Wednesday 18th April 2018

Ken Block gets a Cosworth

25 years after the Escort Cossie made its WRC debut, Kenny from the Block is bringing it back

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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...

[Sources: Carscoops, MotorTrend, Motor1]

 

[VladD]

I love Ken Block and his madness. He does look a bit like a red neck Daniel Ricciardo in one of those pictures though.

[Jon_S_Rally]

Could have been a bit more informative this article. The reason it has the seven speed sequential is because it's a pukka Group A car that was purchased from the UK. Nice to see Block playing with cars like this though.

[mfmman]

I thought the homologated seven speed for the Group A Escort was always double H pattern?

[Jon_S_Rally]

A handful apparently ran a sequential unit. There was a bit of discussion about it over on passionford, apparently the FFD sequential was homologated in '94, but only around seven were built, with most preferring to stick with the H-pattern box. I guess sequential was still a bit of a rarity at that time though.

This car is apparently Group A spec throughout, with the exception of the engine, which was a modified WRC motor. According to the thread, Block has a much bigger spec unit in the pipeline, but that was a while ago. If he plans to rally it, I think the regs will restrict him a bit.

[dibblecorse]

Brilliant, just the right side of insane is Mr Block ......

[Its Just Adz]

He’s had that for quite a while, posted lots of videos of it on his Instagram. It was white when he got it, has an RS200 also.

[rastapasta]

Sorry if this offends but I think this guy is a monument to excellent Marketing and PR as apart from an ability to do handbrake turns under stationary airplanes there seems to be little ostensible talent to go with the 'noise'. I do admire the fact that he is one of the original YouTube video proponents and so is a pioneer of self marketing via social media in that regard. But has he ever won or come close to winning a round of the WRC?? I don't think so... Ok he wins some rallycross races but the hype he generates relative to talent seems, to me at least, disproportionate. I think David Higgins has always had his number as regards to Rallying and I doubt he would give Solberg et al too many headaches as regards to Rallycross.

[Pericoloso]

rastapasta said:

Sorry if this offends but I think this guy is a monument to excellent Marketing and PR as apart from an ability to do handbrake turns under stationary airplanes there seems to be little ostensible talent to go with the 'noise'. I do admire the fact that he is one of the original YouTube video proponents and so is a pioneer of self marketing via social media in that regard. But has he ever won or come close to winning a round of the WRC?? I don't think so... Ok he wins some rallycross races but the hype he generates relative to talent seems, to me at least, disproportionate. I think David Higgins has always had his number as regards to Rallying and I doubt he would give Solberg et al too many headaches as regards to Rallycross.

Andreas Bakkerud ,his Norwegian team mate was way better in the now defunct WRX Hoonigan team Focus.

Also ,only 350 BHP in his Cosworth ,there have been cars with 500 ,even 600 BHP going for years.

[Jdjd1]

Do you Enjoy BJ Baldwin? Total Recoil 4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8D94uZPKQcA

Total Recoil 2

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JXMyZ929lpY

Personally I love this ****

Edited by Jdjd1 on Friday 20th April 10:16

[ajprice]

R.I.P. (The car, not Block)

https://jalopnik.com/ken-blocks-beautiful-1991-for...

[Loyly]

Well, that's that fked.

[Pericoloso]

It was the gearboxes fault apparently according to the article.

[Francy555]

Not the fact that he clipped a massive rock cutting the corner! Never seen such a wide stage and he still makes a haims of it!

[M4CK 1]

Would've thought the co-driver would call, don't cut rock on apex or something like that. Missed gearshift my arse.

RIP cosworth

[EDLT]

"The gearbox shifted too late" causing him to carry on driving into the rock the car was pointing at? I guess if it shifted sooner it would have lurched two metres to the right.

[DemonDriverDan]

In the video you can see the gearbox popping to neutral (I think) just before he hits the rock. I'd imagine that not having drive when he expected it may have caused the car to behave unexpectedly and hit the rock?

[Pericoloso]

He's fiddling with the gear lever entering the corner.

Cant really see what previous poster said about popping into neutral ,it s a sequential box with minimal

lever movements.

[old traveller]

He did make a fleeting appearance in WRC but realised that going sideways is not quick in one of those. Any 70-80`s rally driver could do better.