Mazda 3 MPS vs Ford Focus RS Lytham St Annes

The arrival of the Focus RS has made 2009 a year to remember for fast Ford fans. After countless near misses and false dawns, the blue oval finally delivered a car worthy of the famous RS badge in July. Bold and brash, it careered into the hot hatch market like a bull in the proverbial china shop.

The most powerful front-wheel-drive car on the market, the Focus offers rally-inspired looks and performance that have already won over fans, ensuring it a place in the fast Ford hall of fame.

But as is often the case in this fiercely competitive sector, it hasn’t had to wait long for an exciting new rival to appear on the horizon. The latest Mazda 3 MPS is built on the same platform as the Focus RS, but in terms of design philosophy it’s a very different proposition.

Powered by a 256bhp four cylinder turbocharged engine, the five-door Mazda is aiming to steal the RS’s limelight with its rapid performance, practical cabin and sizeable £4,895 price advantage.

Seeing off the flagship Focus won’t be an easy task – the RS has already beaten the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X – but given the Mazda’s specification and value for money, it certainly has the firepower to cause an upset.

Will the subtlety and guile of the MPS outwit the thunderous RS?

There’s only one way to find out… so we brought them face to face in a keenly anticipated battle of the superhatches!

Mazda 3 MPS vs Ford Focus RS