You can buy a brand new Ford Sierra RS500 touring car

They’re being prepared by CNC Motorsport AWS, a well-known household name in the historic touring car scene for their builds and preparation. Its founder, Alan Strachan, is an Andy Rouse Engineering alum, on the team when these cars were racing in period. It’s only right then that CNC AWS exclusively produces a number of ARE components including roll cages, suspension uprights and rear arms.

The three cars are to be built up to 1990 Andy Rouse Engineering specifications, with the first car using an unused stock ‘909’ Ford Motorsport shell per the period cars. Powering them will be freshly-built Cosworth YB turbocharged four-cylinder engines good for over 575PS (423kW), with help from one of the original engine builders Vic Drake. The first car will be finished by early 2022, complete with an Andy Rouse Engineering build plate, in addition to HTP papers, a fuel cell and roll cage certificates. The cars will be fully eligible and ready to race in the relevant series. The cars can come in stock white or there are options for painted liveries.

The Group A era is regularly touted by historic racers as more appealing than the Super Tourers that succeeded them, given the reduced complication and expense involved in racing and maintaining them. “Demand for competitive Group A machines is rising, enabling access to some of the best motorsport events around the globe for correct cars,” Alan Strach says. “RS500s are great fun to drive, relatively easy to maintain and considerably more affordable to run than Super Touring cars.”

Andy Rouse himself corroborates praise for the RS500, saying “of all the cars I raced, the Kaliber RS500 is the one I wish I still had today. Having seen Alan develop his own engineering business, he was the only person I trusted to build cars that would carry the ARE build plate.”

So, what will it be? Another anonymous supercar, or a one-of-three continuation Group A racer? More and more these days, as grids swell and the popularity of the historic series increases, the appeal of the latter grows...

Racing image by Jakob Ebrey.