FCLegends #9 – Sierra RS Cosworth (1985-1987)
What can you get for £16,000 these days? You certainly couldn’t get a turbocharged rear-drive weapon like you could when Ford released the Sierra RS Cosworth. Granted, inflation is part of the reason it seems so cheap, but even back then, this car was a bargain. Ford didn’t actually build this car to make a huge profit; they built it to race and become a legend in its own lifetime, both of which it did with ease.
The body shell was based on the base model Sierras, with three doors and two large side windows. The engine block started life on the Pinto that powered the majority of Sierras at the time, but that was pretty much where the Sierra connection ended.
This was no family hatch like normal Sierras; this was a turbocharged rear-drive hot hatch with huge arch extensions and a massive whale tail spoiler on the back, making it instantly recognisable to anybody who saw it.
The car was entered by Ford in touring car championships from around the world and was successful from the off. And with the release of the special RS500 edition with its huge T4 turbo, eight injectors, and numerous other changes, the Sierra Cosworth dominated racing for years.
With race teams worldwide developing power, handling, and braking improvements, this car was a dream for any road car tuner, and within weeks of release there were road going 350bhp versions of the Sierra Cosworth and 500bhp versions of the RS500. Before long there were countless 500bhp+ versions of both cars. Even today these cars are still tuned to the hilt with some capable of over 200mph, and if you head to Gatebil in Norway it’s not uncommon to see these cars with well over 700bhp.
Even almost 25 years after its first release, the Sierra Cosworth is still a car that commands respect on road and track, and it’s not uncommon to find tuned ones for sale for more than their original asking price nearly a quarter of a century ago. A truly legendary performance car.
SEE MORE FC LEGENDS
