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When word came out that I’d be able to drive the Lynx RS on the road, I felt something that I haven't experienced in a long time: excitement. The last time I had sleepless nights was the night before my parents would take me to the toy store. The anticipation in driving this car is the same. Sure, other cars may have given me smiles before, thanks to driving comfort or push button luxury, but as a young guy, nothing beats doing a scene straight out of The Fast and the Furious. No one doubts that the RS is fast—it can reach 180 km/h without difficulty, but what amazes me are the details that make the Lynx RS a cut above the rest. With so much emphasis concentrated on the RS’s looks, I thought that actual engineering could have taken a back seat here. Could the RS be a quintessential muscle car: all horsepower and no finesse? Thankfully, this is one American car that has learned a thing or two from the Europeans, especially in the suspension department. The lesser Lynxes were already known to have excellent handling, virtually the best in class, but this one takes it one step further and has come close to capturing the European Focus’s behavior. I’ve taken the RS on all sorts of roads during my test: pot-hole ridden, marble smooth, slightly wavy—and the car's ride was excellent. Whereas I managed to complain about the Ghia’s popsicle-like ride, the RS glided with more panache and poise, despite its bigger tires and tuned suspension. Where it counted the most, the RS showed off as a nimble handler with bags of mechanical grip and almost no body roll in even the tightest of bends. What amazed me even more is how the RS communicated itself well with the driver. It offers excellent steering and suspension feedback that’s notoriously absent from the other Japanese compact sedans. At the limit of adhesion, the RS fully utilizes its high-performance Yokohama Advan tires giving just hints of tire chirping. |
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