Ford Escort RS Mk1 returns as 10,000rpm £295k continuation
Still want that Alfaholics GTA-R? This dream Mk1 Ford Escort RS can be had with a 295bhp 10,000rpm four-cylinder screamer
Boreham Motorworks has revealed the Ford Escort Mk1 RS continuation it’s producing with Ford’s blessing, that could be the ultimate foil for the Alfaholics GTA-R. The car is definitively not a restoration, as it doesn’t use existing donor cars. Rather, the 150 examples will use Ford-approved chassis numbers and will be built brand new, from scratch. It might not be a resto, but it is a mod, given no original Ford Escort RS revved to 10,000rpm from factory…
It might be far from an electric SUV, but you only needed to look at the pictures to know this new old Escort wasn’t going to be a like-for-like remake of the original. Boreham describes it as ‘period-sympathetic’, which is a fair assessment. There are no vortex generators or wings, no strange air outlets where you’d find solid panelwork on an original. The arches are appropriately blistered, the wheel fitment is tastefully judged and the lights are modernised with LEDs but still classically identifiable. There are even still the classic rain gutters along the roof, something some Porsche 911 and Mini resto modders are keen to get lopped off. Look closely on the outside and you’ll see the subtle Alan Mann Racing stripe scheme down the side, to accompany the classic stripes over the top.
What has been tightened up are the panel gaps, which thanks to laser scanning, CAD and new manufacturing jigs, are nipped up much tighter than was possible in the days of the Mk1 Escort. Its body and chassis is still made from steel – with strengthening where appropriate – with some attached panels like the car’s bonnet, boot lid and parts of the interior being made from carbonfibre. The target weight for the Escort is a refreshing 800kg, which for context, is one third the curbside mass of a certain current high-performance hybrid German saloon.
So what’s going on under the nipped and tucked ‘60s skin? Quite a lot, actually. There are two engine options. The most potent is a new dry-sump 2.1-litre DOHC chain-driven four-cylinder that, as above, can top out at 10,000rpm, producing 295bhp. Within are forged steel conrods and a billet crank. Quite unlike any period Mk1 Escort RS, this one features computer-controlled fuel injection. This engine sends power to the rear wheels via a five-speed dogleg manual transmission with bespoke ratios and sings via a bespoke titanium exhaust system.
As standard, the Boreham Ford Escort Mk1 RS will come with a revised version of the Twin Cam mill more familiar to the Mk1 faithful. Increased to 1.8-litres and fitted with fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication, it’s good for 9000rpm and 182bhp that it sends to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual straight-cut box. If it all sounds a bit exotic and worrisome, well, it should bring some comfort to know each Boreham Ford Escort Mk1 RS comes with a two-year, 20,000-mile warranty.
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All Boreham Escorts will feature an advanced limited-slip differential. Your interaction with the car’s balance through that diff will be unfettered, too. The Boreham Ford Escort Mk1 RS won’t have power steering, traction control, ABS or even a brake servo. This is intended to be an extremely physical, interactive experience – ‘controllable oversteer that is perfectly balanced’ is said to be on the menu. Sounds good to us.
Boreham has been sympathetic in its approach to how the car is suspended, too. The suspension geometry has been ‘optimised within the existing hardpoint envelope’ for instance, though there is new coilover suspension with vertical dampers at the rear. The rear axle speaks to the Escort’s roots, albeit with modernisation. It’s a fully floating set-up, albeit weight optimised, made of aluminium and titanium.
The Escort will sit on delicious four-spoke wheels that are refreshingly small at 15 inches and are lightweight too, made of forged magnesium – they have a 205 and 225 respective front and rear tyre section. Hidden within are four- and two-piston brakes, squeezing 260mm and 264mm discs respectively at the front and rear.
On the inside, as the outside, there’s been care taken to not throw out the essential Mk1 Escort vibes. That deep dish three-spoke wheel, with the Blue Oval proudly displayed within, is pure ‘60s. The dials, while analogue and refreshingly simple, are high-end, crisp and perfectly visible through the wheel.
That said, much has changed. There’s plenty of carbonfibre for a start, and tasteful bucket seats resembling those found in the McLaren Artura. It’s feature-laden too, with heated screens and air conditioning. Standard three-point belts can be swapped for a four-point harness should you so desire. There is a full roll cage for added stiffness, though the door bars are removable.
Just 150 of these continuation Boreham Ford Escort Mk1 RSs are set to be built, with the application window now open. Production will begin in the middle of next year, with each set to cost at least £295,000. No, that’s not including the 10,000rpm 2.1-litre screamer. We’ll hopefully get a drive in the new year and report back on whether this Escort RS lives up to its perfectly judged retromod looks.
