Founded in 1958 by Mike Costin and Jack Duckworth and known for supporting the biggest names in racing on both sides of the Atlantic, Cosworth is no one-trick pony. Aside from the legendary DFV V8, Cosworth has also worked on road cars.
At one point, under Ford ownership, a whole host of road cars carried the Cosworth name to reflect their insane turbocharged performance, but the blue oval isn’t the mainstream US marque to capitalize on their expertise. To a lesser extent, Chevrolet also played the “Cosworth” game, with the Vega Cosworth putting out a miserable 110 hp despite the tuner’s best efforts, not least thanks to strict smog regulations.
However, don’t just think that overheated everyday cars are the only place you’ll find Cosworth’s know-how, but also more exotic machines that bear the signature of the engineering prowess of famous racing tuners.
10 TVR Griffith – Still crazy and we’re still waiting
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In 2017, TVR’s new owners teased the gears with a vision of a new Griffith clad in a modern two-door coupe bodywork inspired by the brand’s crazy back catalog of uncompromising models of yesteryear. Some concessions have been made however, in a world where safety is paramount owners will be pleased to learn that ABS, traction control and power steering come as standard equipment.
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Don’t think for a moment that TVR has gone soft, however, the new Griffith still packs a mighty punch in the form of a Cosworth-modified 5-litre Ford Coyote V8 rated at 500 hp. TVR claims the new Griffith will top 200mph, claims yet to be verified, production has again been pushed back to late 2022.
9 Benetton Ford B194 – Schumacher’s first title winner
Via Brian Snelson/Wikimedia
Michael Schumacher remains one of the greatest and most successful F1 drivers of all time, with a career spanning 21 years and 308 races, resulting in a record 7 world titles. Although the German racer’s first F1 outing would be at the wheel of Jordan’s 1991 race car, it would be a Benetton that propelled him to stardom.
Via Steel Stool / Wikipedia
Rory Byrne’s B194 contested 18 races during the 1994 season, Schumacher took 8 wins and the title at the Australian Grand Prix at the end of the season. The trophy may say Benetton, but in reality it was a victory for Ford-Cosworth. A legend in racing circles, the Cosworth built a 3.5-liter V8 that cranked out 770 hp against teams with larger V10 engines.
8th Lotus Cortina – Even Chapman’s genius needed a helping hand
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Among the outstanding Lotus-badged road and race cars, Colin Chapman, always the opportunist who needed a new engine supplier, commissioned a twin-cam version of Ford’s Kent series. Tuned by Cosworth’s Keith Duckworth, the Lotus-badged DOHC engine powered the Elan from 1962 onwards.
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Understandably, Ford wanted to take part and order 1000 Lotus/Ford/Cosworth engines for the Lotus Cortina. With a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine with 105 hp, the Cortina successfully competed against Jaguars and Ford Galaxies.
7 Ford RS200 – Out of control road rally madness
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Group B rally car turned street-legal four-wheel-drive supercar butcher, Ford’s RS200 descended from FIA homologation regulations that dictated that 200 of these crazy coupes had to be opened to the public.
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Ford Europe’s approach was simple: it started with a bespoke four-wheel drive chassis based on a mid-engine layout, and then let someone else take care of the engine. Filling the gap is a Ford-Cosworth BDT four-cylinder lump with 1.8 or 2.1 liter displacement and a huge turbo that boosts the power output in road cars to 250 hp.
6 Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution II – cooperation with AMG Cosworth
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Across the Channel, Cosworth was at it again a few years later, this time providing the firepower for an altogether less obvious track monster in the form of the Mercedes-Benz 190E. The leap from the bespoke rally coupe couldn’t be bigger, the 190E was a mid-size sedan.
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As improbable as the choice may be, DTM regulations dictated road cars as the basis for all participants. Equipped with wider wheels and arches, a lower front spoiler and a huge rear wing, the 190E Evolution II was born. Under the hood, a Mercedes-AMG 2.5-liter 16-valve inline four, equipped with AMG’s power pack and Cosworth-machined heads, cranked out 232 hp at a whopping 7,200 rpm, resulting in a top speed of 155 mph .
5 Audi RS4 B5 – Move over Porsche
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Remember Audi’s “Porsche engineered” RS2 Avant? Well, the RS4 B5 is the bigger, meaner trouble. Everything is very understated except at first glance, aside from a few badges and slight aero tweaks, the RS4 is just another Audi car. But don’t let that understated look fool you, under the skin Audi’s RS4 is just as intimidating,
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Increasing in numbers at least in Audi’s lineup, the RS4 ditched the RS2’s inline-five turbocharged engine, opting instead for a Cosworth-modified 2.7-liter V6. New alloy heads with larger intake ports, complemented by twin BorgWarner K04 turbos, propelled the RS4 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
4 Jaguar C-X75 – Stillborn hypercar project with serious bite
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Aside from a few commercial shows and big screen appearances, the C-X75 never came off the drawing board. Jaguar, fearing a repeat of the XJ220’s dismal sales, pulled the plug. Breaking new ground when it debuted, the C-X75 featured a series of diesel microturbines driving four electric motors for a top speed of 205mph.
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Like the XJ220, the C-X75 has been toned down, replacing the turbines with a small 1.6-litre twin-supercharged petrol engine and two electric motors that together produce 890 hp for 200 mph and a less than three-second sprint to sixty . The engine supplier? Cosworth, of course.
3 Acura NSX – Japanese supercar with Cosworth at its core
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Twice Acura has bitten in the supercar market, failing both times despite an incredibly efficient engine and chassis setup. Introduced in 2016, the second-generation NSX uses a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 3.5-liter, mid-turbocharged V6 supported by three electric motors capable of producing up to 600 hp.
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In 2022, the NSX party is all but over, Acura is ending production with a limited run of Type S models. Japan’s most user-friendly supercar, packed with cutting-edge design and engineering, has a few secrets, assembled in Ohio using engine blocks and heads supplied by Cosworth’s Northampton plant.
2 Chevrolet Corvette – Keep track of lap times
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For now, at least, the seventh-generation Corvette is the last model to buy gearheads with a front-engine layout, Chevrolet is switching to a mid-engine design for its successor, with performance upgrades focused on handling.
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Whichever engine option you choose, the Corvette is a tarmac-scoring monster, packing a revised LT1 6.2-litre V8 engine with 450 horsepower and a top speed of 315 km/h. As for the Cosworth connection, the Corvette is a bit different, 2015 debuted Cosworth’s PDR, which combines video and lap times.
1 Modern Hypercars – Aston Martin vs. Gordon Murray Automotive
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Aston Martin or Gordon Murray Automotive, which are a personal choice here, are both ultra-exclusive and both promise speeds in excess of 200 mph, assuming the gear heads have more than $3 million left over.
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The two brands approach the ultimate road car from different perspectives, Aston favoring a track-focused design, GMA seeking a modernized, more refined version of the McLaren F1. Peek under the hood and they both use Cosworth V12 engines. Aston opts for a hybridised 1160 hp 6.5-litre V12, while GMA opts for a smaller 4-litre high-revving naturally aspirated engine with 654 hp.
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About the author
Jason Garbutt
(436 published articles)
Raised in a car-obsessed environment from an early age, he sparked a keen interest in all things automobile. primarily an F1 fan but also an avid follower of other motorsports. Professional background working closely with an established British supercar manufacturer in recent years.
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