All three generations of the Focus RS have their own unique character, but the Mk2 was arguably the most impressive of them all.

When launched in 2009 it was one of the very first ‘hyper-hatches’, with a power figure to rival those of much more costly sports cars and an exterior design that wore its Fast Ford credentials on its wing tips.
 
The standard Mk2 RS took the, then, Focus ST’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder and added redesigned pistons, conrods and camshafts, an uprated BorgWarner K16 turbocharger, a larger intercooler, less restrictive air intake, and an ECU re-map to bring peak outputs to 300bhp and 324lb/ft of torque.

But Ford hadn’t finished yet.

In mid-2010 the Focus RS500 was launched at the Leipzig Motor Show as a limited special run with a Satin Black exterior (courtesy of a 3M wrap) and black wheels.

But the big news was under the bonnet, where further upgrades to the intercooler, air filter, fuel pump, downpipe and ECU saw outputs rise to 345bhp and 339lb/ft – figures ...