Ford Focus ST

Hurry up with the Focus RS, Ford. If ever there was a car to whet the appetite for next year’s Evo-killer, the Focus ST Mountune is it: concrete proof that a front-wheel drive Focus can handle 300bhp without torque-steering itself intoan Armco-flavoured double-knot.

Mountune – the Ford tuning firm better known Stateside as Roush – has fitted the standard Focus ST with a larger intercooler, a high-flow air filter and revised ECU. That’s all. No suspension mods, no limited-slip diff, just a few engine tweaks to take power up from 222bhp to 256bhp.

That should spell torque-steer galore, but the Mountune is incredibly composed. Yes, flatten the accelerator in the wet, and the front gets a touch squirmy, but for the most part the power all goes where you want it: forwards. Quickly.

The Mountune is a full half-second quicker than the stock ST, but it’s the in-gear punch that really impresses. It’s not a revvy little loon like the Mountune Fiesta, but hit the turbo and the Focus piles on speed in a manner that’ll embarrass some seriously expensive machinery. All for just over a grand (plus fitting), and it won’t invalidate your warranty either. Your ST wants it.

And, importantly, it’s proof that the Focus can handle plenty of power. OK, the RS is likely to add another 50bhp or so, but don’t forget that it’ll get a diff and clever new ‘RevoKnuckle’ suspension. We can’t wait. In the meantime, though, this will do just fine...

Sam Philip