MST Cars, a Ford Escort restorer and modifier from Wales, has unveiled a carbon-bodied project car inspired by the second generation of the American coupe. It is rumored to cost the equivalent of U.S. $300,000.
Dubbed the Evolution-X (or Evo-X for short), it sports a roll cage, flared fenders and LED lighting all around. The exterior resembles that of a ‘70s-era Escort, but that’s where the similarities end. The newcomer benefits from Reiger adjustable suspension featuring an independent rear end, a nod to Colin McRae’s legendary rally car. It rides on 17-inch wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Cup Sport tires and takes advantage of AP Racing brakes.
Customers will be choosing between two naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines. One is a 2.5-liter Ford Duratec rated at 279 PS (275 hp / 205 kW), while the other one is a 2.8-liter, dry-sump Millington Diamond mill capable of 370 PS (365 hp / 272 kW). The transmission can be either manual or sequential.
Perhaps most impressively, the street-legal MST Evolution-X is expected to weigh as little as 801 kilograms, or 1,765 pounds. The race car is even leaner at 748 kilos (1,649 lbs).
