Ford Fiesta ST Concept,at 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show‎

Ford Fiesta

Now it’s time to meet the hottest Ford Fiesta in town; hot out of the ST oven.

“The Fiesta has a rich history of high-performance models so a new ST performance model is a logical next step in our performance vehicle strategy for our global small cars,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “With a racing silhouette inspired by the global Fiesta race and rally cars currently competing on the world stage, and influenced by the unique appearance of the all-new Focus ST, the new Fiesta ST Concept is an exciting demonstration of the road-going Fiesta’s future potential.”

A lowered stance, widened wheel arches filled with 17-inch alloy wheels and full ST body kit are all inspired by the brutally seductively styled Ford Fiesta WRC competition car, and basing road cars on racecars is probably the best idea since baking flour, water and yeast together and cutting the resulting hot chunk into equal-width portions. Fiesta ST is painted here in eye-popping Molten Orange.

Just hours after unleashing the production-ready 2012 Ford Focus ST, the Blue Oval brand has given hot hatch fans another Frankfurt treat with the unveiling of the Ford Fiesta ST Concept. The Ford Fiesta ST is on its way, make no mistake about that.

Ford group vice president, global product development, Derrick Kuzak, did everything but put a date on it when he spoke about the red-hot Fiesta ST Concept at the Frankfurt show.

Like the Fiesta RS WRC rally car, the three-door Ford Fiesta ST Concept is powered by a 1.6-litre Ecoboost turbocharged petrol engine.

Ford engineers say the ST tuned suspension has been designed to “flatter less-experienced drivers while rewarding those seeking to push the limits of the Fiesta ST Sports performance”.

Ford director of global performance vehicles, Jots Capitol, said the Fiesta ST project is proof that the Ford Global Performance Plan “has legs”.

With 120 hp on tap, the Ford Fiesta doesn’t exactly set the hearts of speed freaks aflame. Forced-induction Fiestas have blitzed across rally stages and up mountainsides for the past few years, but the new Fiesta ST concept, which is debuting at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, suggests the joys of a turbocharged Fiesta could work just as well in a street-legal vehicle.

Jost Capito, Ford's director of Global Performance Vehicles, says this new ST show car is proof positive that the company's Global Performance Plan has legs, and can extend well beyond the forthcoming 2012 Focus ST, which is debuting alongside the Fiesta ST at Frankfurt.

Mechanically speaking, the Fiesta ST Show car abides by the same mechanical formula used on its big brother. The hot hatch, built off the European three-door model, retains its front-wheel-drive architecture. Displacing 1.6 liters, the Fiesta's dual-overhead cam mill is about four-tenths of a liter shy of the Focus, but it certainly isn't lacking power.

Ford says that power is enough to rocket the Fiesta ST from 0-62 mph in 7 seconds, and to a top speed of 135 mph.

Even Ford's press materials suggest the show car is a look at what a performance Fiesta will look like when -- not if -- "it joins the Focus ST in the global small car portfolio."