After the briefest of delays, the ST gets into its stride, and once 1700rpm and full boost are attained, it delivers a solid, linear surge of acceleration until the limiter calls time at 6750rpm.
In second and third it borders on being ferociously quick, in fourth and fifth it goes as well as a Mazda MX-5 does in second, and even in sixth there’s enough muscle to make overtaking a distinct possibility.
It was wet when we figured the ST, which explains why it recorded 6.9sec to 60mph and 16.8sec to 100mph. In the dry we reckon we would have bettered Ford’s claim of 6.5sec to 60mph and taken the thick end of a second off the 0-100mph time.
Unfortunately, one of the ST’s few dynamic weaknesses is its poor traction on greasy surfaces. You either leave the ESP system on and get no throttle response, or you leave it off and try to tailor the wheelspin with your right foot.
Once under way and in third gear or above, the ST has genuinely extraordinary levels of grip and composure, especially in the wet. If you need further proof of this, check out the time it posted on our wet handling circuit: 1min 7.3sec, making it the fastest car we’ve ever timed around this track, and that includes a Porsche 911 Carrera S.
What allows the ST to cover ground with such speed is the amount of grip it generates and the exploitability of its handling. Even in the wet, the chassis is so friendly you can lean on it in a way you’d not dream of doing in most cars.
The ST’s mix of sharp turn-in, almost zero front-end slip, huge mid-corner grip and predictable on-limit manners mean you can drive it harder than most rivals.
Highly skilled pilots will be able to cover ground at astonishing speeds in this car and will still be totally engaged by it. But even moderately skilled drivers will get a lot out of it, in speed and satisfaction: a rare and admirable achievement.