TOP122 – Ford RS200 Evolution (1984-1986)

The engine was a 1.8-liter Cosworth turbo, producing 258 hp in road versions and between 350 to 460 hp in competition versions. Despite its excellent handling, the car suffered from significant turbo lag at low revs and had a lower power-to-weight ratio compared to its competitors. The best result in the WRC was a third-place finish at the 1986 Swedish Rally, but the RS200 also became infamous for its involvement in tragic accidents, which ultimately led to its exit from Group B. In the 1986 Portugal Rally, the RS200 driven by Joaquim Santos went off the track, resulting in the deaths of three spectators. A few months later, another tragic incident occurred at the Rally of Hessen in Germany, where Marc Surer lost control of the car and crashed into a tree, which split the RS200 in two. His co-driver, Michel Wyder, died in the fire that followed. These incidents led to the discontinuation of Group B at the end of the 1986 season. In 1987, Ford planned to upgrade the RS200 with a more powerful version of the Cosworth BDT-E engine, displacing 2137 cc, capable of producing between 557 and 826 hp. However, with the end of Group B, the RS200 E2 transitioned to rallycross, where it competed successfully. Norwegian driver Martin Schanche won the rallycross championship in 1991 with a 652-hp RS200 E2. In 1998, the RS200 was also used by Swedish driver Stig Blomqvist in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, finishing 4th with an 850-hp version of the car.