| My email inbox has been inundated recently. Whether | | | | manufactured the Sierra Cosworth, the 500 and |
| it's been American pharmaceutical companies offering | | | | Sapphire 4x4 to great acclaim from petrol heads and |
| out-of-the-blue, to increase the size of certain areas | | | | with the Sierra making way for the new Mondeo, the |
| of my body (how'd they know?) or one man | | | | Escort was the only model yet to be fitted with |
| pretending to be a large banking corporation so he | | | | rockets under the bonnet. On paper the prospect |
| can steal all my money to buy a new anorak, | | | | didn't look too tantalising: the old Sierra undersides |
| invariably my mail is useless drivel. | | | | mated to a modified Escort body spelled disaster. |
| There was a highlight this week however with the | | | | Yet it proved to be a match made in heaven and |
| announcement of the new Ford Focus RS. I was | | | | despite its rough foundations, the Escort Cosworth |
| treated to some exclusive pictures of the eagerly | | | | was a hit. |
| anticipated model and can confirm my jaw had to be | | | | Stylistically it was instantly recognisable, not because |
| prised off the floor after half an hour. Once again, | | | | of the familiar Escort shape - the identical headlights |
| Ford has gone with a garish colour scheme like the | | | | or rear end, but for the gigantic rear wing that |
| orange-clad ST, this time breaking out a pot of lime | | | | seemingly defied gravity as it protruded horizontally |
| green paint. Despite this slight eye-jerker, you can | | | | for ten miles from the rear windscreen. Clearly this |
| expect the used Ford market to be inundated with | | | | was a boy's car for grown men to fall in love with. |
| the Focus ST, as the RS promises to be exceptional. | | | | The rear wing actually increased drag so much it |
| In-keeping with Renault's F1 inspired Clio, the RS | | | | took 12mph off the car's top speed, which was not |
| features a rear diffuser, bonnet air vents and more | | | | an inconsiderable 138mph. The upside of this, in |
| bulges than a queue outside a donut sale. From every | | | | addition to making the car an instant icon, was that |
| angle the RS looks menacing yet functional, a point | | | | the Escort Cosworth was the first production car to |
| confirmed by the car's interior. Hardcore Recaro | | | | produce negative lift, as the car was being constantly |
| racing seats adorn the cabin, going hand in hand with | | | | pressed to the road as if by a giant hand from |
| the usual Ford refinements such as air-conditioning | | | | above. |
| and satellite navigation - a perfect microcosm of the | | | | It gave the car's owners a big dilemma - the faster |
| RS as a whole. Ford racing purists are getting | | | | you went the better the car handled as it was |
| sweatier palms by the second. | | | | pushed into the ground, yet the slower you went |
| The excitement of the new Focus RS has evoked | | | | the more people could stop and stare at the car. |
| many nostalgic Ford fans to reminisce about the last | | | | Large wheels and huge wheel arches gave the whole |
| truly earth-shattering hot Ford - the Escort Cosworth | | | | car the air of a rallying stallion, with the air vents on |
| - arguably the greatest used Ford of them all. As | | | | the bonnet giving the engine a much needed source |
| with the latest Focus RS, Ford on occasion feel the | | | | of oxygen. All this pomp and circumstance did have |
| need to break free from their production line of | | | | one drawback - everyone wanted one. Therefore |
| commuter mobiles and build a mad car. | | | | keeping your Cossie safe required your insurance |
| Many see the Escort Cosworth as Ford's crowning | | | | company to place it into their top insurance bracket |
| glory and an example of sheer brutality that has | | | | of 20 - the same as a Ferrari no less. |
| never been bettered. The standard Escort at that | | | | In many ways, despite the performance, styling and |
| time was an prime exhibit of the Ford motor | | | | hefty insurance costs, it retained its identity of being |
| company of old, as it was quite simply a bit rubbish. | | | | an Escort, whilst shedding the many poor aspects of |
| The idea of buying a used Ford in the early nineties | | | | the base model it was built on. Because the heart of |
| meant a heap of reliability trouble, a bucket-load of | | | | the Cosworth was just a working class Escort, it |
| rust and a particularly clinical drive once you got it | | | | became an everyday car with an everyman price tag |
| working. | | | | - it just happened to have 227bhp and the ability to |
| Despite this uninspiring platform, Ford had faith that it | | | | out-manoeuvre a Porsche. |
| could rescue the Escort brand. Having already | | | | |