The Ford Escort XR3i has been rebigulated with more power and more suspension

This is the Tolman Edition XR3i. It is, as the name lightly implies, a Ford Escort XR3i – hey there, shoulder pads, welcome back! – rebigulated by notable British rebigulators Tolman.

So, just like it did with the Peugeot 205 GTI and Honda Integra Type R, Tolman has once again taken a classic and subtly filled it with modern toys without butchering the entire thing. Though, it did in fact have to butcher some things, because after stripping and restoring the original shell, rusted bits had to be cut out and replaced (see below).

Then came the toys. Toys like a 16V Zetec cylinder head that fits atop the original 1.6-litre block, new pistons and rods, a “stronger bottom end” and a new ECU.

Said ECU marshals those new toys to deliver twice what the XR3i pumped out in its 80s heyday, so that’s 150 very active Ford horsies, alongside 120lb ft delivered with much haste to the front wheels via a five-speed gearbox.

From there, those active horsies and torques are delivered to the road via more toys, in the shape of Bilstein dampers, a new anti roll bar and “experience and parts” from the RS1600i homologation car. There are 15in bespoke alloys designed by Tolman that better fill the arches, but at standard ride height, not dropped so it’s scraping the floor.

Bigger brakes, too – AP discs up front and new discs out back in place of the original drums – along with stainless steel brake lines, LED headlights, and delightful new extras like: an alarm/immobiliser! A Blaupunkt radio! Daytona cloth trim!

“Just as with the 205 GTI, we’ve applied our knowledge to make it drive the way you think you remember the original driving, while looking essentially like the one you yearned for,” said boss Chris Tolman.

“It would have been easier to slot in modern running gear in a restored shell, but the experience and emotional connection the customer came to us to replicate would have been lost,” he added.

There are two more cars primed to be rebigulated later this year. Whaddya reckon they’ll be?