Tolman already has form with fast Fords, having restored an early XR3 as an exercise in obsessive preservation. Now it has returned to the third-generation Escort with a different brief: not to preserve the XR3i as Ford built it, but to make it drive with the swagger its image always promised.

“The XR3i was hugely popular at the time, which means many people have an affinity with them,” says founder Chris Tolman. “But revisiting one today would be underwhelming. So just as with the 205GTi, 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."

To the casual eye, the XR3i Edition is indistinguishable from the car it started life as, and where Tolman has deviated from original specification, there is always a dynamic justification. The bespoke 15-inch alloys best illustrate the approach: identical in every way to the 'Dog Leg' originals, the larger diameter unlocks access to better tyres and creates room for AP Racing disc brakes all round, replacing the rear drums. The new wheels are shod in Michelin Pilot Exalto 4, the same as on the 205 GTi Edition.

Tolman Edition Ford Escort XR3i rear view showing stainless exhaust and Dog Leg alloys
Tolman Edition Ford Escort XR3i cabin showing Daytona cloth trim and original dashboard

The chassis revisions are less deferential. Criticised in period for uninspiring handling, Tolman has borrowed heavily from the RS1600i homologation special at the front end, complementing it with modern Bilstein dampers and a bespoke anti-roll bar. The changes allow greater castor adjustment, improving steering feel and turn-in, even though the standard ride height has been retained.

A similar approach has been taken under the bonnet. The original 1.6-litre CVH has been rebuilt with new pistons and rods and a strengthened bottom end, before being mated to a 16V Zetec cylinder head capped with a modified RS1600i cam cover. A modern electronic management system, hidden discreetly inside the original packaging, ties it all together – addressing not just the XR3i's performance shortcomings but some of the CVH's notorious roughness in the process.

Dyno testing has recorded 150bhp at the wheels – 50 more than this 1988 car left the factory with – while torque now peaks at 120lb-ft. Adding similar gains to the soundtrack is a fully stainless-steel exhaust, including a bespoke 4-2-1 collector.

Tolman Edition Ford Escort XR3i engine bay showing CVH-Zetec hybrid unit
Tolman Edition Ford Escort XR3i 15-inch Dog Leg alloy with AP Racing brake caliper and Michelin Pilot Exalto 4

Elsewhere, Tolman has fitted LED headlights, braided brake lines and a Blaupunkt DAB radio, while a new alarm, immobiliser and tracker take care of the XR3i’s famously lax security.

“Balancing a desire to preserve the DNA of the original while meaningfully improving it made this a particularly challenging project,” Tolman added. “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.”

Two more ‘personal restomods’ are due to be revealed this year, following in the slipstream of the XR3i Edition and the DC2 Honda Integra Type R shown in April. Given the direction of travel, we rather like the idea of an E30 325i Sport Edition. Or better yet, a Volkswagen Corrado VR6 Edition.