Fans of the sporty Ford breed have been waiting a long time for a desirable and quick car with the blue oval badge on its face. Finally, after the launch of the cool, but not very sharp Fiesta ST, Ford has announced initial details for the very promising Focus ST, making its debut at the Geneva show.

Now don't start mumbling under your breath and looking away from the screen. We all know that the ST version of the previous generation Focus was a major disappointment in terms of being a real driver's car. It was capable and had an excellent ride/handling compromise, but failed to excite many enthusiasts. Ford was obviously aware of this when it decided upon the specification of the new Focus ST.

For starters, the show car is a sizzling orange colour, with matching accents inside. The ST sits squat on shapely new 18-inch alloys, filling the beefed-up wheelarches and deeper front and rear bumpers. At the rear you'll notice an exhaust pipe at either side, hinting at a formidable powerplant under the bonnet. You won't be disappointed in this department as the Focus ST packs a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which pushes out a healthy 217bhp. At present the ST is front-wheel drive only, but we suspect that four-wheel drive is inevitable, along with even more powerful variants. Feeding the power to the front wheels is a slick six-speed manual gearbox.

Sitting into the ST should be almost as enjoyable as driving it. Embossed ST sill plates greet driver and passenger before they settle back into snug-fitting Recaro sports seats (front and rear). The driver's pew is the best in the house of course as he is furnished with a lovely 3-spoke sports steering wheel, tactile gear lever and a neat cluster of gauges on the dashboard. Prominence is given to the turbo boost gauge, signalling the intent of this car. The ST will have still competition in the form of the Golf GTi and new Vauxhall Astra VXR.

Shane O' Donoghue - 23 Feb 2005