Ford Focus RS Takes On a Vauxhall Astra GSI in a Battle of Modified Lemons

Okay, I might have exaggerated a bit by calling them rust buckets because if they ever were that, it's no longer the case. These cheap cars have been extensively modified. So much so that they've reached a point where they could hold their own against vehicles at 10 times their price.

The two contenders involved in this drag strip fight are a Vauxhall (also known as Opel to most people) Astra GSI and a Ford Focus RS. Both of these cars hail from 2003, making them 20 years old. These are the kind of cars I grew up racing in the first Need for Speed Underground, so it's as much of a surprise as a trip down memory lane to see these old clunkers race.

With the introductions done and dusted, let's look at what makes these two old-school boy racer cars tick. First up is the Astra, which pushes out 450hp (456 ps) and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm)of torque from its fully-forged Z20LEH four-banger engine. To achieve this sort of power, the Astra sports some extra goodies, like an externally gated Garret turbo, upgrades to the intercooler, exhaust, and intake manifolds, oil cooler, and injectors.

The Focus RS standing against it also has a few tricks up its sleeve, starting with a fully built 2.0 Duratec engine (the one produced by Mazda and used by Ford for its worldwide exports). Following extensive modifications, like a Garret hybrid core turbo, a boost controller, a water-methanol injection kit, and upgrades to the intercooler, manifold, and injectors, it now pushes out 425 hp (431 ps) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque.

These two cars seem similar enough for an interesting battle, as what the Ford lacks in horses, it makes up for in torque. On top of that, both cars are front-wheel-drive manuals, although the Ford has an LSD-equipped gearbox, whereas the Astra has the stock unit. It also runs on Nankang NS2R semi-slicks compared to the Astra's Michelin Pilot Sports 4 S tires.

So, on paper, the balance is slightly skewed in the Focus' favor. But the numbers do lie every so often, and considering both of these cars are manuals, there's also an element of skill involved. And that becomes immediately apparent in the first rolling race, which the Ford wins due to the Opel fluffing a gear change.

But from there on out, David beats Goliath, as, despite all of its disadvantages, the Astra wipes the floor with the Focus, which was not even able to reach 124 mph (200 kph) during the rolling race. The drag race ended even worse for the Ford with its limited-slip differential, with the Astra reaching the finish line almost a full second faster. If there's any takeaway here, it's that more power is not always the answer if you cannot reliably put it to the ground.