We all rejoiced when the Ford Focus RS arrived at its international launch and proved it's still possible to buy a real giant killer with a blue oval on its nose.

Now it has arrived on home soil, and we're amongst the first to test the rally replica on British roads.

With more than 300bhp all aimed at the tarmac through the front wheels, we're as keen as everyone else to see if the latest RS is the hot hatch equivalent of a superhero or mad man.

It certainly has muscle in all the right places, both on the outside and under its skin.

To call the wheelarches 'flared' is something of an understatement. They are huge, and make it possible for all four wheels to sit further apart, increasing stability and grip.

The RS means business

And what wheels they are too: 19-inch multi-spoke alloys fitted with wide (235/35) Continental SportContact tyres tweaked specially for the RS, and more commonly found fitted to exotic sports cars.

At the front there are gaping air intakes, and at the rear there is a deep diffuser and incredibly large downforce generating rear wing, inspired by the Ford Focus WRC rally car.

Go the extra mile and choose the Ultimate Green paint and you have a Ford Focus which will make the driver in front pull out of the way in sheer panic.

If they don't you can overtake them with a surge of power which makes you laugh like a school child the first time you experience it.

Calm before the storm

The surroundings might be familiar; the dashboard and steering wheel being almost identical to the ST's, but the accelerative rush is on a whole new level.

To sit in the Focus RS with the engine off, simply looking at its interior is akin to the calm before a hurricane.

The biggest changes comprise a new turbocharger which blows twice as hard and a new intercooler, engine internals and exhaust which result in 300bhp and 324lb/ft of pulling power – figures similar to the World Rally Car.

Even without four-wheel drive acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 5.9 seconds and the RS doesn't run out of steam until163mph is reached.

Revs are accompanied by a fantastic noise, which is more urgent than the smooth warble of the 2.5-litre ST.

No four-wheel drive

Ford ditched the idea of four-wheel drive during the development of the RS, deciding the extra hardware would make it too heavy and add too much to the list price of this affordable performance hero.

Instead the engineers set about making the RS handle and grip better than any front-wheel drive in history.

A new front suspension design called RevoKnuckle makes the front wheels incredibly stable under acceleration, reducing torque steer (where the steering wheel tugs from side to side) to the point where it’s only evident in extreme circumstances.

It's coupled to a limited slip differential which stops an unloaded front wheel from spinning, particularly out of tight bends.

Accelerating hard in a second gear corner you can feel there is drama unfolding at the front wheels, and plenty of information flows back through the steering wheel. But, it never threatens to take the RS in an unexpected direction like it did in the last generation Focus RS.

The steering is wonderfully accurate and full of feel, and the grip and traction from the chassis is incredible.

There is no understeer or oversteer to speak of, just an ability to flow along a challenging British B road as convincingly as any sports car.

Watch out supercar drivers

In the hands of Ford's test drivers it has lapped the manufacturer's handling circuit faster than the 550bhp Ford GT supercar.

Its closest competitor is the Renaultsport Megane R26.R, which goes about its performance in rather a different way. It doesn't have any extra power, instead it's stripped out, weighing around 100kg less than a standard R26, and has super-sticky track day tyres.

The Focus RS goes about re-writing the front-wheel drive history books in a different way. It weighs more than an ST, but has so much more power and grip the extra mass is pretty insignificant.

Inside, the RS is a car you can use everyday, it really is just as practical as any other three-door Focus. The boot is the same size, visibility is good and the seating position is excellent, helped by hugging Recaro bucket seats.

In fact, it's the front chairs which add most to the cabin's atmosphere.

Future classic

Running costs are better than you might expect too, with a combined fuel consumption figure of 30.5mpg and emissions of 225g/km making it slightly more economical than the ST. Be warned however: put your foot down and this fuel consumption figure will plummet

The Ford RS head honcho Jost Coptio has overseen the creation of a true performance hero in the hottest Focus. The fact anyone who can get on the waiting list can now buy a family hatchback for £25k which will keep pace with most supercars is clear proof of his massive achievement. The Focus RS is a classic in the making.