The 'Evil Twin' that turned a cute city car into a rally icon

Sport & Games · Published 4 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Ford Ka was designed to be a friendly, low-cost city car. But Ford eventually unleashed its 'Evil Twin'—a high-performance variant that traded 'cute' for grip and power, proving that even the most sensible commuters can have a secret, sporty side.

Launched in September 1996, the first-generation Ford Ka was a masterclass in cost-effective engineering. Built on the Mark 3 Ford Fiesta platform, it utilized existing production lines in Valencia to keep costs low while debuting a radical 'New Edge' design. While its 1,300 cc engine was a derivative of a 1960s design, the car was praised by the motoring press for its handling, thanks to suspension and steering settings supervised by Richard Parry-Jones that allowed for hard cornering and high levels of grip.

To diversify the brand, Ford introduced the SportKa in 2003. Marketed as the Ka's 'Evil Twin,' it intentionally subverted the car's friendly image with a sporty body kit, a wider track, stiffened suspension, and 16-inch alloy wheels. It was powered by a 95 PS 1.6-litre Duratec engine, a significant upgrade over the standard 1.3-litre unit. This duality allowed the Ka to dominate the UK city-car market while simultaneously establishing a popular junior rally championship in 1998.

The ultimate expression of this engineering shift was the StreetKa, designed by Pininfarina. While it shared only the bonnet and headlights with the standard Ka, it featured superior build quality, improved rust proofing, and unique wider front lower arms for exceptional handling. From the high-fashion collaboration with Kylie Minogue to a bespoke pink version produced for the 2004 film Thunderbirds, the Ka evolved from a budget necessity into a versatile platform for both practical urban mobility and enthusiast performance.

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