- Boreham’s Mk Ford Escort RS models is a brand new car, not a restomod.
- Naturally-aspirated Ten-K engine revs to 10,000 rpm and produces 326 hp.
- Just 150 examples planned, with prices starting at £295,000 plus taxes.
Thanks to its road, race and rally exploits the Mk1 Escort was a performance hero in the 1960s and 1970s. Now it’s ready to be one in the 2020s thanks to a radically intensive engineering makeover by Borehman Motorworks.
Revealed in rendered form in 2024, the Escort RS ‘continumod’ is far more ambitious than the average restomod. In fact, Boreham would probably prefer you didn’t call it one at all. That’s because the Escort RS isn’t rebuilt from an original donor car. It’s a brand new car created with Ford’s blessing.
Related: Reborn 1980s Escort XR3i Makes The Power Ford Never Bothered To Give It
Every example starts life as a completely new vehicle carrying an officially sanctioned Ford chassis number. Think of it as a modern continuation of the Mk1 Escort performance legacy, built with today’s engineering know-how but without the digital filters that stifle so many contemporary sports cars.
No Turbos To Sap Noise, Response And Revs
Beyond the sensuous bubble arches and cleverly integrated LED headlights, the core attraction is undoubtedly the optional Ten-K engine, a naturally aspirated 2.1-liter four-cylinder that punches out 326 hp (330 PS) while revving all the way to 10,000 rpm. Weighing only 85 kg (187 lbs), it features race-inspired hardware including individual throttle bodies, forged internals, belt-driven camshafts to keep fans of the original happy, and a lightweight flywheel designed to sharpen every input.
That power reaches the rear wheels through a five-speed dog-leg manual gearbox. With a target curb weight of just 895 kg (1,973 lbs), the Escort boasts a power-to-weight ratio that should help it embarrass plenty of modern performance machinery. Boreham hasn’t published acceleration figures yet, but the power and weight numbers suggest this little Ford won’t be hanging around.
Buyers looking for something closer to the original recipe can opt for an updated Twin Cam engine. Enlarged to 1.8 liters and fitted with fuel injection, it delivers 182 hp (185 PS) through a straight-cut four-speed manual transmission.
The chassis gains a bespoke front subframe, a lightweight floating rear axle made from aluminum and titanium, revised suspension geometry, and a six-link rear setup. Rear unsprung mass has reportedly been cut dramatically compared with period competition cars.
Analog, But Not Spartan
Just as importantly, Boreham resisted the temptation to sanitize the experience. There’s no power steering, no ABS, and no traction control. Instead, drivers get a limited-slip differential and an old-school approach to involvement, though the sympathetically updated interior looks luxurious enough that this Mk1 could be used every day or for longer trips rather than just track sorties.
The bespoke gauges, carbon and leather trim, and three-spoke steering wheel look like they’ve seen as many hours spent on them as the engine, chassis and body enjoyed, and there are two dedicated helmet stores in the rear where the back seats would normally be.
Production will be capped at 150 cars worldwide, and you’ll need supercar-grade finances to bag one. With prices starting at £295,000 ($393,000) plus taxes, so around £354,000 ($474,000) in the UK, it’s hardly an affordable Escort in the mould of the original RS. But if we had the money we wouldn’t hesitate.