Ford rally replica specialist RS Retro has announced that it will be producing a replica of the infamous Pikes Peak rally car – affectionately known as Rosie – that ex-rallycross star Pat Doran crashed at the formidable international Colorado Hill Climb in 2013. What’s interesting, however, is that several panels of the original car will be transferred over to the new platform that will make use of a drivetrain arrangement unique to the replica.
RACY REPLICA
The 3.6-litre twin-turbo Ford Ecoboost engine, which currently sees use in both the Ford GT and Raptor, is to be connected to a 7-speed DSG gearbox and four-wheel-drive system taken from an Audi R8.
To make the supercar’s complex gearbox work with the Ford powertrain, RS Retro has begun developing its own standalone controller, which it will likely market in the future alongside a conversion plate to fit the later Volvo T5 engine – as used in the second generation Ford Focus ST and RS – to a rear-wheel-drive gearbox.
In addition to the new developments RS Retro is aiming to put the B200 through its paces during the Lombard Rally later this month. Watch this space.