Just a few years ago, Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) was a shadow of its former self. That has all changed with its new range of products and will continue for the 2013 model year. Through its new partnership with Ford of Europe’s Team RS, SVT will double its lineup in addition to an update on an existing vehicle.

As we already know, the first joint effort between Ford’s two wholly owned performance teams will be the Focus ST. This will use the Focus’s five-door hatch body style and a 2.0-liter I4 EcoBoost engine with an estimated 247 horsepower. Production will take place in Wayne, Michigan and Saarlouis, Germany for North America and Europe. Australia and New Zealand should also receive imported models through Germany. No word as to if other plants will produce the vehicle.

SVT’s second new model in the lineup will be the second generation Fiesta ST. FIN can silence rumors as to what horsepower the model will carry. According to a source within Ford, the Fiesta ST with its 1.6-liter I4 EcoBoost engine will deliver 180 horsepower. The European and North American models will be different due to their slight engineering and design differences. The Fiesta ST for Europe will be offered in a three-door body style while the North American model will be offered in the five-door body style.

To “one up” General Motors’ releasing of the 556 horsepower Chevy Camaro ZL1, Ford’s SVT will give the 2013 Shelby GT500 a heart transplant. Unlike the current supercharged 5.4-liter, the new engine will be turbocharged. Though FIN cannot bring you the engine's new displacement, a 5.0 and 5.8 have been rumored. We can tell you that the engine will deliver a Camaro-killing 650 horsepower according to our sources. This upgrade will make the 2013 GT500 the most powerful, factory made Mustang ever.

The people at SVT and Team RS are hard at work bringing the world the best in automotive performance. We can only hope that the 2013 model year is only the beginning of more models being added to performance lineup.