It’s the fear of Group A revival series’ organizers: the reawakening of the car that killed off Group A. British company CNC Motorsport AWS is recreating the ‘killer whale’, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth.
With Group A revivals becoming ever more popular, it was of course only a question of when. Recently, Group A BMW M3s were on the rise, and now indeed the BMW’s biggest revival is getting in the picture. CNC Motorsport AWS has announced they will recreate the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, in line with how Andy Rouse built them.
A couple of interesting observations. CNC Motorsport AWS is Alan Strachan’s company. Strachan worked for Andy Rouse, when Rouse was asked by Ford to turn the Sierra Cosworth into a racing car. Rouse had started with the South-African version of the Sierra, the Merkur XR4Ti, in 1985, as a testbed for the Sierra RS500 Cosworth. Rouse’s effort mainly focused on the UK races, while Ford asked Rudi Eggenberger to do the same for the European touring car races. In 1987, the Sierra RS Cosworth (340 hp), followed later in the season by the Sierra RS500 Cosworth, with bigger turbo. It gave 500 hp. Not only would the RS500 kill off the opposition, ultimately it would mean the end of Group A as well.
909 shell
So, now CNC Motorsport AWS has announced it will produce three ‘continuation’ Sierra RS500 Cosworths. Why just three? Because the company is doing things completely by the book. These will be cars just like Andy Rouse would have built them in period. Which means, with a correct ‘909’ Sierra RS500 shell as made by Ford Motorsport. These shells are hard to find these days, explaining why for the moment only three cars are planned. The steel roll cage is a copy of the one Rouse made in period, the same goes for specific parts such as the front suspension uprights, rear suspension arms and the side exhaust.
570 hp
Next up, the engine. The continuation cars will receive a Cosworth YB 2-litre turbo engine, pushing out over 570 hp. Rouse’s original engine builder Vic Drake was consulted to ensure the engines are as they would have been built in period. A Getrag five-speed gearbox comes with it.
Delivered in white, the price is calculated at 185.000 GBP (216.100 Euro), excluding special liveries and spares packages. A hefty price, the Volvo 240 Turbo or the BMW M3 come cheaper, but it does guarantee you a spot on the front line of the grid.
Enquiries: info@cncmotorsport.com
