Focus and Astra SE news - Black and white sprint - 2007

Black and white. Good and evil. Ying and yang. Apples and pears. Polar opposites locked in eternal conflict.

A big ol' scrap, in other words. That's what we're predicting when these two special-edition hot hatches collide.

In the white corner - purity, sanctity, just a hint of chav-stiletto - the Astra Nurburgring. In the black corner - power, menace, definite KITT overtones - the Ford Focus Black Edition.

They're both limited-edition versions of our well-established hot hatch friends, the Vauxhall Astra VXR and Ford Focus ST, both mechanically identical and both with a fresh new paint job.

The Astra opts for a check-on-white colour scheme, along with a high-mounted spoiler and carbon-fibre flashes, while the Focus goes all-black with orange highlights and gains a set of fat 19-inch black alloys.

Which one you prefer probably says something deep and meaningful about your conflicting inner demons, but they're both unmissable.

However, there's one fly in the big-hot-hatch-scrap ointment. Neither of these special editions are on their way to the UK. The Astra is an Opel-only edition OPC, while the Focus has been built in left-hand drive by Ford of Europe.

But fear not. We've been in touch with Vauxhall and Ford, and they've both assured us that we in Britain will get our own special editions - though they might differ slightly from the Euro-fare. 

"There'll be a special edition Astra VXR in the UK towards the end of the year," a Vauxhall spokesman said this morning. "Though it won't look quite like the Opel, the OPC styling should give you a good idea."

Ford was more specific. "We'll be bringing a run of 500 special edition Focus STs to the UK soon," said our man at Ford. "It'll probably be called the ST500, and while mechanically identical to the ST, it'll most likely get a red leather interior and black paint job." 

So black versus white it is, in a fight to the death for our hot hatch souls. Overdramatic? Us?