The 2008 Ford Focus ST hot hatch will go on sale on May 1st, with prices for the 150mph brute starting from £18,250.

The 2008 Ford Focus ST gets the same interior and exterior upgrades applied to the Ford Focus we reviewed last year.

But underpinnings will remain the same as the previous Ford Focus ST – which means a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine producing 222bhp and 236lb/ft of pulling power.

View more shots of the 2008 Ford Focus ST

This gives the 2008 Ford Focus ST a 0-62mph (100kph) time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 150mph.

As with the outgoing model, buyers can opt for a Focus ST in three trims – ST, ST-2 and ST-3.

All models get 18-inch five-spoke alloys, sporty bodykit, Recaro sports seats, electronic stability programme, traction control, keyless start and the Easyfuel system which prevents drivers putting diesel in the car by accident.

The ST-2 model adds a Sony sound system, bi-xenon headlights, LED rear lights and a heated windscreen, while the top-end ST-3 benefits from the additional six-CD multichanger and full leather trim.

Up against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Honda Civic Type-R, the 2008 Ford Focus ST retains its much-revered ‘hooligan’ look which led Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson renaming it the Ford ASBO.

Prices for the Ford Focus ST start from £18,250 and rise to £20,845 – just £100 more than the previous model.

We’ll be test driving the 2008 Ford Focus ST at the end of May alongside the first UK drive of the all-new Ford Kuga crossover so don’t forget to come back for our reviews.

View more shots of the 2008 Ford Focus ST