Ford Focus ST Drag Races Focus ST in Manual Vs. Auto Gearbox

The Focus ST can reach 62 mph in just 5.8 seconds if you have the right settings

The new Ford Focus ST is forbidden fruit in the United States, as the entire Focus range is no longer sold in the country. Even though we cannot actually drive the car, videos like this CarExpert give a glimpse of the new model’s performance. You can even compare the manual and automatic gearboxes.

The latest Focus ST is powered by Ford’s 2.3-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine. It produces 276 horsepower (206 Kilowatts) as well as 310 pound-feet (402 Newton-meters). Customers have the option of a seven-speed or six-speed manual transmission.  CarExpert The manual makes the car sound a lot better. While the manual makes a lot of noises, such as when you lift off the throttle or change gears, the exhaust doesn’t make these loud sounds.

Ford Focus ST Drag Races Focus ST in Manual Vs. Auto Gearbox

Both models are put through their paces in various driving modes by the host, who runs them down the drag strip. The automatic Focus ST runs at 62 mph (100 km/h) at its slowest. In Race Mode with stability control off it takes 5.8 seconds to reach that speed.

Because the hot hatch reaches 62 mph in 6.7 seconds, the manual cannot keep up. Race Mode, stability control off and no-lift shifting reduce the time to 6.4 seconds. This is just a fraction faster than the Comfort mode automatic.

The video shows the Focus ST versus a VW Golf GTI, with the automatic clearly being the faster of the two. The Volkswagen Performance model has a dual-clutch transmission. The Ford drag racer is still a tough challenge for this hot hatch stalwart.