The last time we drove the 2013 Ford Focus ST we called it the $24,495 BMW M3. And despite the fact that the 252-horsepower 2013 Focus ST is a front-drive turbocharged hatchback, that spin around the French Alps had us thinking BMW and not Mazdaspeed 3 or Volkswagen GTI.

But that was a preproduction European-spec test car in an unfamiliar environment. Before we could make a full analysis we'd need to experience the hot rod Focus ST on our own turf.

Ford didn't have one available for us yet, but a local dealer did. $29,185 later, we walked out with our new Long-Term Tangerine Scream 2013 Ford Focus ST. Then we hit the road to get it broken in. Five days later we finished the break-in and sent it immediately to the track.

Would we still be thinking M3, or would the numbers and on-track performance bring us back to a Mazdaspeed 3/GTI mindset?

Vehicle:
Odometer: 1,188
Date: 10/2/2012
Driver: Josh Jacquot
Price: $29,185 (as tested)

Specifications:
Drive Type: Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed manual
Engine Type: Turbocharged inline-4
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 1,999/122
Redline (rpm): 6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 252 @ 5,500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 270 @ 2,500
Brake Type (front): 12.6-inch ventilated disc with single-piston sliding caliper
Brake Type (rear): 10.7-inch ventilated disc with single-piston sliding caliper
Suspension Type (front): Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, trailing links
Tire Size (front): 235/40R18 (95Y)
Tire Size (rear): 235/40R18 (95Y)
Tire Brand: Goodyear
Tire Model: Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Tire Type: Asymmetrical summer performance
As Tested Curb Weight (lb.): 3,251

Test Results:

Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.8 (2.9 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 4.5 (4.8 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 6.6 (7.2 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 6.3 (6.8 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 9.9 (10.0 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 15.0 @ 93.3 (15.1 @92.5 w/ TC on)

Braking
30-0 (ft): 28
60-0 (ft): 112

Handling
Slalom (mph): 69.1 (67.7 w/TC off)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.93 (0.91 w/TC on)

Db @ Idle: 45.6
Db @ Full Throttle: 78.4
Db @ 70-mph Cruise: 64.7
RPM @ 70: 2,650

Comments:

Acceleration: Not easy to launch, but not as hard as some FWD cars. Doesn't want to bog or coil like Mazdaspeed 3, but also doesn't leave as hard. Needs about 3,500 rpm and quick clutch engagement for best launch. Wheels spin partway through 1st, then hook. When executed properly, the shift to 2nd doesn't bog. Shifter is vague for this kind of use. Probably fine during daily driving (or even road course use), but not direct enough for drag-style shifting.

Braking: Softer pedal than I'd prefer, but stopping seems reliable. Some variation in distance, but no fade.

Handling:

Skid pad: Readily rotates off throttle, which allows complete freedom of line adjustment here. This car would be brilliant on a road course. Communicative and lively. Fun. Stability off yields best numbers here.

Slalom: Eagerness to rotate on the skid pad hurts this car in the slalom. Still, its manners are superb if you're willing to drive it hard. Best time in "Sport" mode. Tuned to rotate so don't bother turning ESC off. Stability control and suspension engineers tuned this car for drivers who understand.

Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

Aside from the torque steer, I can't overstate how impressive the handling is. Unfortunately, I have a feeling most of these cars will be sold on horsepower alone so people can race other front drivers in a straight line from third gear roll-on. What a waste that will be. With many of the hot hatches becoming a bit too refined to be considered true hot hatches - yes, I'm looking at you, GTI and Cooper S -- it is refreshing to see something aimed at being a hooligan. I can see one of two things happening if I drove this car daily. The more likely one is me losing my license when a cop isn't impressed with the Focus' ability to four-wheel drift. Less likely is me keeping my license long enough to get tired of the comments and challenges, wrestling with the torque steer, and paying for new tires every couple of months.

The Ford Escort is back—at least as a concept at the China auto show.

The simply-styled Escort concept was revealed this weekend in Shanghai, and it suggests design possibilities for a Ford compact sedan.

While not offering extensive details, Ford said the Escort is meant to be “stylish,” but not “arrogant or “pretentious.” The result is one of the more basic concepts shown by any major automaker in recent memory, though design cues include blinged-out LED headlights in the rough shape of a figure eight and an upright grille. It rolls on 18-inch chrome wheels and has a creased hood in front and short, sloping deck in back. The concept's powertrain was not disclosed.

“Design was driven to give it a very sleek dynamic,” Ford designer Chris Svensson said.

That aims to appeal to the so-called C-segment, a major part of China's car market. Ford estimates it accounts for 5.5 million vehicle sales annually, or more than the entire volume of Japan's car industry. Ford already sells a version of the Focus in China in this sector.

That market's thirst for compact sedans is comparable to the manner in which Americans view crossovers—as the main transportation for the family and adaptable to a variety of situations.

The Escort name was used for more than 20 years on Ford small cars in the United States.

Given the success of the last Ford Focus RS, based on the previous-generation Focus sold outside the U.S., a follow-up model based on the new Ford Focus seemed like a done deal. After all, the new Focus is widely promoted as a global car, and excitement over the launch of the lesser Focus ST seems to indicate a large enthusiast marketplace.

Still, several years on since the arrival of the new Focus, we’re still waiting on the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] to launch a high-performance RS variant. Spy shots of a test mule have previously surfaced, and there have been numerous reports claiming that the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine debuting in the 2015 Mustang will eventually make its way into a range-topping Focus.

Now, Auto Motor and Sport is reporting that a new Focus RS will finally arrive in 2015. The Swedish magazine also reports that the car will come equipped with the 2015 Mustang’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, with output capped at 330 horsepower. Ford hasn’t revealed final specs for its Mustang but said its four-banger will deliver over 305 horsepower. The previous Focus RS delivered as much as 345 horsepower from a turbocharged five-cylinder mill.

Any new Focus RS will likely remain a front-driver, and come with five doors. The last Focus RS came with a three-door body but Ford doesn’t build a three-door Focus anymore.

Part of the reason for the delay in launching a new Focus RS is the loss of former Ford SVT head Jost Capito, who was snatched up by Volkswagen to head its successful WRC operation. Capito was largely responsible for developing the previous Focus RS. The popularity of the smaller Fiesta in motorsport also meant that there have been fewer resources to develop the performance potential of the Focus.

Okay Ford, this is what we like to see. One of our intrepid spy photographers has captured a vehicle that we weren't even sure would see the light of day – the next Focus RS. While this is pretty clearly a mule based on the current Focus ST, as our spy points out, there are a number of giveaways about this hot hatch's true nature.

Indication number one that all is not right with this Focus is the heavily camo'd front fascia, which has been completely reconfigured for duty on the RS. It boasts significantly larger grilles that are meant to accommodate what is likely the 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that's destined for the 2015 Ford Mustang. Considering that, then, we can expect around 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque from the hottest of Foci, although it's entirely possible that the production model could climb even higher, to around 330 hp.

The front fascia tweaks are complemented in the back by a modified rear bumper, which fails at hiding a pair of exhaust tips quite unlike the standard Focus ST's center-exit exhaust. Other obvious changes include the wheel/tire/brake package on this particular car. Larger 19-inch wheels are shod in super-sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 235/35/19 while the brakes feature what we think are four-piston calipers, possibly from Brembo, up front.

The big question that we can't answer with these photos is, though, whether the next RS will use all-wheel drive. That remains an open question, although hopefully we'll see evidence supporting that theory sooner rather than later. Until then, though, hop up top and take a look at the full gallery of spy photos of the next Ford Focus RS.

Refinements for the upgraded 2015 Focus ST include:

- Redesigned, sportier front and rear fascias
- HID headlamps standard with ST2 and ST3 trim levels with Recaro seats
- Standard LED signature lighting
- 18-inch Rado Gray alloy wheels standard
- Available new 18-inch alloy wheel design with red painted brake calipers
- New exterior color, Magnetic Metallic, replaces Ingot Silver
- Two over-the-top stripe choices now available – Satin Black and High Gloss Red, stripes come with matching mirror skull caps
- Redesigned instrument panel center stack with improved climate controls and new finishes
- New center console with more storage space including a new media bin with USB smart charging port, which charges two times faster than previous USB port
- Updated front door storage with cupholders
- New flat-bottom steering wheel to provide extra leg clearance for the driver
- Available heated steering wheel
- Available eight-way power driver's seat
- Revised steering for improved feel
- Rear view camera standard

If a new report is to be believed, the hottest of Ford's hatchbacks - the upcoming Focus RS - will boast an all-wheel-drive system and be sold in the United States.

Citing an anonymous Blue Oval source, Road & Track claims that the new-generation RS will rely on an all-wheel-drive system to put power from its turbocharged 2.3-liter "EcoBoost" four-cylinder to the pavement while avoiding the prodigious torque steer a front-wheel-drive configuration would almost certainly entail.

A variation of the mill used in the Lincoln MKC and 2015 Ford Mustang, the 2.3-liter will likely be mated to a six-speed manual transmission in this application. Output figures haven't yet been finalized, but numbers similar to the Mustang's 310 horsepower and 320 lb-ft are possible.

While few other details are available, an even more aggressive body kit than that of the Focus ST is expected, along with upsized wheels, bigger brakes and a stiffer suspension.

A pricetag in the neighborhood of $30,000 is likely when the Focus RS launches next year as a 2016 model.

UPDATE: We have additional details about the upcoming 2016 Focus RS from another trusted source, including power output, so let's start with that. With the Mustang GT's V8 holding down a 435 hp spot at the top of the Ford performance pecking order (for now, until the 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 emerges), the Focus RS is free to turn up the horsepower wick. Since the 2.3-liter Ecoboost is easily capable of more than its 310 hp output in the Mustang, which was dictated more by fuel economy concerns than anything else, the RS is free to pump out between 325 and 350 hp. The higher figure is more likely. This is because as a low-volume, niche product that doesn't compete with the Mustang GT, there's no reason to hold the Focus RS back.

To put the power down, Ford will employ an entirely new AWD system intended for high-output applications. It's not the same system employed on the Fusion, Escape, and MKZ. The new system will employ torque vectoring front and rear to aid handling, and after debuting in the Focus RS it will trickle down to other applications.

That means the Focus RS might have some high-performance AWD company in Ford's lineup soon.