Match 8: Ford Focus ST vs BMW M 135i

This shootout pits a firm SA Favourite, the Ford Focus ST against a relative newcomer, the BMW M 135i. The newbie certainly seems to have the upper hand on paper, but it’s how all that grunt gets transferred through the wheels that counts and these two thoroughbreds certainly know how to deliver. Pick your ride and vote!

 

Ford Focus ST

The sporty, EcoBoost-powered Focus ST is the spiritual successor to the fine-handling SVT Focus. Tuned and tested by Ford’s American SVT and European RS teams, the hot hatch is Ford’s first truly global performance car.

Offered only in practical five-door hatchback form, the Focus ST features a turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that produces 252 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. The peak torque figure is achieved in overboost mode, which adds 15 extra lb-ft for up to 15 seconds when the skinny pedal is mashed to the floor. The only transmission available is a six-speed manual.

 

BMW M 135i

The BMW M135i is the top-of-the-range version of the BMW 1 Series. This distinctively dynamic vehicle is an integral part of the new product category BMW M Performance Automobile produced by the BMW M GmbH. It is positioned between the most powerful BMW series production models and thoroughbred BMW M vehicles. BMW M Performance power units generally boast a noticeably higher performance than the previously most powerful engines of any BMW series and have M-specific characteristics in terms of suspension setting and visual appearance, though without any limitations in terms of suitability for everyday use.

 

 

Please get voting guys!!! This is going to be a close call. Share with everyone you know and encourage them to vote aswell.

Share with your friends, get them involved and don’t forget to cast your vote for your favourite so that they progress into the next round.

 

Here are our 3 easy ways to vote

1. Write your choice of HOT RIDE in the comments section below each blog post.
2. Follow Powerflow Exhausts on Facebook and vote on each individual match-up when we post it, by commenting on your choice of favourite.

https://www.facebook.com/powerflow.exhausts?ref=hl

3. Follow Powerflow Exhausts on Twitter and vote on each individual match-up when we post it by commenting on your choice of favourite.

https://twitter.com/PowerflowSA

Match 7: Toyota 86 vs Mazda 3 MPS

Our next two contenders are both from the land of the rising sun. Both Toyota and Mazda know a thing or two about performance engines, so this should be an interesting match up

 

Toyota 86

Two things hit home for me when getting to grips with Toyota’s new 86 coupé.

For starters, the last time I got excited about a Toyota was when I was fantasizing about Conquest RSis and Celicas back in the late eighties. Toyota’s been in a long, but sensible, slumber and this rather basic rear-wheel drive two-door gives me hope that new car-nut boss Akio Toyoda is going to cut back on appliance production and launch some new ‘cars’.

The other point was that we, as motor enthusiasts, have become so obsessed with straight-line speed in recent years. Fed on a diet of turbocharged fours that screech off the line like an angry cheetah, we’ve become a bunch of 0-100-snobs.

 

Mazda 3 MPS

It’s the same with every generation. No sooner does VW launch its latest GTi than other manufacturers release their own hot hatches in an attempt to at least keep pace with, let alone overtake, the pace-setter. However, unlike the past, this time competition isn’t coming from the likes of traditional rivals such as Opel. The newest challenger comes from the Land of the Rising Sun, in this case a hot Mazda3. The Mazda3 has helped rejuvenate the Japanese brand and is already into its second generation. Much like AMG is to Mercedes-Benz, Mazda has its own range of high performance models referred to as MPS – for Mazda Performance Series.

 

Please get voting guys!!! This is going to be a close call. Share with everyone you know and encourage them to vote aswell.

Share with your friends, get them involved and don’t forget to cast your vote for your favourite so that they progress into the next round.

 

Here are our 3 easy ways to vote

1. Write your choice of HOT RIDE in the comments section below each blog post.
2. Follow Powerflow Exhausts on Facebook and vote on each individual match-up when we post it, by commenting on your choice of favourite.

https://www.facebook.com/powerflow.exhausts?ref=hl

3. Follow Powerflow Exhausts on Twitter and vote on each individual match-up when we post it by commenting on your choice of favourite.

https://twitter.com/PowerflowSA