The Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth was the 80s BTCC homologation hero that also became the affordable super car. In this episode Jonny visits an owner with probably the perfect pair of examples; an unrestored 34,000 mile RS500 and Group A touring car. The latter has been raced both in the winning hands of Andy Rouse and Peter Brock.

Thanks for stopping by this episode of The Late Brake Show, where Jonny meets Rupe Kent and his pair of stunning Sierras.

In the summer of 1986 the Sierra Cosworth went on sale to the public as a homologation car. They needed to sell 5000 in order to go racing and beat Rover and BMW in British Touring Car. A year later they increased the intensity of the Cosworth recipe and created a homologation 'evolution' which became the RS500. As reflected in the name, only 500 of these needed selling in order to trounce the opposition on the race tracks of Britain and Australia.

Archive clips of BTCC footage credited to Barrie Hinchliffe Productions (BHP), Duke Video (https://www.dukevideo.com/), Australian Touring Car (https://tcraustralia.com/) and British Touring Car Championship (https://www.btcc.net/)
   • Video  
   • 1989 ATCC Oran Park Round 8  
   • 1988 ETCC Silverstone - RAC TT.  

After research into the legalities surrounding 'Fair Use', knowing that we have used the clip(s) in a factual, relevant, reportage manner to validate the discussion point made by the person(s) involved in the original footage. We have used as short a clips as possible to validate said point. We have also used the clip in the confidence that it will act in a positive transformative way to the original clips; with that in mind, please check out the original YouTube links above and please support them as you are supporting us. Many thanks to Duke, BTCC, ITV and to you, our viewers.

To purchase Duke downloads and dvds: https://www.dukevideo.com/Touring-Car...

The Group A race Sierra was built in 1988 by Andy Rouse Engineering and was actually Andy’s car for the 1988 BTCC. Ran as number 22 in Kaliber livery (number 33 in the endurance races). Of the 12 rounds run that year the car scored 10 pole positions, 7 fastest laps and 9 outright wins. Statistically it’s the most successful RS500 that Andy built or ran.

The car, driven by Andy partnered by Le Mans ace, Frenchman Alain Ferté won the 1988 Silverstone TT against the ‘best of the best’ Sierras from round the world – The Ford works Eggenberger team from Switzerland and the Dick Johnson Racing Shell team from Australia. Sold to the Brock Racing Team for the 1989 season and driven by Australian touring car legend Peter Brock in the Mobil livery.
The car competed twice at Bathurst and finished strongly both times. Brocky last drove the car at the Adelaide GP support race in 1990 where he blew it up.

2 litre DOHC 16v with a Garrett T04 turbocharger and air-to-air intercooler
Getrag 5-speed dog-leg motorsport gearbox
Eggenberger spec bulletproof differential
One piece light weight magnesium motorsport wheels

The Sierra RS500 is the most successful racing car ever. Not just touring cars. All racing cars. It sounds crazy but it’s true. Motor Sport article here tells the tale : https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ar...

Thanks to Adrian Flux insurance for covering Jonny on Rupe's immaculate RS500 road car.

Jonny wears:
Hoodie https://www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/...


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Filmed and edited by: Phil Vaughan - https://www.philvfilms.com/
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Thumbnail by: Matt Tarrant - https://www.matttarantdesign.com

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Jonny Smith
Creative content maker, car presenter & car pervert for hire since '98
Website: http://www.carpervert.com
Instagram:   / jonnycarpervert  
Twitter:   / carpervert  


CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:45 35 years since Cosworth went on sale
2:27 Group A racing archive
2:59 Engine start up
3:28 Sierra Cosworth history lesson
5:20 Most successful race car ever?
5:40 What IS an RS500?
11:55 Race car walk around
12:28 Sierra race stats
12:42 Peter Brock history
14:28 Winning list of this car
15:17 Why the Sierra obsession?
17:15 Tiff on Top Gear
17:50 Rup on track day
19:00 Last raced in 1990
20:09 Cosworth shrine in the house
20:55 OUT ON THE ROAD
23:35 Rudi Eggenberger maintained
24:00 Rup's car story
25:08 JONNY DRIVING RS500
26:30 Worth £100,000
30:38 Outro

#sierrarscosworth #ultimatesierracosworth #sierrars500cosworth #groupasierracosworth #btcc