It might seem a bit tough to challenge the Renault Clio RS Cup with the Ford Focus RS500 given the difference in performance specs of these two cars. The Clio has a 2.0-litre 16V engine with 203 hp and 215 Nm of torque, while the Focus’ 2.5 Turbo has 350 hp and 460 Nm of torque. Top speeds are also different with 265 km/hr against the 224 of the Clio, and the Focus RS500 is faster in the sprint to 100 km/hr at 5.6 seconds (compared to the Clio RS Cup’s 6.9 seconds).

You might be wondering at this stage what the whole point of pitching these cars against each is then, but Autocar says it wanted to find out whether Ford’s price premium of 35,000 pounds, which could buy nearly two of the Renaults, is justified. The test itself says the “poor Clio” can’t hope to keep up with the Focus RS500 in a straight line, which even sounds better than the French car.

Before you think this is just an excuse to take out two cars which sort of look like each other but can’t compete on an even playing field, the Renault Clio RS Cup does have its good points, only one of which is the price. Check out the video to see how they compare both on the road and the track. And whether the 35,000 pounds for the Ford is worth it.

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