Exactly 30 years after the classic Ford RS200 police car was put through its paces, it’s the latest Focus RS that’s now being tested by police forces across the UK.

With 350 PS and 470 Nm (346 lb-ft) of torque coming from its 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost unit, the Focus RS is certainly a lot faster than even the fastest RS models of 30 years ago, which means that a race between the two should have a somewhat predictable ending.

That being said, due to its limited run, the automaker doesn’t expect lots of police forces to pick it up in order to protect and serve on UK roads.

“But until they have tried it we won’t know whether it meets any specialist need,” said Terry Adams, Ford’s police sales manager.

This means that, until further notice, most police forces will continue to use the standard Ford Focus for patrol duties, as well as Ford’s biggest-selling police vehicle, the Transit Custom. In total, Ford supplies over 1,500 vehicles to Britain’s police forces nationwide, including the Kuga SUV and the Ranger pickup truck in rural areas.

Still, a Focus RS vs RS200 comparison will surely tick everyone’s fancy, sp Ford even put together a small clip that you can watch below, together with a picture of the original press release from November 24, 1986.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO