Performance battle
Focus RS, Mitsubishi Evo X, Subaru Impreza (Issue 1,072)
Japanese saloons such as the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo had ruled the performance car roost for years, but their place at the top was threatened by Ford.
Its hi-tech turbocharged Focus RS led the hot hatch charge against the establishment, and claimed both scalps on the roads of north Wales. While the Impreza and Evo X gave superior all-weather performance, the Ford earned victory with its low price and charismatic engine.
