UK engineering firm Boreham Motorworks has confirmed that the reborn Ford Escort MK.1 RS will be powered by a brand-new, high-revving four-cylinder engine capable of delivering 330-horsepower at up to 10,000 rpm. Plus, thanks to copious use of 3D-printing technology, the inline-four, custom-developed for the Ford, hotcarwill weigh just 85 kilograms, or just over 187 pounds.
Built in-house in the UK, Boreham’s new inline-four mirrors the powerplant of Ford’s original Mk1 RS1600 model, which ran a Cosworth-built, belt-driven engine with four valves per cylinder. Unlike its muse, however, Boreham’s engine has a slightly bigger capacity at 2.1-liters (2,100cc) compared with its ‘predecessor’s 1.6-liter, though, admittedly, that’s still some way off the biggest displacement four-cylinder engines in production car history. No turbocharging or supercharging has been incorporated into the naturally-aspirated design – dubbed ‘TEN-K’ – which makes the peak power output at a Herculean 10,000 rpm even more impressive.
Said to offer “sharp response and linear power,” the new inline-four engine, unsurprisingly, is more technologically advanced than its muse. Individual throttle bodies, specifically included in a bid to replicate the original Escort’s signature engine notes, and “lightweight internals” have been manufactured in-house at Boreham, while the engine crank, rods, subframe, dry sump and cam cover are made from billet steel. The most notable change, however, concerns the use of 3D printed casting technology. This allows the engine block walls to be much thinner than those of a conventional engine, whilst still structurally strong, reducing the overall weight in the process. The cylinder heads, meanwhile, feature Formula 1-inspired port geometry, which allows for more efficient gas flow, and thus improved power delivery. Development of the TEN-K engine has been overseen thus far by former Ford chief engineer Simon Goodliff and former Ford engine calibration manager Laine Martin. Though further dyno testing and calibration is expected on top of the six months already completed, the 330 hp output and rev limit are said to be “already above initial targets.”
Interestingly, the TEN-K is the second powerplant that has been confirmed for the new Escort RS. The first, another pure-petrol engine, is another, slightly smaller reimagining of Ford’s twin-cam four-cylinder. Said 1.8-liter unit (1,845cc) will be mated with a four-speed manual gearbox, will rev to 9,000 rpm, and will produce 182 hp. Tellingly, torque for neither model has been confirmed, though the TEN-K will be connected with a dogleg five-speed transmission. Unlike the more recent Encor Series I and/or Blazin Rodz’ 1,600 HP Camaro, Boreham’s Escort RS is not a restomod but is instead an all-new car built from scratch and “blueprint accurate” to the original model. Consequently, each model will receive an official continuation chassis number from Ford itself (rather nauseatingly, the unofficial term for the build is a ‘Continumod.) In-keeping with its race-bred muse, the new Escort RS will feature no power-steering, no anti-lock brakes, and no electrical gubbins in the powertrain. Just 150 examples of the will be produced, each of which will cost their new owner £295,000 (around $387K USD).
Source: Boreham Motorworks
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