In September 1984 a new sports version of the Ford Escort Mk.III was launched, the Turbo, which thus joined the XR3i and the rare and particular RS 1600i. The Turbo's engine was capable of producing around 130 horsepower. The car, in Mk.III configuration, remained in production until 1986, but the Turbo was also preserved with the Mk.IV model, presented in February 1986 and slightly modified in September of the same year. In the Mk.IV the power rose to 132 horsepower. The Escort Turbo went out of production in 1990.
The Sun Star Group is an international conglomerate founded in 1981 as a company specializing in building construction and decorative fit-out. To meet its corporate diversification strategy, Sun Star entered the car model manufacturing business in 1989, including acquiring the Vitesse brand in 2001. Sun Star has wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures in Macao, Hong Kong, China, USA, UK and Japan active in many fields of trade and services.