Want to drive away in a really life rally car? Well, you can…
Not all that far from where I live is a gentleman who owns a T200 Toyota Celica GT-Four that’s been given a makeover to resemble a rally car. While the exterior may cunningly fool the untrained eye into believing it’s some kind of snarling racing car, the truth is, it’s completely stock underneath. Disingenuous as it is, this sort of thing isn’t all that uncommon, immediately making those in the know question or completely dismiss any car they see dressed in rallying clothes.
The car you see here however is different. For this is no regular MK5 Escort in fancy dress. This is no Escort that’s been modified to emulate what someone imagines a rally car is like. This is not a forgery in any way, shape, or form. This is the genuine artefact; the real McCoy; a real life rally car.
To be more specific, this is an ex Ford Motorsport 1993 RAC Ford Escort Cosworth Group A rally car that was driven by Sebastian Lindholm. Now obviously, a lot of time has been and gone since this car was driven in furious anger across the world’s rally stages — but it matters little, because the current owner has gone to the trouble and expense of having all the important bits and bobs rebuilt.
Due to the fact the rebuild was conducted by the best people in the business, the total cost reached over £50,000 — for which the owner has receipts for each piece of work carried out. Such work includes a complete rebuild of the original Mountune engine, which was done to the original Group A specification by Jondel Race Engines. The 7 speed FFD Sequential Gearbox and the front and rear differentials were also completely rebuilt by Bara Motorsport.
The end result is a genuine Group A Rally Car with 310bhp and 361lb-ft of torque that can find performance in any terrain. With Ohlins suspension and original Group A brakes with titanium pistons, this is the perfect car for any rallying aficionado. And as luck would have it, it’s for sale!
After reading what I’ve just described, you’re probably expecting to pay top dollar for this Escort. And you’d be right! At £140,000, it’s a straight choice between this or a GT3 RS! Which would you rather have? Let me know in the comments!
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Written by: Angelo Uccello
Twitter: @AngeloUccello
Tribe: Speed Machines
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