It has 2.5 litres, five cylinders, variable cam timing, forged steel conrods and a big turbocharger to help it deliver 222bhp at 6000rpm and a thumping 236lb ft between 1600rpm and 4000rpm. That’s enough, Ford claims, for 60mph in 6.5sec and a top speed of 150mph (7mph more than the RS).
There is a six-speed manual gearbox (one more ratio than in the RS) and although there’s no diff as such, there is traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution plus a highly sophisticated stability control system. The ST’s tyres and brakes – 225/40 R18s behind which nestle 320mm ventilated discs at the front and 280mm solid discs at the rear – are virtually identical to the RS’s.
The chassis is the area in which Ford’s engineers have tried hardest to hit the bullseye. The basic ingredients are the same as those of a regular Focus - struts and coil springs at the front, a multi-link arrangement at the rear and rack-and-pinion power steering - a host of modifications have been made to sharpen the ST.
The steering has been heavily revised to provide better feel and, thanks to alterations to the tuning of the front suspension itself, crisper response, especially on turn-in. Three different steering weights (comfort, normal and sport) can be selected from the trip computer menu. Doing so changes the amount of assistance, and therefore weighting, of the electro-hydraulic set-up.
Springs are 30 per cent stiffer front and rear, the front anti-roll bar is a mere five per cent stiffer, providing a clue as to how refined the ST might be in spite of its extra performance, and the dampers have been retuned to suit the package.
Apart from the 18-inch wheels, bright orange paintwork and undeniably effective new set of skirts and spoilers, what distinguishes the ST from its more humble siblings is ride height. It sits 15mm lower than any other Focus. Although it may not boast the ultra-aggressive width of track of the old RS, it looks decidedly menacing.