With a semi-spaceframe rear end, sequential six-speed box and a 330bhp 2.5-litre Millington engine, this must be the ultimate Mk II Escort. It was to be Colin McRae's final rally car and is on offer directly from the McRae family. In late 2002 we were asked by colleague and friend Gordon Birtwistle of Proflex UK Ltd. if we could convert a Mk II Escort into independent rear suspension instead of the conventional live axle, for a rather special customer, this being the late great Colin McRae and of course, we were only too pleased to take up the challenge. The donor car was supplied to us in early 2003 and after numerous telephone conversations with Colin, the project commenced. The original specification was to be an ultra-long wheel travel, gravel rally car. With fully independent front and rear suspension to our own design and using our own aluminium uprights, finished off with a T45 roll cage to support the modifications. Colin first visited our workshop in April 2003 to see how his ‘toy’ was shaping up. He took a particular shine to our brand new, 4WD tarmac-spec KA rally car and it became apparent to him that we were a ‘one-stop shop’ and were able to bring WRC attributes to any vehicle. This led to us doing more work than was initially intended and it was decided on that day that the project was now to be a turn-key rally car designed to be as lightweight, compliant and agile as we could make it.' The full story of this unique car’s build and subsequent testing is well-documented elsewhere but the final build-spec included, A Millington ‘Diamond’ 2.5-litre, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine producing around 330bhp on electronic fuel injection and mounted as far back and as low as physically possible Cleverly designed bespoke exhaust manifold Bespoke DJM sequential gearbox and individual limited-slip differential T45 bespoke roll-cage Detachable front wings and extremely lightweight body panels A bespoke carbon fibre complete dashboard and unique instrumenta
