Some very clever engineers got some very big migraines trying to put 300bhp through the front wheels of the Focus RS. Aspirin sales in Dagenham spiked recently - and now we know why. A 345bhp version has been confirmed.

Yes sir. Ford will filter 345bhp and 339lb.ft from five cylinders to front wheels in the RS500. That's a significant 15 percent power increase.

Ford has set up a website for the car at www.focusrs500.com. There you can see a video of it in action at night and find out a few tantalising details of the flagship hatch. The info was due to be released on Wednesday (31st March), but Ford has relinquished early due to popular demand, it says.

The RS500 comes finished in a stunning matte black paintjob, sitting on black 19-inch alloys, and with Recaro bucket seats finished in red. Each car has a plaque bearing its production number. The limited edition flagship hatch will be made only 500 times, with 101 of those hitting the UK.

The move undoubtedly comes in response to the handful of aftermarket tuners offering substantial power gains on the stock RS. An official version with a warranty is peace of mind-tastic, though at a rumoured £35k starting point, it had better be good.

Mark Nichol - 29 Mar 2010