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Ford Fiesta ST200 Takes on a Renault Zoe Race Car: Which Is More Fun?

Wow, £25k doesn't buy you a lot of car these days. I remember that, when I first got into cars, you could buy the big GTI and VRX for that kind of money.
Ford Fiesta ST200 Takes on a Renault Zoe Race Car: Which Is More Fun? 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Ford Fiesta ST200 Takes on a Renault Zoe Race Car: Which Is More Fun?Ford Fiesta ST200 Takes on a Renault Zoe Race Car: Which Is More Fun?Ford Fiesta ST200 Takes on a Renault Zoe Race Car: Which Is More Fun?
But times have changed; journalists are ignoring Vauxhall altogether, and electric cars are supposed to be the imminent future. Sooner or later, automakers will have to figure out that we won't accept that future if it doesn't involve fun.

Just like at Autocar, the drive test cars get shuffled around our office a lot. I didn't want to be the one who has to drive and review the Renault Zoe EV, but I did, and I'm very thankful for it. Charging it was a total hassle, but everything else was a pleasant new experience.

Up until 50 km/h, where the weight of the underfloor battery could incapacitate the available traction, the Zoe delivered surprising acceleration. I also get why what the buzz around the Ford Fiesta ST200 is all about. However, I never expected to see them in the same video.

The thing is, nobody is going to ask "what am I going to have more fun in, a Ford hot hatchling or a Renault electric car?" Not now, at least, but eventually, electric cars will enter the realm of affordable motorsport. And who knows, maybe in 2030 or so, the MX-5 Cup series will all be done with electric roadsters.

A company call eRally has made a rally car out of the Renault Zoe. It's still got the stock 88 horsepower, but the interior has been stripped of trim pieces and fitted with a roll cage. The re-worked suspension and tires give this EV traction advantage it never had. And thanks to the single-speed gearbox, it's easy enough for teen drivers to race.

But how will that compare to the 200 horsepower Ford or a go-kart on a race track? Well, you'll have to watch the video and find out for yourselves. But we think it's a pretty original race in this era of evenly matched performance cars.

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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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