The 'new' Ford Escort Mk1 RS is here
Welcome to the world of the 'Continumod', a gnarlier Mk1 with a 10,000rpm redline
Well, it’s here. And it looks pretty special. After several teasers, we’re now graced with the rather spectacular sight of Boreham Motorworks’ Ford Escort Mk1 RS.
Reimagined classics are getting ten-a-penny these days, but this is no mere restomod. Boreham is an ‘official brand license partner’ of Ford MoCo, for starters, while the 150 examples it plans to produce won’t come via the culling of lightly rusted originals. This is a continuation car – or ‘Continumod’, in Boreham parlance – meaning each one is new from the ground up and with an “approved chassis number from the original manufacturer”.
Which does (almost) make the £295k (excluding VAT) starting price seem, well, reasonable. It’s not far from the entry point for its marketplace anyway, so to get something with such authentic clout – and thus proper Blue Oval badging, too – strikes us as whatever constitutes ‘value’ in this corner of the world. Especially when it’s backed up by Boreham’s two-year, 20,000-mile warranty.
Let’s start with the design. The original blueprints have buddied up with CAD software for a resketching of the Escort “using technology the original pencil draughtsmen would not have considered possible”. Which means the iconic shapes now wrap around proper gaps and shut lines. It’s a whole new body but with blueprint-accurate size and dimensions, we’re told. It’s tougher and stronger beneath the sheet metal to boost handling prowess while the steel body is complemented by a carbon bonnet and bootlid to help target an 800kg kerb weight, split 55:45.
Ready to slingshot that forward is your choice of two four-cylinder engines. Sticklers for originality will want the standard-fit 1,845cc Twin Cam, based upon a modified Lotus unit and allied to a four-speed synchromesh straight-cut ‘box to help you scale a 185hp peak and 9,000rpm redline. Fuel injection and a catalyst help it hurdle regs.
Those hooked in by the ‘mod’ in ‘Continumod’ will likely have their head turned by the optional, all-new 2,100cc unit whose forged steel conrods and billet crankshaft galvanise it for 300hp and 10,000rpm. It’s strapped to a five-speed dog-leg manual (based on an existing unit, but with bespoke ratios) and a titanium exhaust “tuned for performance and exhilarating sound”. Just needs the still air of a Cumbrian forest to pierce through, huh?
There are MacPherson struts up front and a titanium and aluminium fully floating rear axle that offers “predictable handling and a direct connection to the Escort’s motorsport heritage” helped along by an ATB limited-slip diff and coilovers. Boreham is equally keen to tell us what isn’t fitted, too, namely ABS, power steering, traction control and even a brake servo.
“On track, the new Ford Escort Mk1 RS delivers a visceral driving experience with controllable oversteer that is perfectly balanced,” we’re told, “allowing the driver to breakaway and hold slides while ensuring the car is both controllable and predictable.” Proper Mk1 mentality, then. The 15-inch wheels shroud 260mm vented discs/four-piston callipers up front, 264mm solid discs/two-piston callipers at the rear.
And there’s modern stuff where you (probably) want it. The interior gets heated screens, air con and CarPlay (just imagine Siri is reading out pace notes if you’re offended) while leather and Alcantara hopefully back up the price tag. That delectable, deep dish ‘wheel and anodised switches are things we’re excited to get more acquainted with. You can swap three-point ‘belts for a four-point harness while a full cage with removable door bars is on offer, too.
“Recreating the Ford Escort Mk1 RS for a new generation is not just about building a car, it’s about honouring a legacy that has inspired driving enthusiasts for over half a century,” affirms Boreham Motorworks CEO Iain Muir. “Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of this car, from its dynamics to its structure, is meticulously engineered to deliver the purest driving experience possible.”
It’ll get a proper public unveiling in summer 2025 ahead of production starting in Q3, with the ‘application window’ for orders open and left- and right-hand drive markets covered. How would you have yours?
Personally I’d rather have a genuine mk1 RS1600 for less than 1/3rd the price of this but then I guess I’m obviously not in the target market..
Genuine question: does anyone know why the MST mk1 weighs so much? (Particularly compared with the original.)
Borham cars have not even been built yet, they are just renders. There is no way it will be 800kg with a steel body and a fully trimed interiorMy soft spot is not £300K-sized, though, even if I had the necessary funds. Don't revisit the past - use your skills and knowledge to carve out an interesting future for car enthusiasts.
Genuine question: does anyone know why the MST mk1 weighs so much? (Particularly compared with the original.)
Genuine question: does anyone know why the MST mk1 weighs so much? (Particularly compared with the original.)
Borham cars have not even been built yet, they are just renders. There is no way it will be 800kg with a steel body and a fully trimed interiorGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff