There is no doubt that the Focus ST is the hottest thing to hit the hot hatch segment lately. That market niche has been devoid of new and fresh entries for some time, especially from a domestic automaker.

It took very little time for the aftermarket to cling to this new performance hatchback and begin developing parts. SCT has been able to work their magic on the car’s tune, and is managing to produce impressive numbers with a product that you don’t even have to get your hands dirty to install.

Their new tune for the Ford Focus ST promises to deliver a more than respectable 23 hp gain to the front tires, and a truly impressive gain of 45 ft-lbs of torque to the front tires over the stock calibration. What is even more impressive though is what SCT found during their research and development for their Focus ST tunes.

During testing SCT found that with the stock calibration, just a 17 degree increase in engine coolant temperature causes horsepower and torque drop off dramatically in the Focus ST. This makes some sense as higher underhood temperatures likely result in a less dense air charge and requisite adaptation in the fuel and timing curves by the stock computer. However the drop off in performance in stock trim is dramatic. SCT found that at 185 degrees, the stock Focus ST makes 230.27 hp and 278.78 ft-lbs of torque to the front wheels. When temperatures climb to 202 degrees though those numbers drop to 216.68 hp and 240.47 ft-lbs. A loss of 13.59 hp and 38.31 ft-lbs, something you’re likely to notice in driving the car.

With their tune finalized SCT was able to make a real difference in the Focus ST’s engine performance no matter the temperature. With the SCT tune installed at 185 degrees the ST spins the rollers to 253 hp, and 323.99 ft-lbs, an increase of 22.73 hp and 45.21 ft-lbs of torque. More impressive are the numbers at 205 degrees, where the tuned ST put down 241.44 hp and 316.88 ft-lbs. This was a gain of 24.76 hp and 76.41 ft-lbs over the stock pulls at 205 degrees.

We’re just beginning to see what the aftermarket can do with the Focus ST. It’s nice to know that proven companies like SCT already have products ready to go so enthusiasts can maximize their new car’s performance potential, and this is likely only the beginning of what Ford’s hot hatch is capable of.