Review of the new Ford Fiesta ST500 Special Edition

Going out on a high is always worth doing, particularly if this applies to a car worth celebrating. For years, Ford struggled to produce a hot hatch Fiesta worthy of the name, only really managing it with the current generation ST model. This car of course hasn't long to live thanks to the arrival of an all-new Fiesta but GTi versions of that car are some way off. Which means that fans of fast, affordable motoring with a blue oval badge might do well to consider this Fiesta ST500 last-of-the-line special.

At £15,000, it costs just over £1,000 more than a standard Fiesta ST but you don't mind that so much if the finished result looks special. This does. You get Panther black metallic paint, black alloy wheels with red brake callipers (a first for any Fiesta), a carbon fibre-pattern for the interior trim, a Sony audio system and ebony-coloured heated leather seats. You also get unique silver 'U'-shaped stripes on the bonnet and sides of the car, supposed to echo the livery of the 'classic' Escort RS2000 of the 1980s. Only 500 of these three-door Fiestas will be produced.

The Fiesta ST has built a decent reputation on these shores with its punchy 2.0-litre 150bhp engine, sports-tuned steering, lowered and stiffened sports suspension and short-shift close ratio gearbox. It worth remembering that back in the days on this model's ancestor, the Fiesta XR2i, a solid 150bhp was the preserve of pretty serious executive cars. Even BMW's 323i - the benchmark driver's car in its class - could only muster 120bhp. The Fiesta ST would eat it for breakfast before dropping the kids off at school, taking a run to Asda and then giving the groceries a good agitation on the twisty route back. Sixty from rest takes 7.9s on the way to 129mph.

If that's not fast enough, Ford is offering Fiesta ST customers in the UK a unique opportunity to buy performance upgrades for their cars through a choice of two special dealer-fit options. The Mountune Performance Stage 1 package retails at £1,435 (plus fitting) and consists of a high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust system including high flow catalyst and tubular manifold, and re-calibration of Ford's potent 2.0-litre Duratec ST engine to produce 165bhp. The more powerful Mountune Performance Stage 2 package will cost £1,838 (plus fitting) and adds new camshafts and valve springs to the basic package to deliver 185bhp.

"You don't mind a slight premium if the finished result looks special. This does. "

Whatever version of the Fiesta ST you choose, it's easily identifiably by the beefier front and rear bumpers, side moulding strips and colour-keyed detailing such as the door handles and mirrors. Indoors there are racing style seats, while a leather steering wheel, white metal pedals and a metal finish for the handbrake and door handles help give the interior a little extra visual flair.

Otherwise, things are much as they are in any Fiesta three-door. Headroom is 8mm less than in the five-door variant, but the rear is not as cramped or claustrophobic as you might expect. Rear passengers also benefit from decent knee clearance and because there are no rear doors, the shoulder room of 1,355mm is also impressive for a three-door supermini. There are stowage bins to the side of the rear seat and entry and exit from the rear is easy due to the long doors. As a result it's a bit of a stretch for the seatbelts when seated up front.

The 2.0-litre Duratec engine is the brainchild of Leo Roeks and his band of engineers at FordTeamRS. They have worked to create not only the ST but also a 180bhp RS version which sadly never saw the light on day in the car's current shape.

Ford insiders have hinted that the ST isn't much slower around their Lommel test track than the mighty RS Focus. High praise indeed, suggesting that this car is as good in this era as the old XR2i was in its. That particular hot hatch certainly painted a huge grin our Road test Editor's brother's face - right up to the point that he drove it head-on into a Volvo 244DL. After that, he had to concede that the car's crashworthiness wasn't all it could have been. One sure thing is that this ST will be a much better car to crash in. But please - just take our word for that.

The ST500 is a fitting way to mark this car's passing. There's are newer hot hatch designs sure but few that will reward you quite as much on a twisting country road or feel as special in the driveway. This car's replacement will have a lot to live up to.

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