Ariving to the South of France and back in a week is quite a hike. Add to that the miles that were done chasing this year’s best cars up and down mountainsides and it’s easy to see why the ST has clocked up so many miles this month.

Before eCoty got underway I took the Focus for its first service at Marshall of Cambridge. I was given a courtesy car for the day, and when I picked up my well-valeted ST the bill came to a reasonable £137.82. I also received a courtesy call the following day to make sure that everything was OK. Not bad service considering some of the horrors we’ve had from more prestigious brands over the years.

Freshly serviced, the ST was straight off to eCoty ‘part deux’. Photographers tend to carry as much rubbish as they can when doing shoots, everything from old pesticide sprayers for carrying water to clean the cars, to cameras, tripods, and umbrellas – even cereal bars to feed the needy. But with the ST’s rear seats down it all fitted in.

The Focus is an incredibly comfortable car to spend time in. The Recaro seats are perfect for long journeys and the more-than-adequate sound system is great for bellowing out your favourite tunes to while away the miles.

The only real hiccup on the way down was my inability to program the satnav properly. To the annoyance of those that were following me, I took my brain out and followed the nav’s instructions right into Paris! Zut alors!
Once the whole group had finally rendezvoused, it was up to me to guide everyone to the shoot location. When leading the likes of a Ferrari 599, Lambo LP640, Aston DB9 and Porsche GT3 up mountain roads, you feel an obligation to not hold them up. I now know how the guy who drives the Mercedes safety car in F1 must feel!

Now, I’m not saying that I was getting away from them – God forbid a photographer should out-drive a journalist! – but the ST did remarkably well on the twisty roads, proving to be great fun. The engine feels nice and free now, and although there was a bit of wheelspin from the inside front through the never-ending hairpins, there was surprisingly little understeer.

Unfortunately the trip has taken its toll on the ST’s tyres, which now need to be replaced. I understand from other owners that I have actually done well to get this many miles out of them – 12,000 miles seems to be the average life expectancy – but having managed to coax 22,000 miles out of the rubber on my old Mégane Cup long-termer, this still comes as a bit of a shock.