Twin Cam
106bhpPut a Lotus engine in a family saloon and the rally era began.
1558cc Lotus-Ford twin-cam · 0–60 9.9s · 113 mph
Escort Mk1 guide →Rallye Sport and friends
Escort RS & performance models
From the 1968 Twin Cam to the 1992 RS Cosworth: the fast Escorts that built Ford's reputation, with specifications and a head-to-head comparison tool.
RS1600
120bhpThe first car to wear the RS badge, powered by Cosworth's 16-valve BDA.
1601cc Cosworth BDA 16v · 0–60 8.9s · 113 mph
Escort Mk1 guide →Mexico
86bhpNamed after a 16,000-mile rally win and sold to the people who cheered it on.
1599cc Kent crossflow · 0–60 10.7s · 99 mph
Escort Mk1 guide →RS1800
115bhpAround 109 road cars, and a world championship.
1835cc Cosworth BDA 16v · 0–60 9.0s · 111 mph
Escort Mk2 guide →RS2000
110bhpThe droop-snoot poster car of a generation.
1993cc Pinto SOHC · 0–60 8.6s · 112 mph
Escort Mk2 guide →Harrier
84bhp1,500 limited editions to celebrate a world rally title.
1599cc Kent crossflow · 0–60 10.3s · 100 mph
Escort Mk2 guide →RS Turbo S1
132bhpTurbocharged, limited-slip, and a favourite of a princess.
1597cc CVH turbo · 0–60 8.1s · 125 mph
Escort Mk3 guide →RS Cosworth
224bhp224bhp, four-wheel drive and a spoiler you could see from space.
1993cc Cosworth YB turbo 16v · 0–60 5.7s · 140 mph
Escort Mk5 guide →Head-to-headSettle the
Settle the
pub argument.
Pick any two performance Escorts and compare power, acceleration, top speed and value.
Turn on JavaScript to use the comparison, or see the table below.
Specifications
Performance Escorts compared
| Model | Mark | Built | Engine | bhp | 0–60 mph | Top mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Cam | Mk1 | 1968–1971 | 1558cc Lotus-Ford twin-cam | 106 | 9.9s | 113 |
| RS1600 | Mk1 | 1970–1974 | 1601cc Cosworth BDA 16v | 120 | 8.9s | 113 |
| Mexico | Mk1 | 1970–1974 | 1599cc Kent crossflow | 86 | 10.7s | 99 |
| RS2000 | Mk1 | 1973–1974 | 1993cc Pinto SOHC | 100 | 9.0s | 108 |
| Harrier | Mk2 | 1979–1980 | 1599cc Kent crossflow | 84 | 10.3s | 100 |
| RS Mexico | Mk2 | 1976–1978 | 1593cc Pinto SOHC | 95 | 10.5s | 106 |
| RS1800 | Mk2 | 1975–1977 | 1835cc Cosworth BDA 16v | 115 | 9.0s | 111 |
| RS2000 | Mk2 | 1976–1980 | 1993cc Pinto SOHC | 110 | 8.6s | 112 |
| RS2000 Custom | Mk2 | 1978–1980 | 1993cc Pinto SOHC | 110 | 8.6s | 112 |
| XR3i | Mk3 | 1982–1986 | 1597cc CVH, fuel injection | 105 | 8.6s | 116 |
| RS1600i | Mk3 | 1981–1983 | 1597cc CVH, fuel injection | 115 | 8.7s | 118 |
| RS Turbo S1 | Mk3 | 1984–1985 | 1597cc CVH turbo | 132 | 8.1s | 125 |
| RS Turbo S2 | Mk4 | 1986–1990 | 1597cc CVH turbo | 132 | 8.2s | 124 |
| Si | Mk5 | 1994–1995 | 1796cc Zetec 16v | 130 | 8.8s | 125 |
| RS2000 | Mk5 | 1991–1996 | 1998cc DOHC 16v | 150 | 8.2s | 129 |
| RS2000 4x4 | Mk5 | 1994–1996 | 1998cc DOHC 16v | 150 | 8.5s | 127 |
| RS Cosworth | Mk5 | 1992–1996 | 1993cc Cosworth YB turbo 16v | 224 | 5.7s | 140 |
| GTi | Mk6 | 1997–1998 | 1796cc Zetec 16v | 115 | 9.9s | 122 |
| Flight / Finesse | Mk6 | 1999–2000 | 1.6 petrol / 1.8 turbodiesel | 90 | 11.5s | 112 |