Is ST the new SVT? We don’t want to say that just yet, but judging from the popularity of this new performance car designation, it is something worth pondering. Ford has already introduced the world to the Focus ST in a big way. Next up is the Ford Fiesta ST, due to go on sale this summer with a 180 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine, and Ford has just revealed a racing version with a crosshairs on the Global RallyCross series.

Built by OlsbergsMRE, the 2014 Fiesta ST race car doesn’t use an EcoBoost engine at all technically. Rather it uses a standard 2.0 liter Zetec engine to start, adding a turbocharger, a new cylinder head, and a whole slew of other work to boost horsepower to between 550 and 600 ponies. Olsbergs also builds the transmission and all-wheel drive system to complete a rally-capable Fiesta.

The Global RallyCross series is gaining traction in America, and the Fiesta ST is aimed squarely at a younger crowd. Will this race-bred version compel the youth of a nation to hustle down to their nearest Ford dealership? Perhaps. Is this the beginning of a new performance brand within the Ford brand? Perhaps as well.

Either way, we are looking forward to seeing the Fiesta ST hitting the jumps at the next Global RallyCross event.