Affordable but reliable and practical, the Ford Escort had been one the marque’s most successful production cars until the Focus came out two decades ago. Now, someone has unearthed a 1980 Escort and turned it into a rotary sports car.

The original hatchback made do with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine that was removed to make room for dual-rotor Mazda RX8 engine. The exotic power unit revs up to a formidable 7,500 RPM and makes 215 PS (212 hp / 158 kW) along with up to 215 Nm (159 lb-ft) of torque.

The exterior of the Escort follows the sleeper aesthetic, staying stock except for slightly lowered suspension. A closer look reveals a new exhaust system, as well as a tube-frame and a roll cage in the cabin.

We don’t have any sprint time measurements to tell you about, but the video here should give you a good idea of what this car is capable of.