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Ford Fiesta ST200 Drag Races MINI John Cooper Works Hatch

We don't know about you guys, but we've had about enough of the Golf GTI Clubsport going up against the Honda Civic Type R. It's been done a million times, so let's try to enjoy a drag race between the Ford Fiesta ST200 and the MINI John Cooper Works hardtop.
Ford Fiesta ST200 Drag Races MINI John Cooper Works Hatch 4 photos
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
Ford Fiesta ST200 Drag Races MINI John Cooper Works HatchFord Fiesta ST200 Drag Races MINI John Cooper Works HatchFord Fiesta ST200 Drag Races MINI John Cooper Works Hatch
While we've had three generations of the JCW, there's never been a car like the Fiesta ST200 before. And for good reason. Ford wanted to send the ST off with a bang. But due to all the upgrades, it went from being the cheapest mini hot hatch to being one of the most expensive.

Steve Sutcliffe, the narrator for this video, is suggesting we should be happy that hot hatchbacks are pushing 200 horsepower even in the supermini segment. However, we totally disagree with him. As fans of the genre will tell you, power and hardcore performance isn't everything.

The whole philosophy behind the Fiesta ST was similar to that of the Mazda Miata. It was about having fun and being affordable. But the ST200 is around 20% more than the regular model and makes the MINI JCW appear regularly priced.

In fact, cars in general have been getting more and more expensive with every generation. If we remember correctly, the 2004 Fiesta ST was only around £14,000. What happened? Sure, the fast Meganes and Golfs are faster than BMWs, but they are sometimes more expensive too.

Before we turn into our grandfathers, constantly saying things were better in the old days, let's look at the drag race. Really, everybody should know that the 231 PS John Cooper Works will walk all over the Fiesta. But the mismatch is what makes watching this drag race interesting. It's like when the Chiuwawa that's been barking for five minutes finally gets put in its place by the Mastiff.

Don't get us wrong, we love everything about the ST200 except the price. Like the Focus RS, it should hold its value well. However, you are paying £4,000 more for things you might never take advantage of, like faster steering. Meanwhile, the MINI comes with a full 2-liter punch right out of the box and can be tuned to around 300 ponies.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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