Marcus Gronholm, World Rally Championship (WRC) star, recently announced he would be driving his Focus RS in Sweden’s WRC event this February, which could get fans excited about used Ford models in New York.

Unfortunately, Ford’s 305-horsepower Focus RS is only sold in Europe for the time being, according to AutoWeek. While the manufacturer is considering bringing it over to the U.S. in the future, right now one of the best Focuses available to Americans is the model built by the company’s Special Vehicle Team – appropriately badged the SVT.

Edmunds says the Focus SVT is no longer manufactured, meaning car shoppers who find one for sale should think long and hard about whether or not passing up a chance to buy the hatch is a good idea. The first SVTs rolled out of Ford factories in late 2001, complete with 170-horsepower four-cylinder motors and six-speed manual gearboxes. The three letters added next to the Focus emblem meant the compact had received 25 more HP than stock and 17-inch alloys instead of 15-inch steel wheels.

Jared Holstein of Modified Magazine says Ford was going after the Honda Civic Si and the Sentra SE-R when it began building the SVT. In the late 1990s, automakers realized car shoppers wanted vehicles that could play two roles: that of the daily driver, and that of the weekend racer. Doing both without costing the consumer an arm and a leg of course meant compromising some power and performance for measures that would increase reliability and fuel efficiency. This meant Ford couldn’t simply place a Cobra motor in a base model Focus, even if such a thing had been possible. Precise modifications were the objective.

Ford said the SVT’s 2-liter Zetec engine was its most technologically advanced, reports Modified. The motor used variable cam timing on the intake cam and a dual-stage intake manifold to increase low-end torque.

Speaking of other customizations made by SVT to the early generation Focus, the ZX3, Ford program manager Andy Slankard told the publication, “Due to the ZX3’s excellent chassis and suspension design, we didn’t have to make any major changes – just some tuning to give us extra control, agility and precision.”

Indeed, the SVT was no ordinary Focus and could remain Ford’s feistiest hatch, unless the automaker gives in and brings the RS to the U.S. Either way, with news of Gronholm’s entrance in Sweden’s February WRC event, used Ford Focuses in New York could start attracting more attention.