UK-based Borehman Motorworks has turned the classical first-gen Ford Escort RS into something truly wild, giving it an all-new body, custom chassis and suspension, and a naturally aspirated engine capable of revving up to 10,000 RPM.
The result is a gorgeous-looking car weighing less than 900 kilograms (1,980 lbs). The front subframe is new, the front axle is fabricated from aluminum and titanium, and the rear suspension utilizes a six-link setup for a more modern driving experience. At the same time, the car has much less unsprung weight than any of its contemporaries from the 1960s and ‘70s, Boreham claims.
The interior looks tastefully minimalistic with leather and carbon fiber used throughout, analog gauges and not a single modern gadget in sight. Such modern fancies as power steering, ABS and traction control aren’t available – not even for a premium, as far as we know.
The base engine is a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated four-pot sending 185 PS (182 hp / 136 kW) to the wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. Those looking for a bit more punch than that may opt for a 2.1-liter variant tuned to deliver 330 PS (325 hp / 243 kW) while spinning up to the 10,000 RPM mentioned above.
Only 150 such restomods will be offered globally, prices starting from £295,000. That’s just under $400,000 in U.S. money. As some commenters on Carscoops have rightfully pointed out, a Ford Escort RS in reasonable condition can still be procured for around $60,000, so investing nearly seven times as much in a restomod is definitely a choice at this point.