The Escort RS Cosworth prototype first appeared at the 1990 Paris Motor Show. Ford's intention was to race this car in the World Rally Championship, but people couldn't believe their eyes when they saw what was under the bonnet instead of the transversely mounted engine of the base RS2000, the engine was mounted longitudinally in the RSCosworth.
Ford decided to mount the engine in this way in order to gain advantage over their strongest rival, the Lancia Delta. Mounting the engine longitudinally allowed the transmission to be placed behind it, helping to improve the forward/rear weight distribution, and lowering the center of gravity. Airflow into the engine bay is also enhanced, giving an advantage in terms of cooling as well.
In its debut year of 1993, the RS Cosworth racked up 5 wins in WRC, and secured a 2nd place overall finish. However, from 1994 on, the team was fraught with troubles. Although the RS Cosworth still show bursts of great speed it failed to translate into victories.
The 1998 Escort was modified based on the WR car regulation introduced in the previous year, and it was driven by Juha Kankkunen and co-driver Bruno Thiry, who took over in the middle of '97. They entered the season with the car's weakest point, the rear suspension improved, but the car was unable to hide its age, and it finished the season without a single victory. Though the Escort finished this season with no wins, Kankkunen drove the car to steady points wins, earning himself 4th place overall in the drivers' title.