296 hp, 10,000 rpm, 800 kg: The Ford Escort RS Mk1 Is Back

The Ford Escort RS Mk1 has returned — and this time it’s not some six-figure, bolt-by-bolt resurrection of a rust-scarred donor car. Instead, it’s a brand-new continuation of the ’70s icon, shimmering as if it rolled straight out of a time capsule, only sharper, louder, and far more serious.

Boreham Motorworks, the outfit behind this officially licensed “continuation-restomod,” seems to have nailed the brief of “make it look and sound sensational.” Because it does: visually, the thing is gorgeous, and with the hotter engine option, it’s almost guaranteed to sound outrageous.

That second powerplant is a new naturally aspirated 2.1-liter four-cylinder built with heavy race inspiration: a DOHC head, forged steel rods, a billet crank, motorsport-grade fuel injection and ignition, and a mass of just 187 pounds.

It spins to 10,000 rpm and delivers 296 hp, backed by a dog-leg five-speed manual (first gear down to the left) and a bespoke titanium exhaust tuned for outright performance and theater. It’s safe to say the noise will be spectacular — probably unhinged.

Boreham also offers a more traditional engine: a 1.8-liter Twin Cam with fuel injection and a dry-sump setup, producing 182 hp on its way to 9,000 rpm, paired with a straight-cut four-speed manual. Both cars, naturally, send power to the rear wheels.

And speaking of straight-cut gears: Boreham constructed this new Mk1 RS to tolerances that, as they put it, “the original pencil-and-paper engineers would’ve considered impossible.” Ford’s original drawings were pulled from the archives, and an original Mk1 was painstakingly 3D-scanned — with lasers, no less.

The point? To recreate the RS in its original ’70s proportions while making it stronger, stiffer, better balanced, and more capable. To get there, Boreham built new body jigs, used carbon fiber for the hood, trunk lid, and interior structures; steel for the main body panels (reinforced and widened inside); and aluminum and titanium for the floating rear axle.

About that floating rear axle: the RS gets an ATB limited-slip diff and coilovers to deliver a taste of old-school RS excitement. You won’t find power steering, ABS, traction control, or a brake booster. Boreham calls the driving feel “visceral,” with “controlled oversteer.” You might call it something less formal if you’re having an off day — especially since the company is targeting a curb weight of 800 kg (about 1,764 lbs).

Those wheels look great, don’t they? Tiny, too: 15-inch rims with wide rubber wrapped around brakes that are modest by today’s standards — 260 mm four-pots up front and 264 mm two-pots in the rear.

The interior is an unexpectedly nice blend of nostalgia and purposefulness: leather, Alcantara, racing harnesses, carbon panels, and a full roll cage, plus heated screens and air conditioning. The gauges, in particular, are a delight, and the dashboard design feels perfectly judged. Outside, it’s pure classic RS.

Wayne Burgess, the design director (who owned an Escort Mk2 as his first car), carefully refined the original RS lines. The quarter bumpers and turn-signal repeaters are gone; the grille surround is now aluminum; and the headlights are inspired by the taped-up rally lamps of the era. New door handles, taillights, and mirrors complete the refreshed look.

“Reimagining the Ford Escort Mk1 RS for a new generation isn’t just a build,” Boreham Motorworks CEO Ian Muir said. “It’s a tribute to a legacy that has inspired car lovers for more than half a century.”

That tribute, however, requires a substantial wallet. Prices start at £295,000 — about $386,000 — and production is capped at just 150 cars. Buyers do get a two-year, 20,000-mile warranty, and production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025.