McLaren F1 creator Gordon Murray owns a Ford Escort

If you're Gordon Murray, creator of the original McLaren F1, several Formula 1 race cars, and the GMA T.50, what kind of car do you build with your near-unlimited resources and thorough knowledge of automotive engineering? The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is a Ford Escort.

Of course, we're talking about the European Ford Escort, which proved hugely successful both as an affordable compact saloon and as a championship rally machine. Still, a plain white economy car isn't what you'd expect one of the world's great engineering minds pushing. A closer look under the skin reveals that it's not your typical factory Mk I Escort. In fact, almost no part of the car has remained unmodified.

In a video by The Late Brake Show and shared by Motor 1, Murray conducts an in-depth walkaround of the car. In place of the original 1.6-liter twin-cam is a 2.3-liter Duratec, which is based on a Mazda four-cylinder developed during the time when Mazda was owned by Ford. The difference with this one is that it was built by Cosworth to put out 240 to 250 horsepower and can rev like the dickens.

Any old yutz can swap an engine, right? Sure, but on the opposite end of this Escort lies a bespoke independent rear suspension where a solid axle should be. Murray explains that to best suit the added output from the motor (original Escort twin-cams made about 115 horsepower) the suspension had to be redesigned to lower the roll center. Otherwise, the car would be overly tail-happy. Murray admits that the suspension is probably not stiff enough for track duty but is perfect for street driving, absorbing bumps but not getting any tire hop when he guns it.

The car was built in conjunction with a U.K. shop called Retro Power. They started with a good but rusty shell found in South Africa. The floors was so Swiss cheesed that Murray could see the road passing beneath it, but the body was straight. Over a couple of years, Murray and Retro Power stiffened and sorted the chassis and honed the final product.