Friday 30th May

Check out MST's 'ultimate' new Mk2 rally car

Standard MST build not extreme enough? Try it with 350hp, Reiger suspension and a sequential 'box...

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So-called ‘rally cars for the road’ are usually to be taken with a pinch of salt. Unless, of course, MST has made a rally car for the road, in which case that’s exactly what it’ll be. The firm made its name prepping Escorts for special stages, so there’s really nobody better placed to transfer that expertise to something taxable for use on the public highway. 

This new Mk2 Rally Car is basically all the most extreme bits MST offers in one car. So there’s no choice, as with standard Mk1s and Mk2s, of a 2.0-litre BDG or 2.5-litre Duratec - it’s the dry-sumped 2.7-litre Millington or nothing. An engine described as nothing less than ‘the ultimate four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine’, with 350hp. Spicy. 

That power reaches a motorsport-spec LSD in the six-link rear axle via a Tractive six-speed sequential; the paddleshift is pneumatic for full rally car kudos. The rest of the hardware is as serious as hoped for: AP Racing brakes, four-way adjustable Reiger coilovers and fully adjustable geo. An epic driving experience seems all but guaranteed. The interior ticks plenty more rally car boxes, with an FIA-spec cage, Motamec buckets with six-point harnesses, a giant handbrake lever and floor mounted pedal box. There are buttons everywhere for playing rally star on a B road. 

It sounds pretty wild, then, even by MST’s standards. And, well, look at it - they won’t struggle for interest. And if the full rally car does seem a bit much, MST is also developing a ‘mid-range toned down version’ of both Mk1 and Mk2 inspired by the original Mexicos. Expect more on that later in the summer. This one, on the other hand, is available right now, priced from £135,000 plus VAT - just don’t forget about the 18-month waiting list…

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• New MST Evo-X unveiled at PH Annual Service
• MST Mk2 | PH Review

[Jon_S_Rally]

Surely this can't be a rally car? Last-time I checked the rulebook, a "specialist competition engine" such as the Millington Diamond is capped at 2.5-litres for rally use. Or is this a road car that's using all rally bits with a slightly bigger engine?

[GreatScott2016]

That’s a pretty thing and would be a hoot on the right piece of tarmac or gravel

[rjbcar27]

Jon_S_Rally said:

Surely this can't be a rally car? Last-time I checked the rulebook, a "specialist competition engine" such as the Millington Diamond is capped at 2.5-litres for rally use. Or is this a road car that's using all rally bits with a slightly bigger engine?

Take a look at the rules for Irish Tarmac Rallying, specifically class 14. That's what this spec seems to be.

[WPA]

That is going to be a complete hoot to drive, love it

[Arsecati]

Probably the most desirable car I've seen on PH in ages - dear god, this would be an absolute riot to drive. It would leave any modern Ferrari/McLaren/Lamborghini for dead on the real (crappy!) roads we actually have in this country (ok, 'maybe' not..... but I know which one I'd be laughing harder in!).

[Dohnut]

That's just been added to my lottery win garage. Awesome bit of kit.

[Master Bean]

Arsecati said:

Probably the most desirable car I've seen on PH in ages - dear god, this would be an absolute riot to drive. It would leave any modern Ferrari/McLaren/Lamborghini for dead on the real (crappy!) roads we actually have in this country (ok, 'maybe' not..... but I know which one I'd be laughing harder in!).

Service intervals on a supercar are about 6000 miles. This will be measured in hours.

[Cryssys]

What strikes me is, despite having a 2.7L motor, that engine bay looks mostly empty.

Most times when you lift the bonnet these days it looks like everything has been shoehorned in and there isn't a cubic inch to spare.

[s m]

That would be fantastic on the local Welsh roads

Might have a bit more trim and less power but would love one in the garage

[Erast Fandorin]

Any idea why the roll cage/space frame doesn't extend into the engine bay and turret tops?

[garypotter]

[quote=s m]That would be fantastic on the local Welsh roads

I thought all the roads in Wales are 20 mph now!!

Great bit of kit but at that price i do not think i would want to rally it, i had plemty of fun in a mk 2 escort with a 2.2 twin cam all stripped etc at a fraction of the cost of this one.Couple of friends have turbo'd cosworth engine Mk1 and 2's but personally you can have too much power.

[GTRene]

Cryssys said:

What strikes me is, despite having a 2.7L motor, that engine bay looks mostly empty.

Most times when you lift the bonnet these days it looks like everything has been shoehorned in and there isn't a cubic inch to spare.

This, very clean looks, love it, you see what you got, without having to move many many parts and plastics and so on to get there were you need for say fixing or replacing parts.

[Jon_S_Rally]

rjbcar27 said:

Take a look at the rules for Irish Tarmac Rallying, specifically class 14. That's what this spec seems to be.

Are there any restrictions on that? The UK has a similar class for 2WD cars, and allows capacity up to 3,500cc, but engines above 3,500cc are only allowed two valves per cylinder. Engines like the Millington however fall under the "specialist competition engine" bracket, and are restricted to 2,500cc.

Master Bean said:

Service intervals on a supercar are about 6000 miles. This will be measured in hours.

I think a Millington has an inspection limit of 1,000 miles if I recall correctly!

[edoverheels]

I'm not really a 'Ford man' but all the MST cars look great.
Compared to other Restomods (if that is what they are) they also look like good value.
No wonder they have a waiting list.

[s m]

garypotter said:

s m said:

That would be fantastic on the local Welsh roads

I thought all the roads in Wales are 20 mph now!!

That’s what we tell the visitors from South

Still plenty of quiet ones

[garypotter]

s m said:

garypotter said:

s m said:

That would be fantastic on the local Welsh roads

I thought all the roads in Wales are 20 mph now!!

That s what we tell the visitors from South

Still plenty of quiet ones

local knowledge?? shhh keep it quiet...

[Maccmike8]

Stunning.

[Nik Gnashers]

Obviously it will never see a rally stage, it's a show car.
But what a thing.
Lottery win and this would be TOP of my list, #1 without any doubt.

[pheonix478]

I want that so more than any super/hypercar. Love it.

[pheonix478]

Arsecati said:

It would leave any modern Ferrari/McLaren/Lamborghini for dead on the real (crappy!) roads we actually have in this country (ok, 'maybe' not..... but I know which one I'd be laughing harder in!).

Not even close but it would be an order of magnitude cooler, twice as much fun, at half the speed, for half the price.