Cosworth is one of the greatest engine builders in the history of Formula One. Before they stopped producing engines for the world’s premier racing competition in 2013, Cosworth, the British automotive engineering company, had amassed a total of 175 wins across six decades. These include ten constructor championships and thirteen driver titles.
While it is unlikely for Cosworth to come back to the F1 anytime soon, the British outfit will keep producing engines that deliver power and performance. Lately, they have ventured into electrification with hybrid solutions that help them fulfill today’s environmental demands. Looking back, Cosworth has delivered exceptional engines for various automakers, which were used to power some of the most-revered car-enthusiast icons. These are the coolest cars to feature a Cosworth engine under the hood.
9 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Cosworth has worked with many manufacturers, but perhaps they are best known for their relationship with Ford. The Ford Escort Cosworth is one of the cars from Ford to carry a Cosworth engine. This car was not based on the 40hp family car it shares a name with. Instead, it was based on a shortened Sierra Sapphire Cosworth. It ended up more market-friendly than its rally-focused sibling.
The Escort Cosworth left a lasting impression that lives on in today’s hot hatches like the Focus RS. Although it wasn’t uber-successful in World Rally Championships, it was a popular streetcar.
8 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth
The Ford Sierra was a product of Ford Motorsport in Europe, aiming to dominate Group A racing across the world. Tasked with building and tuning the base engine, Cosworth developed a 2-liter inline-four motor that generated 224hp. It featured a Garrett turbocharger and Weber-Marelli fuel injection system.
The car’s exploits went beyond racing as intended, and it became popular with working-class folks for being loud, brash, and extremely fast. Across three production generations, the Sierra Cosworth made owning a Ford Sierra possible while elevating the Cosworth name to fame.
7 Subaru Impreza STI CS400
In 2011 Cosworth gave the Subaru Impreza STI CS400 a tune that saw the car increase performance and an exterior upgrade that made it look faster than the original Impreza. It could now sprint from zero to 62mph in just 3.7 seconds. To put this into perspective, the 2021 Subaru WRX STI launches to 60mph in 4.7 seconds with its 310hp. This shows Cosworth did their magic on the Impreza, with their tune, raising the output to 395hp and 398lb-ft of torque.
Perhaps the only negative with this build is that only 75 units were created, and it cost twice what you'd pay for the standard STI.
6 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16
Understated, solid, and capable all describe the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16. This sedan debuted in 1986 and is arguably the best classic sedan by Mercedes. Cosworth came into the fold as the German automaker contracted them to tune the 4-door 190E to compete in rallying. Thanks to its sophisticated suspension and aerodynamic body shape, the car had the best probable platform to build upon.
Cosworth built a new cylinder head with 16 valves for the already robust naturally aspirated engine. However, considering the Audi Quattro’s dominance of the World Rally Championship, Mercedes opted to enter it in the touring car racing. It won the German touring car series in 1991 and 1992, ahead of BMW’s M3.
5 Ford RS200
Ford produced the RS200 for just three years, which was enough to qualify it for the legendary group B Rally World Championship. Thanks to its unusual visuals, the car made a name as one of the outrageous rally entries that made it a favorite with rally crowds. But the 1.8-liter Cosworth mill helped elevate this car’s iconic status.
For the race car version, the four-cylinder turbocharged motor could generate a massive 444hp with 2.8 seconds zero to 60mph acceleration. Road-going variants were, however, limited to 246hp, which was still impressive.
4 Audi RS4 B5
RS is the designation for Audi’s highest trim level, translating as Racing Sport from German. So it was no surprise what would result when Cosworth got working their magic on the RS4. With the original B5, Cosworth went with a twin-turbo V6 instead of the RS4’s inline-five. However, they kept the Audi Quattro AWD system to great effect, resulting in a car full of character and a riot to drive.
Turbo lag played a big role in making the RS4 B5 fun because it was quite tame until the boost kicked in. this wasn’t any wagon with its deceiving looks, making it one of the coolest sleepers.
3 TVR Griffith
The New TVR Griffith will finally arrive in 2022 after a long delay since its unveiling in 2017. Just as planned, the sports coupe will be powered by a newly developed Cosworth tuned Ford Coyote V8 producing 500hp and 700lb-ft of torque, the same engine on the Ford Mustang GT, and mated to a capable six-speed manual transmission.
TVR claims the car will launch to 60mph in under 4 seconds, with a 200mph top speed, both recipes for a great sports car. However, with interests to hybridize the Griffith in the future, we can only wait and see if Cosworth will be involved with the project going forward.
2 Aston Martin Valkyrie
Cosworth might have produced many powerful; racing engines, like the 900hp turbocharged V6, their most Formula One engine with a massive 161 fastest laps. But the new V12 they built for the upcoming Aston Martin Valkyrie has a big shout for the most daring engine yet by the English outfit.
The 6.5-liter V12 Hybrid engine by Cosworth generates 1124hp and 663lg-ft of torque in the scary-looking hypercar. This will help it to a 250-mph top speed and zero to 62mph in 2.7 seconds. Only 25 units will be made, and it is expected to set potential customers back about $3 million in order to own one.
1 Gordon Murray Automotive T.50
Sticking with the V12-powered $3 million hypercar theme is this McLaren F1-inspired Gordon Murray T.50. This is the designer behind the McLaren F1, and there is plenty of resemblance between the two cars, including the three-seater format. At 2,174 pounds, the hypercar is one of the lightest cars on the road and produces an unrivaled power-to-weight ratio.
More impressive is the Cosworth-built V12 mill that produces 645hp. The 3.9-liter 100% tailor-made engine weighs less than 180kg, and this aids its response as it can rev from idle to a 12,000rpm redline in just 0.3 seconds.