25 years after the Escort Cossie made its WRC debut, Kenny from the Block is bringing it back
Ken Block has something of a reputation for tinkering with classic Fords, having already created a MkII Escort rally car and a 'Hoonicorn' Mustang for Pikes Peak. Now his attention has switched to something a little more modern - and something largely unfamiliar to an American audience - with this, a 1993 Ford Escort Cosworth.
This car is not simply going to be a Gymkhana showpiece, either, because Block is actually going to compete with his Cossie. Stage rallies in his native United States - the Oregon Trail Rally, the New England Forest Rally and the Idaho Rally International - will accompany his rallycross commitments, and surely make quite the spectacle for fans.
To ensure it isn't left completely embarrassed by the latest breed of rally cars, Block's Escort has been uprated to 350hp (or thereabouts) and uses a seven-speed sequential gearbox. It remains road legal, too.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Ken Block rally creation without a bold aesthetic to accompany it, and the Escort is no different. Prepared by 'Death Spray Custom' - but of course - the Escort carries familiar Hoonigan insignia along with sponsors and a distinctive lightning graphic. The wheels are worth a mention too, evoking as they do the OZ Monte Carlo seen on the Escort Cosworth special edition of the same name. A nice touch, and you're certainly not going to miss it on the stage.
Driving the Escort will keep Ken a busy boy in 2018, on top of his rallycross duties with the Focus RS WRX and a Spanish WRC appearance in the Fiesta RS WRC. "I'm legitimately excited about my calendar for this season," said Block, the jammy old soandso. "I've really enjoyed the past few years of rallycross, but I started my race career with rally and my heart has always been with it, so to be able to get back into doing events like these while still doing some rallycross makes me very happy!" No doubt we'll see more of the Escort on YouTube very soon; however, if you're interested, the Oregon Trail rally is this weekend...
