Ford Focus RS

The Focus RS is powered by a turbo-assisted 2.0-litre engine, which generates 212bhp and 229lb-ft of torque. In a car weighing just 1278kg that equates to 169bhp/ton, giving the Focus RS impressive acceleration - 0-60mph comes up in just 5.9 seconds, with the car continuing to accelerate all the way up to 144mph.

The Focus RS is a heavily modified version of the standard Ford hatchback, with over 70% of the mechanicals being upgraded. The list of suppliers reads like a Who's Who of the tuning industry - Garrett, Sparco, Oz, Brembo, Sachs, Quaife, AP Racing.

According to Ford the 212bhp figure is actually a 'minimum' and quite a few owners have put their cars on a rolling road to discover that power output can be as high as 230bhp.

The standard Focus is already gifted with an excellent chassis. One of the first mass market cars to have independent 'Control Blade' rear suspension, even the base-spec Focus is an entertaining drive on a twisting back road journey. Add to that steering that gives instant response and excellent feedback and you've got an excellent starting point for a proper hot hatch.

In fact the Focus was such a big step forward in handling terms that Volkswagen lured some of the chief engineers away from Ford to work on the Golf MkV.

Of course, the RS needed to be much sharper than the standard Focus, so the dampers were replaced with special Sachs racing items, along with an 18mm rollbar and more negative camber on the wheels. These changes combined with 225/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport tyres give fantastic grip and cornering speed, but the Focus RS has another trick up its sleeve.

With no traction control and 212bhp going through just the front wheels, the Focus RS would have shredded its tyres within a few hundred yards were it not for the Quaife differential. This mechanical device shifs power to the wheel that it senses has the most grip, meaning that on smooth surfaces it has an amazing ability to deliver power quickly and smoothly. However, the downside of this is that on rough surfaces the RS is prone to torque steer that can see the car sniffing out the nearest hedgerow if you aren't paying attention.

While the RS has got the hardware to give it fantastic performance, it's also got the looks to match.

Ford weren't satisifed with sticking to a standard Focus bodyshell, so they produced a new shell with wider wheelarches to accomodate the wider track. Unique bumpers were included, with vents at the front to assist with brake cooling.

Tucked inside those widened wheelarches are lightweight 18-inch 5-spoke alloys designed by OZ Racing, which themselves cover Brembo discs and calipers (325mm front, 280mm rear).

The body itself is painted in a wonderful metallic paint called Imperial Blue, which was the only colour choice available. Everything is colour coded, from door strips to mirrors, and bumpers to rear spoiler.

On the inside you get leather trim and steering wheel with blue inserts (of questionable taste). The seats are made by Sparco and grip you in all the right places, important when dealing with the cornering g-forces that the RS can generate. The interior is finished off with carbon-fibre effects on the dash and a green starter button.