Ford Focus ST Destroyed by 2021 Golf 8 GTI and Octavia RS in Drag Race

This one is sure to anger a lot of fans. So just to make things clear, this Focus ST is slower than this Golf GTI. Different gearboxes or tuning would change the outcome. But Carwow probably had a good idea when putting a Focus ST automatic up against the DSG-equipped GTI. Ever since 2003, DSG set Golfs apart from rivals, and now Ford has an answer... not the best one, but still an answer.

If you just look at the numbers, the Golf GTI looks like it's going to lose badly. It's got the same 2.0 TSI turbocharged engine as it did last year (in Europe), good for 242 hp (245 PS). Meanwhile, the Focus ST switched from using a de-tuned 2.0L to a 2.3-liter with 276 hp (280 PS).

There's also a sensible but interesting new Octavia RS sedan in this race. It's got the same 2.0 TSI as the GTI but is a little bit heavier. We didn't expect it to win anything, yet it took one rolling race and the brake test while also matching the performance of the Focus in the drag races.

So, what exactly happens? Well, the GTI smashes its Ford rival pretty hard, causing Mat Watson to joke that "245 German horsepower is better than 280 Ford horsepower." Also, somebody at Skoda is going to get fired for programming the DSG to respond better than in the Vdub.

Despite not having a launch control system, the Focus ST pulls ahead in the drag races. However, the Golf claws back lost ground, and so does the Octavia. We'd speculate that the Ford automatic creates more drivetrain loss, that the TSI is more potent than advertised, or a combination of the two.