Fifty years on since 1966, it wasn’t just football that made headlines.

It was the year of a glorious Ford Performance. Winning Le Mans the greatest 24hr endurance race, 1-2-3. Now they are back at LeMans again for the ultimate Ford performance.

 
With four Ford GT race cars set for the race this weekend and aiming for class victory. This race is one to watch.

It isn’t just all about ultimate high performance for Ford, this year’s LeMans and Goodwood Festival of Speed mark the release of another brilliant, but slightly smaller car into the complete Ford performance line-up.

Ford are presenting the Fiesta ST 220, their ultimate hot hatch. Fiesta ST already one of the most fun, driver flattering hot hatches on the market has been upgraded to something rather special.

“…a new level of power and performance, I think it’s a future classic in the making.”said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe

Go-Kart like handling and the uprated engine now bring 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. The new 200PS Fiesta now adds 10percent more power and 20 percent more torque to the mix. It appears no longer does getting a few more horsepower mean bunging in an electronic chip and hoping the brakes and clutch will play ball.

Driving dynamics have further been improved with uprated suspension and a new enhanced torque vectoring system and a new electronic stability control system. Optimised braking which means bigger brakes and master cylinder and sharpened and enhanced power steering. There is still more…

Having chatted over dinner at length with Matthias Tonn, chief programme engineer of the Fiest ST200. This car is a ‘child’ he is rightly proud of, it pushed to the limits cutting edge engineering in all aspects of development. There was nothing he felt could have been done better.

All I can say is at last; I can’t wait to drive it next week at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show and the press day.

Bags of fun and built to please and run as a daily car, at just £22,745, yes please.