Ford’s sleek new Escort RS Turbo Series 2 is the hot hatch back that enthusiasts have been awaiting with bated breath.
Engineered to quicken the pulse of people who really enjoy driving, it blends character-packed styling and sensational performance with all the practical features that have made the award-winning Escort Britain’s and the world’s best-selling car in the 1980s.
The 1986 Escort RS Turbo has all the spine-tingling potential needed to win Group N and Group A races and rallies just like its hard charging predecessor.
But high standards of comfort, convenience and refinement, plus all the advantages of a versatile three-door hatchback, make it equally suitable for fun-loving executives and fast-moving families.
The performance and stamina needed to beat world-class competition have been associated with RS-badged cars ever since Ford first used the Rallye Sport initials, way back in 1970. True to that tradition, the new Escort RS Turbo’s aerodynamic bonnet conceals an advanced high-spirited 1.6i CVH engine whose power and mid-range flexibility are matched by equally outstanding reliability and durability.
Key features include Bosh KE-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett T3 turbocharger whose turbine bearings are now water-cooled for even more efficient heat dissipation. Intake temperatures are optimised by an air-to-air intercooler.
This high-performance Escort also has a powerful on-board microprocessor programmed to control ignition timing and the turbo’s ‘wastegate’, a high-tech safety valve which keeps boost pressures within the present operating limits.
It all adds up to a rousing 132 PS at 5750 rpm – plus 180Nm of torque developed at only 2750 revs. That, according to tests by Ford engineers, is the formula for 0-60 mph in just 8.2 sizzling seconds, then on to a 128 mph top speed.
Strong and stylish like the rest of the car the alloy wheels have 6 inch rims, shod with ultra low profile 195/50VR15 tyres. The tyres and suspension combined give a remarkable smooth quiet ride in keeping with the domesticated’ side of the versatile Escort RS Turbo’s personality.
Extended body-colour wheel arches and rocker panels enhance the businesslike appearance of a car whose exterior also has body-colour door mirrors with the convenience of remote-control adjustment.
Escort RS Turbo Series 2 colours.
- Diamond White
- Rossa Red
- Black
- Nimbus Grey