Ultimate guide t0 Series 2
Whether you want big-power potential or a concours contender, the Escort RS Turbo Series 2 is a real Rallye Sport bargain.
Engine
1596cc in-line fourcylinder, eight-valve, SOHC CVH with cast iron block and alloy head, 8.2:1 compression ratio, Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection, Bosch-Motorola engine management, Garrett T3 turbocharger, intercooler
Transmission
Front-wheel drive with B5 five-speed manual gearbox, 3.82:1 final drive ratio, viscous-coupling limited-slip differential, 218mm single-plate clutch
Brakes
260mm ventilated discs (front), 229mm drums (rear), Lucas-Girling mechanical anti-lock braking system
Suspension
MacPherson struts, Fichtel & Sachs gas-filled dampers, revised coil springs, 24mm anti-roll bar, (front); transverse trailing arms, Fichtel & Sachs gas-filled telescopic dampers, revised coil springs and 16mm antiroll bar (rear)
Wheels and Tyres
6x15in six-spoke alloys and Dunlop or Goodyear 195/50VR15 tyres
Interior
XR3i or optional Recaro front seats (standard from 1987) in grey Daytona trim (Zolda/Shadow from September 1989) with matching rear bench and door cards, soft-feel two- spoke steering wheel, black headlining (pale grey from September 1989). Options included trip computer and stereo upgrades
Exterior
Three-door Escort hatchback body with colour-coded Ford RS bodykit comprising deep front bumper, bonnet vents, wheelarch extensions, side skirts, deep rear bumper and XR3i tailgate spoiler, red bumper inserts (black on red cars), colour-coded door mirrors, front driving lamps, tinted glass. Custom Pack (optional until July 1987; standard thereafter) added tilting/ sliding glass sunroof, electric front windows and central locking. Options included electric/ heated door mirrors, heated windscreen (standard from September 1988). Colours: Diamond White, Rosso Red, Black, Nimbus Grey, Mercury Grey, Radiant Red.
For any Ford fan in the 1980s and ‘90s, the Escort RS Turbo was pretty much the ultimate hot hatch – a tarmac-shredding frontwheel drive thug with enough power in easy reach to see off anything this side of a Cossie.
Yes, the Series 2 was more civilised than its Series 1 predecessor. And yes, it lacked the motorsport homologation heritage. But otherwise, it was almost equal. Plus, with better road manners and now a choice of exterior colours, the turbocharged Escort became a more viable option for hot hatch buyers.
Launched in July 1986 and based on the three- door Mk4 Escort, the new RS Turbo was a subtle rework of the Series 1. The 1596cc CVH was modified, there was refined Bosch management, a water- cooled Garrett T3 turbo, a one-piece inlet manifold, and an uprated intercooler.
The Series 1’s B5 gearbox now featured a higher final drive ratio for comfier cruising, its limited-slip differential became less twitchy, and there was a bigger clutch. Gone was the funky front tie-bar suspension in favour of regular XR3i-type kit plus an Orion rear anti-roll bar, but the brakes were bigger and boasted ABS as standard.
Externally the Series 2 looked much like an XR3i, adding bonnet vents, skirts, slender wheelarch extensions, a colour- coded rear spoiler and 15in wheels ( but deleting black window surrounds). Recaros and an optional Custom Pack aided the interior, and were made standard in 1987.
The RS Turbo was facelifted in September 1989, and production ended about a year later.
Tuning, TWOCing and street-racing made the RS Turbo the ultimate boyracer mobile, but such a stigma is history; today the Series 2 is an impending classic that’s as suited to shows as it is to serious power hikes. Here’s what you need to know…