Serious question... how much does a "development car" typically differ from the production vehicle?

 

^ Depends on how far into "development" they are. Generally the biggest differences will be wheels, tires, suspension settings, interior components, features, etc. Most development mules are designed to test the mechanical systems of the car, the electronic/infotainment bits are usually bench tested extensively before they ever make it out of the lab and into a test car.

Guess it comes down to having a "development" car that has the stiffest settings and most aggressive tires possible to get the fastest lap time but it isn't a set up they could ever sell because no one would want that.

 

That is awesome.

As a current owner, do you get any inside info? Exact price of RS? Production figures?

I would think that would be an excellent replacement for the ST

I am seriously tempted, but I really want to see if the new MS3 will come out.

 

The car had a rollcage installed for safety & to offset the weight to keep it close to OEM, the passenger seat & A/C was removed. Factory tires were used.