Drive On: Add Ford Focus ST to hot cop car list

Ford has created in the U.K. a demo version of the new performance Focus ST as a police "fast response" vehicle.

Ford is attempting to capitalize there on the fact that the ST -- which just went on sale here -- has a starring role as an unmarked cop car for the elite "flying squad" in a popular new crime thriller showing in British theaters.

The movie car is the five-door hatch, the only model sold in the U.S., but for the one-off police demo, Ford's special vehicles unit tricked up the wagon version also sold in most of the rest of the world in full U.K. law enforcement dress, including those odd checkerboard sides, a blue LED light bar and mobile computer terminal.

According to Ford, the wagon meets the U.K.'s "latest National Policing Improvement Agency standards for fast response vehicles inside and out" and was shown at Britain's National Association of Police Fleet Managers' Conference and Blue Light Fleet Exhibition recently.

Said Terry Adams, Ford's sales manager for there for police, fire & ambulance, "At the ... show we displayed the car's crime-fighting talents to police transport managers and took bookings for demonstrations."

While the Focus ST compact doesn't have a lot of room in back to hold perps, it should be able to chase them down, powered by its 252 hp., 2.0-liter turbo four.

According to Ford's internal averages given to Drive On (Ford has not publicly stated performance numbers), the ST is good for 0-60 in 6.5 seconds -- and for 60-0 in an impressive 117 feet. It tops out at 154 mph, finishes the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at a speed of 97 mph and can pull a .97g cornering force on the skid pad.