.
 
Yep...I think the 135i guys are busy with some twin turbo set up somewhere in SA. Has to be.

Its a fast car already, but you know these guys, being dropeed by an ST(modded) is nothing to be proud of as we all know the 135i should kill anything in its wake other than v8's and up!!!

I'm sure some 135i will have a remap and some exhaust and boost and maybe a single turbo other than the twin...the reason for twin by the way is why the 135i is so fast. it comes in in stages, first turbo is normally smaller than second turbo, reason being that smaller one must boost from as little as 2000rpm and then bigger one takes over from a certain rev range onwards. That's how GTR's work anyway, don't know about 135i turbo...anyone know anything about the characteristics of how the turbo boost is set up?
 
The 135i is not a sequential twin turbo (like the Toyota Supra, for instance). Instead, it's got two small turbos each being supplied by 3 cylinders.
 
Cool, thanks for that info...BMW IS one of the most if not THE most effecient sports cars ever...joh
 
ok nvm lack of coffee, i was thinking 130, not 135.

In which case it is interesting the ST was faster. Are you sure it wasnt "woman" syndrome? Guy in BM puts foot, BM flies, woman has a kitten and accused guy of being a child, and claims imminent death and so he eased off the throttle?
 
Well, the guy in the BM had no passengers in the car. Unless his normal driving habits involve dumping the clutch off the line and changing gears at the rev limiter then I doubt that he was on a Sunday cruise. He was trying his best, all right.
 
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