- Tolman fixes XR3i shortcomings while preserving the original Eighties character.
- Power jumps over 50% thanks to extensive 1.6-liter CVH engine upgrades.
- Suspension, brakes, wheels, and reliability improvements modernize drive.
UK-based motorsport outfit Tolman made the news in 2022 when it sympathetically improved Peugeot’s legendary 205 GTI, while preserving most of the look and feel of the original. But making a great car even better is one thing. Turning an also-ran like the Ford Escort XR3i into a great car is a different matter altogether, though Tolman looks like it pulled it off anyway.
We remember the Golf and 205 GTis as the defining European hot hatches of the 1980s, but the XR3i was even more visible back then. The original 1982 car earned decent reviews when it arrived in the early 1980s and was a credible hot Golf alternative, but a 1986 facelift added weight without adding performance. It seemed like Ford just phoned the job in.
Related: A Rotting Integra Type R Got 740 Hours Of Tolman’s Time And Came Out Better Than Factory
In a 1986 test titled “Hot Hatch Goes Cold” Autocar reported that the 106 lbs (48 kg) heavier facelifted XR3i took 9.6 seconds instead of 8.6 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 kmh), and by 100 mph, the older car was ahead by four seconds despite having the exact same engine and transmission.
That’s where Tolman comes in. The Warwickshire-based specialist applied the same philosophy to a customer-commissioned XR3i that it did to the Peugeot 205. Rather than replacing everything with modern hardware, Tolman focused on improving what Ford originally gave it.
The 1.6-liter CVH engine remains, but not as XR3 owners will remember it. It now features a 16-valve Zetec cylinder head, upgraded internals, and modern electronic engine management hidden within original-looking components. The result is 148 hp (150 PS) at the wheels, versus the 105 hp (105 PS) at the flywheel Ford quoted for the original four decades ago.
Much-Needed Refinement Boost
Tolman also claims the enhanced motor has a smoother power delivery and improved refinement, which is a relief, because only the truly mechanically insensitive, or just plain deaf, ever ventured above 5,000 rpm in an original CVH-equipped Ford.
Handling was another area that needed attention. Tolman fitted Bilstein dampers, revised suspension components inspired by the rare Escort RS1600i, and a bespoke anti-roll bar. New 15-inch wheels that cleverly mimic the factory design of the original 14s while allowing for better tire choices, and upgraded brakes, including rear discs replacing the original drums.
The restoration itself was no small undertaking. The project consumed around 1,600 hours and involved extensive rust repairs, including recreating parts of the roof structure that were no longer available. Modern corrosion protection should also help ensure this Escort survives much longer than many of its contemporaries, some of which I remember already being rotted out by the mid 1990s.
In the end, Tolman hasn’t recreated the XR3i Ford built. It’s created the Blue Oval hot hatch enthusiasts wish Ford had built in the first place. Which 1980s hot hatch do you think Tolman should tackle next?
