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Adam Davis24 Sept 2014
REVIEW

Ford Escort RS Cosworth: Retro Review

Ford's Group A rally homologation special tears tarmac to shreds

Relatable hardware. It's what's missing in motorsport today. Back in 1987 the FIA was on the right track, linking both circuit and rally rocketships directly to the road-going offspring.

Group A regulations dictated that 5000 road-based units of a specific vehicle had to be built before a manufacturer could enter it in touring car or rally competition. For 'evolutionary' models, an additional 500 units had to be built, incorporating the required changes into the road cars.

These rules spawned such revered machinery as the original BMW M3, Ford Sierra RS 500, Holden VN Commodore SS Group A and Nissan Skyline GT-R, all of which enjoyed success on Australian race circuits.

As a Group A rally car, the Ford Escort RS Cosworth (aka 'Cossie') was a reasonable success, winning eight WRC events between 1994 and 1996. After being converted to conform to additional freedoms under the World Rally Car rules of 1997 it won an additional two events before being replaced by the Ford Focus WRC in 1999.

Australia never officially received the Escort RS Cosworth, and that's a shame; at the time Ford Australia performance was focused on the Tickford-enhanced Falcons and a resurgent presence in 5.0-litre Touring Cars, which later became V8 Supercars. With this in mind, reference points for the Cossie include the first Subaru Impreza WRX and the Toyota Celica GT-Four.

Inside, lovely Recaro buckets highlight the interior; the early airbag steering wheel providing a polar opposite but adding safety. There's power windows and central locking too.

Immediately, the Escort feels far more refined than the rear-drive Sierra RS Cosworth I was fortunate to sample a couple of years previously. When the boost hit home in the Sierra, the relatively narrow 205-section rear tyres could flare up in wheelspin with little warning but this Escort uses its all-wheel drive system to slingshot its bewinged body forward with maximum traction via sticky 225/45 rubber on 16-inch alloy wheels.

Out on the rally stages, the first-generation Group A cars were viewed as a disappointment, not only by fans, but engineers and drivers too. Gone were the fire-breathing Group B cars, the 375kW-plus, mid-engine weapons of mass destruction that always looked out of control, and in their place was machinery that looked like a collection stickered-up family runabouts that could only top 200kW in the freezing conditions of Sweden.

With the passing of time, of course, these Group A-eligible machines developed a level of manufacturer support and fan fanaticism which has yet to be surpassed. Raw power was replaced by sophistication, with massive advancements in turbocharger tech, differentials and damping making the Group A cars faster in the forest than their predecessors.

These initial road-going 'Cossies' were built purely with rallying in mind, the first batch of 2500 – the FIA changed the minimum to 2500 in 1991 – being equipped with a large Garrett T3/T04B hybrid turbocharger (seen on the RS 200) that made it temperamental as a road car. With the rally cars punching out in excess of 224kW and over 500Nm torque, the road specification was set at 167kW and 298Nm, sent to all four wheels via a Borg Warner T5 five-speed manual, a similar unit to that used in Ford Australia's first XR8 Falcon.

Once homologation was satisfied, the second-generation Cossie, introduced in late-1994, housed a smaller Garrett T25 turbo, Ford's latest EEC-IV electronic engine management and other refinements which focused on the road car's usability.

Power dropped to 162kW, torque to 290Nm, but it was far more driveable with peak torque arriving at 2500rpm rather than 3500rpm. The whale-tail rear wing was a regular fitment, making your road Cossie look more like its rallying cousin, but reducing the 235km/h top-end and adding weight to boot (no pun intended).

Ford's decision to split the drive torque 34:66 front to rear pays dividends on the race track. It makes the Cossie's front-end feel more faithful throughout the cornering process than a similar-era WRX; you can apply full throttle almost absurdly early, knowing the front won't wash wide with power understeer.

The steering is linear, accurate to input if not writhing with feedback, the gearshift is a little recalcitrant if you're not on your game and the brakes feel their age, but there's a magic to the chassis. Poised, alert and grippy without being firm, the chassis tuning comes from a dynamic purple patch in Ford Europe's history.

While the power output is enough to tighten the Recaro's grip on your shoulders, it's not as explosive as you may expect, given the claims of 0-100km/h in 6.1sec. There is still a little lag in throttle response under 3000rpm, but once the turbo is boosting the power delivery is eager and consistent, the Cosworth motor huffing and puffing away.

When owner Gordon Douglas cheekily suggests that a simple chip change can liberate another 30kW with no issues for the driveline, it reinforces how relatable the Escort Cosworth was to a generation of motorsport fans.

The fact that your Cossie was directly related to Carlos Sainz's allowed many to live out the ultimate dream; a road-registered rally car with presence to burn.

1994 Ford Escort RS Cosworth specifications:
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, turbocharged
Output: 162kW/290Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Drive Type: All
Wheels/Tyres: 16 x 8.0-inch, 225/45/R16
Brakes: Vented discs (f); discs (r)
Value: $45,000

What we liked:
>> Balanced chassis
>> Impressive traction
>> Direct link to WRC race cars

Not so much:
>> Ugly airbag wheel
>> We never had them new
>> Brakes don't impress in modern landscape

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Written byAdam Davis
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
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