When I was a kid, there was only one car that I would have happily swapped all my Transformers for, and that was an Audi ur-quattro. Back in the day when 200 bhp was "a lot", I thought the Quattro was seriously and properly fast. Even though today there are super minis that can pull its pants down in a straight line fight I never lost my affections for this car. It wasn't just because of the fabulously muscular stance, but more the noises it made, irrespective of whether it was pootling through traffic or thundering down a slip road - that gruff 5 cylinder beat was something to definitely listen out for. Of course, the quattro wasn't the only car to use a 5 cylinder engine but the die had been cast: if it had 5 cylinders - it was cool. Old Merc 250Ds, Volvo 850s and even those big VW LT thingies were cool. Such was the draw towards anything with 5 pots that I actually went as far as putting a deposit down on a used Fiat Marea 20 valve back in 2002.

Anyway, after a 2.0 Zetec Focus I had a very pleasant 2 years with a BMW E39 5 series with a 2.2 litre straight six manual that was utterly delightful to own and drive. It wasn't cheap to run though, so when I came to replace it in January I had to put plans for an M5 or 540i on the back burner. However, as a Jaguar employee, I have access to a discount scheme that offsets the purchase price of most Fords to the extent that you don't have to worry about depreciation for the first year. For a while I had my eye on a Mondeo ST220 and a weekend loan had convinced me that discount or not, it was a superb car, but rumours were abound that the new Focus ST was actually going to be given the tackle to fill it's posing pouch and the smart money was on this being 5 cylinder turbocharged Volvo tackle!.

Thankfully, my patience paid off and the Focus ST was announced in autumn last year, I ordered mine in November and from January 3rd I was all set to enjoy many a "Walter Rohrl" moment on some twisty B roads. I went for the ST2 because I didn't want the dour black leather seats or the 6 CD changer fitted to the ST3, instead the blue waffle Recaros and the Sony MP3 CD player are brilliant. I quite fancied the fizzy metallic orange, but was buggered if I was going to pay £600 for it, so I played safe and went with performance blue (like every other owner it would seem). To date, I've covered 5,500 miles and it's fair to say that owner and car have now bonded. I still miss the E39, but I do love my ST.

The engine is the star attraction in a car with a superb chassis - justifying the reviews it's received so far with behaviour as stereotypical as the specification would suggest. It doesn't sound very exciting at idle and doesn't sound comfortable beyond 6,000 rpm, but overall it's a wonderful sounding, charismatic unit that is a pleasure to work hard. Curiously, it seems to feel and go best with approximately 80% throttle rather than with the throttle wide open, I have no idea why this would be so, but when combined with up changes at 6,000 rpm progress is effortlessly rapid and sonorous. The gear change, like all of the controls, is very well weighted and satisfying to use with well chosen ratios and a proper 6th gear that allows excellent cruising economy and refinement with decent pick up should the need arise.

For me, the chassis balance is spot on. I like the way it flows over fast B roads instead of attempting to pound the road into submission. Iron fist body control is all very well for when you want to be a menace to society - but for the remaining 99% of the time it's irritating. The ride quality really is exceptional for a taut hatchback - close to E39 smooth on the motorway and reasonable around town. Scabby tarmac and sharp intrusions aren't dealt with as well - but that's understandable considering the 40 section 18 inch tyres.

Initially I was disappointed with the lack of traction in the lower gears, but that had more to do with the icy, salty slurry that cover the roads until March so you shouldn't be surprised that the problem has now gone away. Grip and stability were never in doubt. This car feels very secure when the roads are wet and I had one of my quickest drives ever across a deserted section of the Fosse Way in one of those epic, Old Testament type downpours that threaten to wash the countryside away.

Overall the Focus ST is very solidly built and the structure feels super stiff; the interior is a pleasant place to be and the quality is reasonable. Yes the Golf may be marginally superior but both get soundly thrashed by the E39 (well most cars do, to be honest). The lower dash and door plastics are awful but the bulk of the fitments, and crucially, all of the controls, are pleasingly solid.

Refinement is very good with wind and road noise lower than I expected. When you couple this with the awesome seats, effortless power-train and superb high speed ride you end up with a supreme high speed mile eater. So why on earth Ford gave it a piddly little fuel tank and didn't fit cruise control (even as an option) is beyond me. If you're sensible on the motorway, the 30 mpg you could squeeze out of it would mean you could do 300 miles plus on a tank. But if you can't resist dipping into that creamy turbo punch every chance you get, then don't bank on much more than 23 mpg and 240 miles to a tank.

£600 a year for insurance is reasonable for a 27 year old with no points and full no claims. Apart from the occasional rattle from the tailgate and a misplaced heatshield, nothing has gone wrong or required attention. So, on the basis that I should recoup the vast majority of the purchase price when I come to move it on, the ST should prove to be a very affordable, yet enjoyable performance car.