Ken Block is best known for his epic Gymkhana videos, but he also has a serious side to his behind-the-wheel activities as he’s taken part in dozens of rallying events, and more recently the World Rallycross Championship.
Unfortunately for him, Ford has pulled the funding for his Rallycross team for 2018, but that isn’t going to stop him from competitive driving because he’s just got this: a Group A Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
First used in the WRC in 1993, the Escort RS Cosworth almost won the title in its first season on the world stage. The car won five rallies, three of which with Francois Delecour behind the wheel, good enough for the runner-up spot in both championships.
Unfortunately, that was the closest the car ever came to title success, though it did carry on through to the end of the 1998 season before being replaced by the Ford Focus.
Despite the relative lack of success, it’s become one of the most iconic rally cars of all time. That’s in part because it was driven by rally legends such as Juha Kankkunen, Tommi Makinen, and Carlos Sainz, but also because of that colossal whale-tail rear wing.
Block’s car has around 350bhp (at the moment!) and comes with the 7-speed sequential gearbox the car was unusually fitted with in period, but this isn’t just going to be a plaything for use in YouTube videos – even though it is pretty awesome at doing donuts.
As well as doing his typical tyre-shredding stuff like this, Block actually plans to enter it in proper stage rallies too. And that seems only fitting, considering the car’s heritage!
