Ford developed the Escort Cosworth around the chassis and mechanicals of the Sierra Cosworth. This was to accommodate the larger Cosworth engine and transmission, while wrapping it in Escort body panels to make it resemble the standard Mk V of the time.
The Escort Cosworth was the first mass production car to produce downforce at the front and rear and had an official top speed of 150mph which rivalled many lower end supercars and hot hatches of the time. With only 7,145 vehicles produced from the start of production until the last car rolled out of the factory, the Escort RS Cosworth was also a rare car.