The beginning of the millennium was an interesting time for cars. Buzz surrounding the dreaded millennium bug had people concerned that the world might straight up end at the stroke of midnight. The first “Fast and the Furious” movie was still a year away. Still, that didn’t stop Ford from putting out a properly fascinating piece of tuner car history for the 1999 and 2000 model years.
It was the Ford Escort ZX2 S/R, a swelteringly spicy take on the Escort ZX2 with a higher-than-average Scoville unit count. But it wasn’t just Ford fiddling away with a rather unexciting car to make it noteworthy. No, this was an experiment in the applicability of the aftermarket. A coming together of OEM and go-faster brands like Roush, Borla, Eibach, B&M, and Tokico of Japan. Interestingly enough, it was also a product of the Ford and Mazda collaboration years. And if that wasn’t enough, the Escort ZX2 S/R served as a precursor to the fast Fords of the future, like the Ford Focus ST and Focus RS.
The Ford Escort ZX2 S/R Paved The Way For The Focus ST
The oil crisis of the early 1970s hit the auto industry hard. Real hard. The impact did enough damage to Mazda‘s bottom line that the Japanese car marque needed help from outside sources. Enter the Ford Motor Company. FoMoCo acquired a seven-percent stake in the company in 1979. Over the years, Ford’s share of Mazda grew, and the two brands collaborated on many projects together. One of those projects was the front-wheel-drive Ford Escort ZX2, a mechanical sibling of the Mazda Protégé.
Both cars were (and remain) a case study in the motorized mundane. However, the Escort ZX2 and, by extension, the Protégé, were agile. That’s due in large part to both cars’ dainty curb weights and all-around independent suspension. Then Ford went further. The Blue Oval tasked Ford Racing and the brand’s Small Vehicle Center Product Development team with taking the ZX2 over the top. Just like that, the Ford Escort ZX2 S/R was born. It was a limited-release, high-heat version of the Escort ZX2 and an interesting chapter in the book of fast Fords.
Before The Focus ST, Or Even The SVT Focus
Years before the Ford Motor Company rolled out the first Ford Focus ST, the Ford-Mazda era gave us the Escort ZX2 S/R. It was running, driving, tunable proof that Ford could put together an everyday-usable performance sleeper before the days of the Focus ST, SVT Focus, or swivel-eyed, AWD Focus RS. Granted, the 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 isn’t the first compact, sporty take on a front-wheel drive passenger car the Blue Oval launched. Not even the first of the era, really.
Don’t believe us? Take a look at the Ford SVT Contour, for example. FoMoCo took the relatively ho-hum Contour sedan and gave it the Ford Special Vehicles Team treatment to the tune of 195 horsepower. Add stiffer suspension and stickier Goodyear Eagle rubber, and the SVT Contour demonstrated the Mr. Hyde approach that performance Ford could add to the Dr. Jekylls of the typical Blue Oval lineup. Just like the brightly colored fever dream that is the Escort ZX2 S/R.
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Aftermarket This, Aftermarket That
The Ford Escort ZX2 S/R’s claim to fame isn’t in its raw performance data. No, it’s in how Ford put together the Escort ZX2 S/R. Specifically, the Picante compact Ford is an experiment in OEM and aftermarket collaboration. Under the hood, Ford installed a Roush intake system on the Escort ZX2 S/R’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. Pair that with a reconfigured ECU and a Borla exhaust system, and the Escort’s power output rose 10 percent over the stock figures.
Ford Escort ZX2 S/R Specs
|
Engine |
Naturally Aspirated 2.0-Liter I4 |
|
Transmission |
Five-Speed Manual Transmission |
|
Horsepower |
148 HP |
|
Drivetrain |
FWD |
|
0-60 MPH |
7.6 Seconds |
|
Quarter Mile |
15.8 Seconds At 87.3 MPH |
|
Curb Weight |
2,478 LBS |
Beyond the engine bay, the Escort ZX2 S/R got a Centerforce performance clutch and a B&M short-throw gear shifter for a more engaging (and precise) drive. Then we have the handling-focused tweaks. Ford Racing and company installed Eibach Pro Kit springs, Tokico shocks and struts, Energy polyurethane bushings, and disc brakes all around. Add some stickier 205 mm Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and the little ZX2 S/R dialed up the already surprisingly athletic Escort’s fun factor.
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An Affordable, Special Edition Ford Performance Coupe
As you might imagine, the Blue Oval didn’t produce the thoroughly aftermarket Ford Escort ZX2 S/R in huge numbers. Ford offered the hotter version of the Escort ZX2 for just two model years: 1999 and 2000. For the 1999 model, Ford built just 100 copies, making it exceptionally rare. Perhaps for the sake of symmetry, Ford built 2000 units in 2000. As for paint options, Ford stuck with the “Cobra Kai” color palette. Buyers could opt for an almost neon Zinc Yellow, an understated black, or red. Not exactly a Skittles scenario. Still, if an affordable, specialty Ford is what you’re after, the Escort ZX2 S/R ticks the box.
Average Ford Escort ZX2 S/R Pricing
Needless to say, a Ford Escort ZX2 isn’t a pricey car. Frankly, it’s on the cheaper side. According to Kelley Blue Book, the fair market range for a 2000 Ford Escort ZX2 is $1,075 to $1,325. Of course, that depends on factors like mileage, condition, title status, and location. That said, the typical listing price for the 2000 Ford Escort ZX2 is closer to $1,550. But we’re not talking about the typical Ford Escort ZX2, are we? We’re talking about the five-alarm parts bin special that is the Escort ZX2 S/R.
Interested car hunters should expect a clean example of an Escort ZX2 S/R to fetch a bit more than the more pedestrian Escort ZX2. More recently, a Zinc Yellow example with a clean title went up for sale in Arkansas for $3,995. Even with an “economically done” paint scheme, the little yellow Escort S/R habanero pepper was sold to an enthusiast who reportedly already had one in red.
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Born Of Collaborations Including Ford, Mazda, And Ford Racing
You’ve heard that it takes a village to raise a child. Or takes a village to blah, blah, blah. In this case, it took a village to make a remarkable version of Ford’s relatively unremarkable compact passenger car. Ford put its motorsport performance arm, Ford Racing, on the task. Add in Ford’s Small Vehicle Center Product Development team, and an arsenal of aftermarket parts, and the Escort ZX2 S/R became a reality. Better than that, it paved the way for future fast Fords like the Focus ST.
Sources: Ford Motor Company, Kelley Blue Book