Guide: Opportunity Missed - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Ford RS200
BACKGROUND
Having long since ranked among the elite manufacturers in top flight rallying thanks primarily to high performance iterations of the Mk1 and Mk2 Escort, Ford’s European arm took a sabbatical after winning the 1979 Driver and Manufacturer World Championships in order to focus on the development of a next generation platform based on the forthcoming Mk3 Escort.
This latest Escort challenger, dubbed the RS1700T, was to be developed in line with a new regularity framework set to come into effect for 1982: Group B.
Whereas the outgoing Group 4 rules required a production run of 400 base cars within a 24 month period, to qualify for Group B a manufacturer only had to build 200 cars albeit now inside a single calendar year. The move was intended to stimulate participation but unwittingly led to the creation of ultra specialised and incredibly powerful machines the like of which had never been seen before.
Ford’s prototype Escort RS1700T was unveiled in September 1981 but still required much development. Delays throughout 1982 meant dates for homologation were continuously pushed back and, in mid March of 1983, the programme was scrapped two weeks after Stuart Turner had returned to his position as Ford’s Director of European Motorsport.
Having witnessed the pace of development by Ford’s rivals, Turner correctly reasoned that the largely production-based rear-drive RS1700T was never going to be a success against a new generation of all-wheel drive machinery designed from the ground up for rally use.
Publicly, Ford seemed reluctant to commit to another Group B programme, but in reality design work for a no-compromises machine started within days of the RS1700T’s cancellation.
By late summer of 1983, the new car’s fundamental design had been decided upon and the first prototype had been completed by March 1984. In line with the latest generation of Group B machinery, the new Ford was to be based around a trick monocoque chassis with mid-mounted engine, four-wheel drive and a composite body.
Ford went on to unveil what became known as the RS200 at the Turin Motor Show in November 1984 by which time four prototypes had been completed.
At this stage, the expectation was that homologation would be approved by the middle of 1985. This would facilitate a return to rallying towards the end of 1985 ahead of a fully fledged World Championship assault in 1986.
RS200 development took place predominantly at Ford’s European Motorsport headquarters in Boreham, Essex, where early cars were also assembled. However, after production delays, road car assembly was transferred to the Reliant works in Shenstone, Staffordshire, late in 1985.
Owing to supply problems, the first production car was not completed until September 1985. Group B homologation was ultimately approved on February 1st 1986.
CHASSIS
The RS200 was based around a brand new chassis with a 2530mm wheelbase designed by Tony Southgate and chief engineer of Ford Motorsport, John Wheeler.
The main floor, sills and bulkheads were fashioned from bonded and riveted Ciba-Geigy aluminium honeycomb sandwich with steel outer skins. A stressed central tunnel and the inner rear bulkhead were moulded from a lightweight reinforced aramid carbonfibre composite. The double-skinned upper / roof structure was in a carbonfibre / aramid / glassfibre composite.
An integrated steel rollcage was bolted direct to the monocoque as were the front and rear subframes manufactured from high-strength alloys.
Mounted in the rear bulkhead behind the seats were a pair of aluminium fuel tanks (one with a 73.6-litre capacity, the other with a 41.8-litre capacity).
Suspension was via double wishbones with twin coil sprung height adjustable dampers at each corner and an anti-roll bar at either end.
The unassisted rack and pinion steering arrangement was a modified Sierra item.
An AP Racing brake system comprised 285mm ventilated discs with four-piston aluminium alloy calipers all round.
8 × 16-inch Speedline alloy wheels were shod with Pirelli P700 tyres (225/50 VR 16).
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
Mid longitudinally mounted in the chassis was an uprated version of the inline four cylinder BDT engine originally commissioned from Cosworth for the Escort RS1700T.
As before, this latest iteration of the BDT theme featured an aluminium alloy block and head with four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts and dry-sump lubrication.
For the RS200, the BDT motor was enlarged to from 1778cc to 1803cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 86mm and 77mm respectively. With the FIA’s 1.4 multiplier for turbocharged engines, this gave a swept volume of 2525cc which took the car into the 3-litre un-blown class and permitted a turbocharged engine of up to 2.1-litres for competition use.
Other updates included Nikasil-lined cylinders, improved water and fuel pumps, a custom stainless steel 4-to-1 exhaust, the latest Garrett AiResearch hybrid TO3/4 turbocharger (which ran at up to 0.8 bar boost), an air-to-air intercooler mounted across the roof behind the cockpit, Bosch fuel-injection and Ford EEC IV electronic engine management.
With a compression ratio of 8.2:1 in standard road-going trim, the RS200 developed 250bhp at 6000rpm and 215lb-ft at 4500rpm.
The complex drivetrain comprised a Hewland five-speed gearbox, FF Developments all-wheel drive system and twin-plate AP Racing clutch.
In order to create a 50:50 weight distribution, the transmission was mounted up front. Three viscous coupling limited-slip differentials were employed: front, centre and rear. Normally, 33% of the power was fed to the front wheels.
BODYWORK
Initial design work for the RS200 took place in-house at the Boreham Motorsport department with final styling carried out at Ford’s Ghia subsidiary in Turin.
The car was characterised by its compact size with very short overhangs. A 0.4 drag coefficient may have seemed high, but Ford was more concerned with stability than conventional aerodynamic efficiency.
Up front, bulges for the two semi-shrouded circular headlights swept back towards a massive central vent that enabled hot air to escape from the radiators. Lower down, the front apron housed cutaways for a pair of spot lights that normally wore Hella-branded covers. A slim brake cooling duct was carved out from the corners of the front apron and a matching intake slot was located above the licence plate housing.
Down each flank were deep side skirts, low profile doors and a vertical air duct behind each side window. Mounted at the leading edge of the lift-up rear hatch was the shallow intercooler duct.
The back end was dominated by an integrated spoiler that wrapped around the vented panoramic rear screen. At its trailing edge, the spoiler contained two large vents that enabled hot air to escape from the engine bay. A trio of rectangular vents that served the same purpose were cut away from the rear apron underneath a satin black fascia where Ford incorporated tail lights sourced from the Sierra.
With its well balanced proportions, the RS200 was arguably the most handsome of all the purebred Group B cars created for rally use.
The front lid (hinged at the leading edge) was manufactured from a carbon, fibreglass and aramid epoxy composite. The centre section, doors and rear lid (again hinged at the leading edge) added plastic into the carbon, fibreglass and aramid epoxy mix. Bumpers were plastic composite, side and rear windows were acrylic and the windscreen was a laminated glass Sierra item.
INTERIOR
Despite its exotic layout (this was only the second mid-engined car that Ford had offered to the public), the RS200 felt much like any other Ghia-spec. model from the Blue Oval thanks to widespread use of grey plastics and imported switchgear.
Directly behind a three-spoke red or grey-rimmed steering wheel sourced from the XR3i was a rectangular four-gauge binnacle that housed a large 10,000rpm rev counter, a mid-size 140mph speedometer, small read outs for oil pressure and water temperature and half a dozen warning lights.
Located in the centre of the flat-top dash was a supplementary four-gauge binnacle with small read outs for turbo boost, battery voltage, fuel pressure and fuel level. Underneath this were the heating / ventilation controls, a blanked-off cavity for an audio system and a bank of flick switches.
In front of the passenger was an open-fronted glovebox.
Either side of the extremely wide transmission tunnel were single-piece Sparco bucket seats trimmed in either red or grey fabric.
Manual window winders were fitted as standard.
OPTIONS
Unlike most Group B specials which were offered in left or right-hand drive (but not both), customers could order an RS200 in either configuration.
The list of optional extras was initially quite limited.
Ford’s Rally Kit was for those buyers who planned to compete with their car. Those vehicles equipped as such were originally completed with 4N spring / damper units (that increased ride height from 185mm to 215mm and featured red instead of white-painted springs), harder engine mounts, omission of the anti-roll bars and reduced interior trim to include no sound deadening or carpet. The Rally Kit also came with a stubby 2/4 differential shift lever that enabled the driver to select one of three transmission modes: 37:63, 50:50 or 0:100.
Offered separately was a detachable rally light pod, a Motorsport stripe kit, split-rim three-piece wheels and ear-type Motorsport air scoops that flanked the roof-mounted intercooler duct.
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
In road-going trim, the RS200 weighed in at 1180kg.
Top speed was a quoted 150mph and 0-62mph took 5.7 seconds.
Cars equipped with the Rally Kit most likely came in at around 50kg lighter.
PRODUCTION
The 200 cars required for Group B homologation included six of Ford’s original prototypes.
At this early stage, Ford still expected the majority of RS200s to be sold off for competition use. However, when in May 1986 the FIA announced that Group B cars were to banned from competing beyond the end of that season, Ford realised that a far greater proportion of RS200s would need to be sold as road cars than originally planned.
With this in mind, and so as to ensure sufficient parts supply for owners, many completed cars were dismantled.
In total, just 152 complete cars were either delivered to customers or retained by Ford.
RS200 Evolution
Following one too many Group B fatalities, when in early May of 1986 the FIA announced a ban on Group B cars for 1987, it was also confirmed that no new Evolution variants would subsequently be approved for competition use.
By this time, Ford had already invested heavily to create an Evolution version of BDT engine (dubbed the BTD-E) which was originally expected to be fitted into a significantly modified version of the RS200. With a reputed 40 examples of the BDT-E motor already completed, Ford announced the Evolution engine would be offered as an option on the RS200 at a July 1986 press conference in London.
Developed in conjunction with Brian Hart, the BDT-E power unit was bored from 86mm to 90mm and stroked from 77mm to 84mm. This gave an overall displacement of 2137cc which represented a gain of 334cc. In addition, the BDT-E featured Bosch Motronic engine management, a Garrett turbo that ran at up to 1.6 bar and a reduced 7.2:1 compression ratio.
At 1.5 bar, the BDT-E engine developed 506bhp at 7500rpm and 401lb-ft at 5500rpm.
In total, 24 examples of the original 152 RS200s were completed to Evolution trim (covered in detail separately).
POLICE VERSION
In November 1986, Ford loaned an RS200 to the Essex and Suffolk police forces to serve as a high speed pursuit car. At the time, Ford supplied more than half the 24,000 cars used by the British police, most of which were Granadas and Sierra XR4x4s. During evaluation the RS200 hit nearly 150mph on a closed section of motorway and was used for a series of famous publicity shots.
EARLY PRODUCTION CHANGES
As a result of the aforementioned decision to sell a greater number of RS200s for road use than originally anticipated, Ford introduced a number of post-production changes to broaden the car’s appeal. Most were offered to existing RS200 customers with some features implemented as a free-of-charge update.
In May 1987 the steering rack was modified to provide a tighter turning circle, the clutch was modified to permit smoother engagement at low revs from rest, sturdier fixings were added for the luggage box mounted under the front lid, the engine cam cover was modified with water-proofed spark plug cavities and water-proofed boots for the plug leads and a two-speaker radio / cassette player with roof-mounted aerial was made available.
At the same time, Ford introduced a 300bhp conversion kit which comprised an uprated turbo housing, fuel pressure regulator, engine management chip and exhaust silencer. The package was also offered with the additional options of a cockpit boost control kit and high pressure fuel pump. With boost pressure running at up to 1 bar (up from 0.8) top speed rose to 155mph and the 0-62mph time dropped to 5 seconds.
In August 1987, Ford announced that all new and existing RS200s were to be updated with a braided hose between the oil filter and turbocharger housing.
LATER PRODUCTION CHANGES / TICKFORD
From the beginning of 1988, Ford subsidiary Tickford took over preparation of the remaining unsold cars. At this point, all new examples were upgraded with electric and heated exterior mirrors.
New options offered on these Tickford-prepared cars included a larger version of the existing bucket seat with increased rake for the backrest, new Recaro comfort seats in velour or leather, deep pile carpet, door trim panels with storage pockets, central locking with an integrated alarm system, air-conditioning, a heated windscreen, a black leather Stig Blomqvist edition Momo steering wheel, an HD lamp wiring harness and an HD alternator.
As Tickford had its own paintwork facilities, the odd red, blue and black car began to appear. A believed five RS200s were refinished in red with two apiece in blue and black.
In December 1988, Ford introduced a 350bhp upgrade kit. In addition to the equipment that came with the existing 300bhp kit, this more powerful option added new fuel injectors, a new engine management chip, a new boost control valve and an uprated cylinder head gasket (that was recommended as a retro-fit to every RS200). With a boost pressure of up to 1.3 bar, performance figures were improved once again: top speed rose to 160mph and the 0-62mph time was cut to just 4.2 seconds.
In March 1989, Ford added an alternative transfer gear ratio to the options list that gave 11% lower gearing.
The entire run of RS200s had been sold off by January 1990.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ford - https://www.ford.com
