Snapped by motor1.com in the pouring likely near Ford’s Cologne Plant in Germany as evident by the number plates, the seemingly production ready ST sported a more aggressive honeycomb grille with red ST badging, sportier front and rear bumpers, wider door sills, an integrated boot spoiler, newly designed alloy wheels and dual exhaust outlets.

While no images of the interior have yet been seen, what is assured is that the ST will part with the 2.0 EcoBoost engine in favour of the outgoing RS’ bigger 2.3 EcoBoost, albeit detuned from 257kW to 184kW due to power being routed to the front wheels instead of all four.

As per a prior report by Britain’s Autocar, the ST will only be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox and not with an optional automatic as speculated, making it a direct rival for the three-pedal only Honda Civic Type R. Though on course for Geneva, the lack of any disguise virtually guarantees that Ford will unveil the ST officially within the next few weeks or months.