1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth. California registered and in the USofA!! Don't let the UK plates fool you. It's here!! Yes it's real. Yes it's legal. Yes it's turbocharged. Yes it's all-wheel-drive. No, you can't drive it ;)
Most Americans have no idea what this car is. The "Ford" badge makes most think its a US Escort with a body kit (hey dood, nice kit!) Others think its a BMW 318ti. Sigh. Back in the early 1990's, if you wanted a street legal, all-wheel-drive, turbocharged car, there was the Lancia Delta Integrale, this Escort Cosworth and a few other obscure cars, NONE of which were ever sold in the USA. We were too busy with solid axle, "no replacement for displacement" Mustangs and front wheel drive turbo eclipses to really care about what the snooty Europeans were driving.
No whale tail wing Swiss model. Fly under the radar of the CHP and most ricers! No one knows what this is, and no one cares! This picture and the one before taken in front of Cosworth Racing's facility in Torrance, California. But they build Champ Car engines there and don't do much with this car.
Can't decide? Get 'em all! After years of sitting around with nothing but underpowered fwd's, we finally get these turbo AWD cars in the USA. Now if only we can get the dumba$$ drivers to stay on the road and stop totaling these cars and keep my insurance premiums low!?
I like rally cars if you haven't noticed...
Note: North-South engine mount. It actually sends power back to a center diff that then splits power front/back like a 4wd truck?! 34%/66% rear biased torque distribution. Other than what was done to comply with EPA smog (of course), the engine is stock. The previous owner didn't mess with it and I'll leave it alone too.
Stock Recaro seats (in cloth; most came with leather and moonroof, which mine doesn't have). Only mods inside are a Blaupunkt stereo and Sparco pedals and a shift knob (not pictured here). Oh and floor mats. Gotta have floor mats!
here's another rally based car I'd like to get some day: The never saw grouppe B Ford RS200
