Sometimes as automotive enthusiasts, we let car companies fool us. We’re led to believe that a car that has capable street performance will have equally capable performance on the track. Some get fooled enough to actually go and test this theory — until reality hits and they wipe out, or just have a plain ol’ miserable day.
One of the worst offenders of great on-road performance and horrible track performance was the Ford Focus ST. A quick search of places like Reddit and owner forums will tell you why. Sure, Ford did us a solid by giving the market a GTI competitor. It had looks and specs to match: 2.0-liter, 252 horsepower turbocharged I4, six-speed manual transmission, bigger brakes, gripper tires, etc. This thing should have been great.
But the engine had a ton of torque, 270 lb-ft, which meant lots of torque steer. On track, the ABS was said to be super intrusive. Its “e-diff” clamped down on fun as well. Plus, it was just too heavy for what it was (at over 3,200 lbs). Some found the ride too stiff even on the track, and apparently stuff that should have held up to track use didn’t. Owners reported brakes giving up after a few laps along with coolant and oil temps overheating.
Now we ask you dear Jalopnik reader: what car had you duped? What vehicle was advertised for performance or fun driving, only for it to absolutely suck once you hit the track with it? We want your juiciest gossip and your wildest stories, whether it was something you personally experienced firsthand, or if your buddy told you about his bad track day, or if you just happen to know some good stories because you like to snoop, don’t be shy. Let us know all about it in the comments.