Conception

• The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was the brainchild of Stuart Turner, chief of the Motorsport division of Ford Great Britain who was instrumental in helping develop the Ford GT40 among other Ford race cars. He recruited Cosworth Engineering to help revive Ford's European racing program. For the production vehicle, Cosworth decided to use a 2-liter engine block from a Ford Pinto, fit it with a turbocharger and install it in the British Ford Sierra. Ford and Cosworth manufactured 500 separate Sierra RS 500 Cosworths in 1987 strictly for racing. The RS 500 version captured 40 first-place wins in the British Touring Car Championship and it won the Bathurst 1000. "RS" stood for Rally Sport.
  
  

Power

• Ford Great Britain replaced the Sierra's 2.3-liter Mustang engine with a 16-valve 2-liter Cosworth-engineered power plant equipped with a Garrett AiResearch T03 turbocharger and an intercooler. Ford equipped the engine with eight fuel injectors and a second fuel rail to increase the flow of duel. Engineers strengthen the block to handle the stress of the higher power output. The engine's bore was 3.57 inches and the stroke measured 3.03 inches. The compression ratio was 8-to-1. A Bo L-Jet fuel-injection system delivered the fuel to develop 224 horsepower and 204 foot-pounds of torque. A five-speed manual transmission transmitted the power to the wheels.
  
  

Frame and Body

• The suspension consisted of a front independent system with coil springs and an independent rear system with trailing arms and coil springs. A second set of rear suspension arms gave the RS 500 racing version a more prominent V-camber for the racetrack. The body featured a different bumper from the nonperformance Ford Sierra to include a splitter to improve the car's aerodynamics and cooling. It was also equipped with mesh-covered brake ducts to help cool the disc brakes. New vents were added to the hood to enhance the engine's cooling. On the rear deck was a spoiler. The RS 500 models featured "RS 500" badging.
  
  

Dimensions

• Ford Great Britain placed the car on a 102.7-inch wheelbase. The body was a relatively short 176.9 inches long, stood 54.2 inches tall and was 66.8 inches wide. The front and rear wheels measured 6-by-15 inches. The curbside weight rating was 2,690 lbs. The car carried 13.2 gallons of fuel in the tank.
  
  

Performance

• The production non-racing version Ford Sierra RS Cosworth reached 0-to-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and the quarter mile in 15.1 seconds. Its top speed was 154 mph. It could achieve 24 mpg.