40 YEARS OF THE ESCORT RS TURBO

Special tribute: What started as a motorsport homologation special quickly evolved into one of the most desirable fast-road cars of the 1980s

Like all the greatest fast Ford legends, the original Escort RS Turbo had one true purpose: to win. And, just like its predecessor, the RS1600i, it was built for Group A motorsport, with 5000 road-going versions required. As always, that meant Blue Oval buyers were in for a real treat: a factory-built Escort with bundles of trick kit. Enter Ford’s first turbocharged European production car, and the world’s first front-wheel-drive to use a viscous-coupling limited-slip differential. In standard trim, using a specially cast manifold and big-bore exhaust, the RS Turbo produced 3.5 to 7.1psi boost, in turn kicking out 130 bhp at 6000 rpm. That meant 128 mph top speed and 0-to-60mph in 8.1 seconds. The RS Turbo made its debut at October 1984’s Paris motor show, with Saarlouis assembly…

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Classic Ford (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2024

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