The ultimate Ford Focus

It looks pretty discreet compared to the Escort Cosworth, with pumped-up wheelarches separating it from its common-or-garden siblings

And Stuart Milne reckons the Focus RS was the last to offer proper seat-of-your-pants thrills for the masses.

Click here for more pictures of the Ford Focus RS

I've always had a thing for fast Fords.

They have always been tremendous fun and whether they wear a massive rear wing or painted with Lotus green stripes, look fantastic.

But most of all; they're the kind of cars the man in the street can actually afford.

While my mates had pictures of Ferrari Testarossas on their bedroom walls, I had a very 1980s picture of a Moonstone Grey Sierra Cosworth. With lightning bolts behind it.

Even in those early days I was a realist – I knew I'd never afford a Ferrari, and even if I could, the garage bills would be crippling.

The Sierra was largely built of pig iron which could be fixed with my Precision Mending Tool™ - a.k.a. a hammer.

So when the Escort was replaced, I was disappointed the hottest Focus was a 125mph 2-litre shopping trolley.

Until the RS came along in 2002.

Five years later, I finally managed to get some serious wheel time with the Focus RS and I immediately fell in love with it.

Race inspired

It looks pretty discreet compared to the Escort Cosworth, with only pumped-up wheelarches, deep front and rear bumpers and a boot lip spoiler separating it from its common-or-garden siblings.

More apparent are the gorgeous 18-inch OZ Racing alloys and massive Brembo brakes behind.

Things are markedly less subtle in the cabin, with deep blue stripes on the leather and alcantara Sparco bucket seats and matching blue panels on the doors and steering wheel. There's even a stripe at 12 o'clock on the steering wheel to indicate when the front wheels are pointing forward.

And that's useful because as far as the RS looks like a shrinking violet – and drives like one at low speeds – is a hard driving, hard riding and hard drinking hooligan when the pace picks up.

Turning out of the top secret warehouse where Ford keeps this particular RS under wraps, I was caught napping and nearly let the car's immense torque steer guide me through a hedge.

Putting all 212bhp through the front wheels causes this sensation which left me grappling with a bucking steering wheel weaving the car from side-to-side.

It's like many adrenalin-fuelled circumstances – unpleasant at first, but intoxicating the second, third and fourth time.

Controlling this became second nature during my 100-odd mile journey with the Focus.

But I found it difficult to adjust to the way the turbocharged four cylinder engine would pile on the acceleration. It might 'only' pack 212bhp – 10bhp less than the current ST – but its noticeably quicker and thrashing through the slick five-speed gearbox was a joy.

That performance is provided by a heavily tweaked version of a standard 2-litre engine. A Garrett water-cooled turbo forcing cold air into the engine at up to 14.5psi was joined by a sports exhaust and revised air intake system.

But this is no garage bodge-job to get more power. Ford threw race-developed forged pistons and connecting rods, a high-performance oil cooler and an uprated fuel pump at the engine.