When Nick Love decided to reimagine 1970s cop show The Sweeney, he decided to stick with tradition and dump the main characters in a Ford. 

Luckily, Nick’s a car man, and recognised chase scenes involving a Ka are about as entertaining as a Piers Morgan interview. So Plan B and Ray Winstone are rocking the new, 247bhp Focus ST – and we’ve driven it! 

The first thing to notice is the exterior styling has been slimmed down. Where the previous model had thighs like Sir Chris Hoy, the latest incarnation is more svelte than Bradley Wiggins. The result is
a slightly less-aggressive looking machine, but the weight loss means things have got meatier in the performance department. You can dispatch 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds, and with so much torque steer, you need Sir Chris’ arms to keep it on the road. 

But once you’ve wrestled the ST into submission, it’s a ridiculously quick car. There’s plenty of front-end grip and the fruity exhaust note means there’s no need for a radio; plant your right foot and chuckle as the deep burble grows with the revs.

Love’s choice of car is spot on: it’s fast, good looking and spacious enough to house two perps in the back. Although the exhaust means we won’t hear Ray calling them “Slaags!” 

Vital Statistics 

Price: £21,995
Engine: 2.0 litre Ecoboost 
Performance: 247 bhp 
Top Speed: 154mph