GT5 Transcripts/Ford Focus Mk1

Introduced into the fiercely competitive European C-segment vehicle class in 1999. Ford's compact model, the Focus, had held its own against competition with a varied lineup that included a sedan, hatchback, and wagon, as well as the C-Max compact wagon.

But the image leader for the Focus lineup was the sporty RS model, first introduced in 2000. Bearing Ford's legendary "Rally Sport" moniker, think of this model as the street version of the Focus rally racer that the American automotive giant fielded in the World Rally Championship. Its 2.0-liter inline-4 sported a Garrett turbocharger and produced a hearty 212 HP with its peak torque rated at 227.8 ft-lb. This made it a surprisingly quick hatchback: 0-100 km/h arrived in only 6.4 seconds, while top speed was rated at 146 mph.

Despite already having the high-performance RS in its stable, Ford added yet another Focus model its sports-grade lineup, the ST170, which launched in 2003. If the RS was the competition-spec racer in search of all-out performance, then the ST170 served as the functional road car that focused on the emotional aspects of rewarding the driver.

Tweaked by Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) group, this model featured a peppy 2.0-liter normally-aspirated inline-4 with variable-valve timing and made 171 HP and 143.9 ft-lb of torque. A close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox and 215/45R-17 tires added to the fun.