Ken Block has revealed that he is readying a Ford Escort RS Cosworth rally car after his ride being destroyed following a crash and fire in July.
Making the announcement on Facebook, Block said that that his reincarnated Escort will benefit from a selection of key improvements but didn’t disclose any details. A teaser of the car shows that it has a near-identical silhouette to the original rally car.
Block plans on taking the revised car on a ‘World Tour’, saying that he will compete in the car in a selection of stage rallies around the world while also doing some Gymkhana demos and more to show off the custom creation.
Before it was burnt to a crisp during the New England Forest Rally in Maine, Block’s Escort RS Cosworth was one of the most desirable race cars in his collection. It was a 1991 example originally built to compete in WRC’s Group A series.
Footage of the incident shared by Block showed the racer hitting a rock on the apex of a left-hand corner. This impact jolted the side of the Escort into the air, flipping it multiple times before it came to a rest in the trees. Immediately afterwards, the car caught fire, but fortunately, Block and his co-driver Alex Gelsomino were able to escape without any injuries.
It remains to be seen if any components of the original car will be retained at the reborn Cossie, but given that the previous one was consumed by fire, it could very well prove to be a ground-up build with an all-new chassis.