Makes › Ford › Escort › Escort RS Cosworth · Factory competition · 1992–1996 Limited Production

Ford
Escort RS Cosworth

Group A/WRC homologation Escort assembled by Karmann at Rheine, Germany.

7,145BuiltRegistry reported

0Chassis documentedin this archive

?SurvivingNot yet verified

Contents

01Overview
02Production & history
03Specifications
- Technical specifications
04Colours & options
- Factory colours & interiors
- Factory options & codes
05Individual cars
06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built: 7,145 Built
Years: 1992–1996
Engine: Inline-four, cast-iron block, aluminium 16-valve head · 1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc
Power: 169 kW / 230 PSFactory: 227 hp · converted
Top speed: 220 km/hFactory: 137 mph · converted
Body: Not yet verified
Designer: Ford Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE), with bodies converted by Karmann
In this archive: Not yet verified
Surviving: Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Escort RS Cosworth was Ford's Group A rally homologation special of the early 1990s, combining the Sierra Cosworth's four-wheel-drive running gear with an Escort-shaped body. Its road-car production of about 7,000 was small, and the first 2,500 "big turbo" cars were built to qualify the model for international rallying.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityLimited Production 7,145 · Built^1,2

Specification rarityNot yet assessed

Colour rarityNot yet assessed

Individual rarityNot yet assessed

Historical rarityNot yet assessed

Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Wikimedia Commons: Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Wikimedia Commons: Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Wikimedia Commons: Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ford Escort RS Cosworth (Wikimedia Commons: Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is counted	Figure	Basis	Status
Total model productionRS Cosworths built	7,145^1,2	Factory production	Registry reported

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Ford based the car on the Sierra Cosworth chassis and mechanics but fitted them into an Escort-looking body. The chassis were sent from England to Germany, where Karmann cut, fitted and adjusted them. Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) division managed the project. Output was 3,448 in 1992, 1,143 in 1993, 1,180 in 1994, 1,306 in 1995 and 68 in 1996 (figures supplied by Ford SVE).

Two road versions were built. The initial big-turbo cars used a hybrid Garrett T3/T04B (T35) turbocharger and the YBT engine; from late 1994 an HTT (High Torque Turbo) version with a smaller Garrett T25 turbo and the YBP engine reduced lag and used a Ford EEC IV management system. Production ended in early 1996, partly because new EU noise regulations from 1995 could not be met. In Group A the car scored 8 WRC wins and 2 more in WRC specification.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Escort RS Cosworth.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine family	Cosworth YB (Pinto-derived block)¹ Independently researched
Engine code	YBT (T35 big turbo); YBP (T25 HTT)¹ Independently researched
Layout	Inline-four, cast-iron block, aluminium 16-valve head¹ Independently researched
Cylinders	4¹ Independently researched
Displacement	1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc³ Registry reportedrallycars.com calls it a 2 liter engine.
Bore	90.8 mmFactory: 90.8 mm¹ Independently researched
Stroke	77 mmFactory: 77 mm¹ Independently researched
Compression ratio	Not yet verified
Valvetrain	DOHC, 16 valves¹ Independently researched
Fuel system	Not yet verified
Induction	Garrett turbocharger: hybrid T3/T04B (T35) on YBT, T25 on YBP¹ Independently researched
Power	169 kW / 230 PSFactory: 227 hp · converted³ Registry reportedrallycars.com gives an initial 204 bhp rising to up to 227 bhp, and calls the road cars conservatively rated at about 220 bhp.
Power at	Not yet verified
Torque	Not yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

Gearbox	Not yet verified
Gears	Not yet verified
Driven wheels	Four-wheel drive⁴ Independently researched

Chassis, body & dimensions

Chassis	Sierra Cosworth chassis fitted into an Escort body by Karmann¹ Independently researched
Front suspension	MacPherson struts with lower track control arms; anti-roll bar connected to the strut¹ Independently researched
Rear suspension	MacPherson struts with transverse trailing arms in steel tube¹ Independently researched
Brakes	Not yet verified
Steering	Not yet verified
Body construction	Not yet verified
Wheelbase	Not yet verified
Length	Not yet verified
Width	Not yet verified
Height	Not yet verified
Front track	Not yet verified
Rear track	Not yet verified
Kerb weight	Not yet verified
Dry weight	Not yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed	220 km/hFactory: 137 mph · converted³ Registry reportedThe Iconic lot text says the big-turbo cars were capable of 150 mph.
0–100 km/h	Not yet verified
0–60 mph	5.8 s³ Registry reported
Fuel tank	Not yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Big-turbo cars carry the Garrett T35 hybrid turbocharger (YBT engine) and the large "whale tail" rear wing; the later HTT cars are identical apart from an HTT logo on both front doors and a smaller T25 turbo (YBP engine). The cam-cover colour indicates engine type: red for premium fuel, green for unleaded and blue for unleaded with a catalytic converter. "Motorsport" versions lacked the sunroof and rear tilting windows and had water-injection equipment supplied unfitted in a bag in the boot. Special cars include one of three pre-production hand-built prototypes without a catalytic converter and a one-off Zinc Yellow right-hand-drive car ordered by Cosworth in October 1995.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1
Ford Escort RS Cosworth: History and technical infos Level B rallycars.com
- A grand total of 7,145 vehicles ... produced between 1992 and early 1996
- based on the old but solid Ford Pinto derived four cylinder cast iron block
- cars equipped with the T35 turbocharger used the YBT
- This engine was code named YBP
- in-line 4 cylinder ... cast iron block powered by an aluminum 16 valve head
- in-line 4 cylinder units
- bore is greater than stroke (90,8 x 77,0 mm
- (90,8 x 77,0 mm in this case)
- 2 overhead camshafts ... aluminum 16 valve head
- Garrett T3/T04B turbo ... T25 turbo
- Ford developed a car based on the Sierra Cosworth chassis and mechanics but housed in an Escort looking outfit
- front McPherson struts use a lower track control arm
- rear McPherson strut using trailing arms, transversally mounted
Accessed 2026-11-12
2
Supercar Nostalgia – Ford Escort RS Cosworth Level C
- 7145 RS Cosworths built
Accessed 2026-11-12
3
Ford RS Owners Club, RS models overview Level B The Ford RS Owners Club
- Escort Cosworth Engine cc: 1993 (RS models overview)
- Escort Cosworth Engine bhp: 227 (RS models overview)
- Escort Cosworth Top Speed: 137mph (RS models overview)
- Escort Cosworth 0-60mph: 5.8 (RS models overview)
Accessed 2026-11-12
4
1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth, ex-Jeremy Clarkson pre-production prototype, lot 395 Level C Iconic Auctioneers · 2024-08-24
- Cosworth power, four-wheel drive transmission
Accessed 2026-11-12

Research coverage

Production figures1 recorded

Technical data16 verified values

Factory coloursNot yet researched

Option codesNot yet researched

Chassis documented0 of 7145

Photographs4

Shows what this archive has recorded so far – not how much of the history is known.

Editorial status

Reviewed · 2026-11-12

Revision history (2)

2026-11-12 Basic profile published from discovery research; production figure re-checked against its source page.
2026-11-12 Research gaps filled from sources (22 values).

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Ford
Escort RS Cosworth

At a glance

Why it matters

How rare is it?

Photos

Production

History

Variants