Synonymous with the flashy 1980s, the Ferrari Testarossa was for many years found on one of the two most popular bedroom posters on the planet, along with the Lamborghini Countach. (Well, car posters, anyway.) A lot of people growing up in that period sadly never got the chance to even drive a "Red Head" as an adult, nevermind owning one. For those people, the Ford Focus ST may be the perfect car, as odd as that may sound. At least this is what the latest XCAR reviewer of the Ford hot-hatch is trying to express.

Powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-banger with 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, the Focus ST is more powerful and slightly cheaper than the Volkswagen Golf GTI. XCAR says it's in the perfect sweet spot of diminishing returns between a supercar->ke177 and a family car. The truth is that it offers enough room and creature comforts for a family man and plenty of oomph and sporty road-holding for the driver in him.

In some ways I agree with that statement, especially since if you want something that goes over a second faster from 0-60 mph you would need to spend almost twice the money. On the other hand, the same can be said about a number of other hot-hatches, which wouldn't make the Focus ST feel so special anymore. Good bang for buck? Most definitely, but it's far from being the best, and I think an even better alternative may even come from Ford's own backyard, in the form of the Fiesta ST.

Ford Focus ST