Ford Escort M5 Cosworth 2-door Polycarbonate Windows

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth wasn’t just another hot hatch, it was a homologation special built with one purpose: to dominate rally stages and obliterate the competition. Launched in 1992, it carried the Escort name, but in reality, it was a Sierra Cosworth underneath, disguised in an Escort-shaped body. This was a no-nonsense, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive beast that brought Ford back into the World Rally Championship (WRC) spotlight, rekindling the brand’s legendary rally pedigree.
The Escort RS Cosworth was an engineer’s dream, blending rally-bred performance with road-going accessibility. At its core was the legendary 2.0L turbocharged Cosworth YBT engine, an evolution of the Sierra RS Cosworth’s YB unit. With 227 horsepower in road-going spec (and far more in race trim), it was a serious performance machine. The power delivery was savage, especially when the turbo spooled up, giving it that iconic old-school turbo lag followed by an explosive surge of acceleration.
Unlike previous Escorts, this one had all-wheel drive, a necessity for taking on the likes of Lancia, Subaru, and Mitsubishi in WRC. The drivetrain was 60% rear-biased, giving it the handling characteristics of a true performance car while still offering the grip and traction needed for rallying. The suspension was heavily revised, featuring race-inspired geometry, wider tracks, and upgraded dampers to keep it composed at high speeds and through tight corners.
But what truly made the Escort RS Cosworth unforgettable was its wild aerodynamics. That massive “whale tail” rear spoiler wasn’t just for show, it was functional, designed to provide high-speed stability and downforce. It became one of the most iconic features of any rally car of the 1990s, making the RS Cosworth instantly recognisable whether on a WRC stage or a city street.
In rallying, the Escort RS Cosworth was a force to be reckoned with. Entering competition in 1993 under Group A regulations, it quickly proved itself as a serious contender. While it never won a WRC title outright, it secured multiple wins and podiums, driven by some of the best in the sport, including Francois Delecour, Juha Kankkunen, and Tommi Mäkinen. It was fast, aggressive, and unrelenting on any surface, tarmac, gravel, or snow, it didn’t matter.
As rallying transitioned into the World Rally Car (WRC) era, the Escort RS Cosworth evolved, losing the whale tail in later versions but maintaining its brutal turbocharged power and all-wheel-drive grip. Even after its time in top-level rallying ended, it remained a favuorite in national and privateer rallying, proving just how capable its platform was.
On the road, the Escort RS Cosworth was one of the most exciting cars of its time. It wasn’t just fast in a straight line, it handled like a proper race car, with precise steering, immense grip, and a raw, mechanical feel that modern turbocharged performance cars often lack. It was a car that demanded respect, rewarding skilled drivers but punishing those who underestimated it.
Today, the Escort RS Cosworth is a legend. It represents the last of the true rally-derived Ford road cars, a machine built with WRC victory in mind rather than just meeting emissions regulations or appealing to mass-market buyers. Its values have skyrocketed, with enthusiasts and collectors recognising it as one of the greatest performance cars of the 1990s.
For those who were lucky enough to drive one, the Escort RS Cosworth wasn’t just a car, it was an experience. The turbo lag, the grip, the noise, the sheer aggression of the thing, it was pure, unfiltered performance, wrapped in a boxy 90s shell with a wing big enough to make a fighter jet jealous.
It might have been called an Escort, but this was no ordinary Ford. It was a Cosworth-bred, turbocharged, rally-winning legend, and it remains one of the greatest machines ever to wear the blue oval badge.