MST unveils reborn Metro 6R4 for 2024
Having gathered steam with its classic Ford Escort recreations, MST will revive the Metro 6R4 with a series of carbon-bodied, V6-engined road cars
As electrification sweeps through the industry, some car enthusiasts are turning to icons of the past to capture the joys of driving, and there's no shortage of companies to scratch that particular itch with restored classics and recreations. One such manufacturer is MST, which has now announced a reborn Metro 6R4 road car to follow its series of new-build Ford Escorts.
The 6R4 was a freak of nature born at the height of Group B rallying, a Metro in name but certainly not by nature. A mid-mounted naturally-aspirated V6, four-wheel drive and an entirely re-engineered chassis characterised the competition cars (and 200 road going examples built for homologation), and MST's recreation stays true to the formula for the most part.
The body is just as cartoonish as the original, with enormous box sections, swollen panels and wings that replicate the Group B car. However, it's now hand crafted entirely from carbonfibre - rather than GRP - by Welsh company Innovative Composites. The use of carbon extends to the inside, with a similar (albeit far neater) dashboard to the Group B car. A full safety cage has been integrated, too.
The 6R4 used a bespoke, atmospheric 3-litre V6 (loosely based on the Rover V8), and it stood as an outlier amongst monstrous turbocharged Group B cars. The motor was chosen for its linearity and controlled temperatures under load, but MST is likely to offer other engine options besides the rare original unit.
Final outputs will depend on the customer’s chosen state of tune, but for reference, the rally cars ran at over 400bhp, with the road-going Clubman spec detuned to 250bhp. Power will be sent to all four wheels through a motorsport-derived six-speed sequential gearbox.
There’s no word on pricing yet, but given the 6R4’s specialised mechanical makeup and full carbon body, expect it to sit in the upper reaches of the restomod market when it rolls out to customers next year.
