345bhp Ford Fiesta hot hatchback

A 345bhp Ford Fiesta hot hatch? Sounds like the perfect recipe for a new turbocharged Fiesta RS, to us. Sadly it’s just a show car for next month’s SEMA tuning convention in the US, but with development by Ford Racing, it’s a promising look at how potent a high-performance Fiesta could be. The power output equals that of the mad Ford Focus RS500, and comes courtesy of an Ecoboost turbo engine, enlarged from 2.0 to 2.3 litres. There’s also a number of Ford Racing performance parts fitted, including a more precise, short-throw gearbox, a throatier sports exhaust, Brembo brakes and Ohlins dual-flow valve dampers. ‘The goal of our 350-horsepower Fiesta is really twofold – first to reinforce Fiesta’s fun-to-drive nature with an extreme version that captures the attention of the influential enthusiast, and second, to introduce the Ford Racing/EcoBoost connection in a way that’s unexpected and outrageous,’ said Mickey Matus, Ford Racing Performance group marketing manager.  ‘In both cases, we’re targeting the discriminating performance enthusiast with our message. After all, they are the people others rely on for automotive expertise and recommendations.’ The Fiesta is already a huge success in America, despite its diminutive size compared to the cars more traditionally popular over the pond. This is reflected by a wealth of Fiestas appearing at SEMA, pictured right. VIDEO: find out about evo’s long-term Ford Fiesta Zetec S BIG TEST: Ford Fiesta Mountune vs all its hot hatch rivals

GALLERY: see Ford's new WRC World Rally Ford Fiesta

Join evo's Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages