Is The Ford Sierra XR4i A Fast Ford FAIL Or Forgotten Gem? (1984 2.8 V6 Road Test) [Merkur XR4Ti]
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
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The Ford Sierra was divisive from day one, replacing the popular Cortina with radical jelly-mould styling left many fans unimpressed. To broaden the Sierra’s appeal, Ford introduced a hot version, fitting the 2.8-litre Cologne V6, pepperpot wheels, whale-tail spoiler and graphics to create the XR4i. This latest Fast Ford had it all to do, but could it follow in the footsteps of the raucous Fiesta XR2 and rough and ready Escort XR3 in the days before the Sierra RS Cosworth? Not to mention, is this often-forgotten Blue Oval an underrated modern classic or best forgotten? Phil took a drive to find out!
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From the States, this is an interesting perspective. We had the XR4Ti (85-88) with the USA 2.3L OHC turbo. Ford sold about 50,000 of the XR4Ti in the States. I owned an '85 and then an '88 and drove them from 1985 to 1998, quite a long time. I made a few modifications, including some Euro-Cosworth trim bits and stiffer anti-roll bars that really improved cornering/handling. Compared to what USA Ford was offering at the time, the XR4Ti was a performance car, competing with 3-Series BMWs, and other "Euro-coupes". I wish I had kept one of the XR4Ti, it's a car for which I have very fond memories. Cheers!
In South Africa we had the XR6 with the 3.0l Essex V6 ( very common ) , and there was also a limited run XR8 with a Mustang V8
Came here to mention the XR8. The Brits think their RS500 "Cossy" is something - wrong - only thing 500 about it is the badge. The XR8 was at least 500 CL.
So dominating the touring car scene when launched isn't "something", ok, got ya.
@@Rouxenator 500 CL? what does CL mean?
@@Rouxenatort was called the rs500 because thats how many were made for homologation purposes.. nothing at all to do with engine size..
@@Rouxenator get real,the cosworth is legendry,the xr8 aint,not by a long way.a cosworth can be tuned to way more than 500 horsepower reliably if you really felt the need.a standard cosworth i am sure was still quicker than the xr8.
If nothing else, that double side window and diagonal C pillar are more distinctive and appealing than standard. Well done, Ford, for "pushing the design envelope," which presaged future vehicles. Makes you wonder whether the Cortina would have kept selling had the Sierra not existed. After all, you made the Morris Minor for 23 years, and the mini for 41.
On The 4X4 XR4i 2.9 i .I owned one G74 XHP . IT WAS FAST AS THEY COME AND DONE THE 150 + WITH EASE .i ABSOLUTELY ADORED THAT MOTOR ,HIGH RED IN COLOUR AND A BEAUTY TO LOOK AT. Sold it in1999.... Have a S220 3LT V6 .20 YEAR OLD COME OCTOBER 2024. EXCELLENT CONDITION AND ONLY HAS 91600 ON THE CLOCK ,A BEAUTIFUL MOTOR WELL CARED FOR, AS IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO .... Speed when One needs it, great road hugger n bends n roundabouts are most welcome. It Thrives . Respect To ALL ...
I was fortunate in the early nineties to own the XR4i and a Capri 2.8 Injection at the same time. I alternated using them, I can say even though they both shared the same engine and gearbox they both fealt very different in terms of driving and performance characteristics . Both were great cars .
did the capri really have an extra 10bhp thanks to the twin exhaust?
@@DeanyfromtheburghThe capri was quicker, mechanically the final drive was different which should've made the Sierra quicker off the line. The Capri twin exhaust certainly helped.
I had a black one with full peco 3"exhaust and 4" tailpie, sounded great and lowering springs on the back so it sat down level.. it was great, sounded amazing and left the xr3i and xr2 boys for dead!
So, yes it did deserve the badge!
I had an xr4x4 after and it was slower, lost too much power through the transmission
We had three Sierras through the 80s and into the 90s. One very basic L model, they a pre-facelift run out special (Laser RIO) with a few bells and whistles and then a sapphire LX . Great memories with all of them.
I remember seeing an XR4i as a kid when we had the early one in for a service. As a 7 year old that spoiler made it look like a spaceship at the time.
I’m currently driving a 2005 st220 totally standard
The engine sound of the v6 is pretty nice
That's a Duratec V6, a completely different engine (full alloy DOHC).
Not comparable at all
My Dad had one of these when I was about 5/6 years old.
For us a BMW or Mercedes was so far out of reach we didn’t even think about it. The 4i was exotic beyond anything I thought we could have.
I remember driving one and cruising at an indicated 145 mph. It certainly was quick in a straight line and sounded good. Probably an optimistic Speedo too 😅
Lovely to see a Sierra. My uncle taught me how to drive in 1. Good memories 👍
I like your channel
My aunty worked in the offices at a Ford garage when I was a youngster back in 83. She brought home all the brochures of the Ford cars on sale and I remember drooling over the XR4i. It showed it in black. I am so disappointed now looking back at it!
I will always love the Xr4i. Also the Xr4x4. Loved this whole era of Fords.
I remember my XR4i which I bought for £400 in the mid 90s. Gearbox lost its oil out of the rear seal and disintegrated. Replaced with 2.3 V6 Granada gearbox from the scrap yard and it came back to life. Plenty of rust and rot hidden behind those plastic door and sill mouldings.
My mate had a couple of these in the mid 90s. Personally wasn’t a fan, much preferred my Mk2 Cav SRi 130
The XR4i always struck me as a Capri 2.8i replacement rather than an out and out hot hatch.
This brings back memories, with my first car being a 1982 1.6 Ghia, which I got in 1990.
To answer your question: I see it as a fail.
Many love it today; some loved it then.
But is was neither fish nor fowl.
It had the body kit, lurid graphics and garish appearance (inside and out) of an oversized hot hatch, but it was a really just a heavier, slightly quicker Sierra with six cylinders.
It was the Sierra a group of school kids would have designed during a rainy break time when they were kept indoors.
It was, in a way, Ford's MGC or Austin 3 Litre.
Ford had a MASSIVE fleet operation and excellent fleet contacts in the UK. They could offer savage discounts that saved the Sierra. They also had the Escort and the Fiesta to keep turnover up.
But really, the XR4 was a fail.
It is loved today by some.
But nobody bought them new.
Having owned this exact car in the past, I can only agree with the touring view of it, and propbably not deserving of the XR badge, the Capri 2.8i wasn't labelled as such either. Not as quick as modern diesels, but amazing sound and I loved driving it. Gearboxes were weak, same with Capri 5 speeds, just how they are. If I win the lottery an XR4i is on my list.
Biggest problem I have with the XR4i is it had the same rear pillar arrangement as the 5 door but only had 3 doors, so it never looked right. Lovely comfy seats and they sound great
Can't deny they sound lovely!
100% it was an oddball misfit.
The rear piller was because there was going to be a targa top version, thay only made the prototype
When released ,it was praised for it's handling, gear change , grip, performance, fuel economy accommodation and refinement.
I don't think you do it justice!
My dad had one in the mid 80's and he loved it ..... quick back then
We still Have a mk1 1986 xr4x4, owned for 30 years, great cars, easy to work on and reliable. Still goes well now.
Can't agree. The XR4 and XR4i were both excellent cars back in the day. They had prowess on the road and when you look back to '82 to '85 what else could you buy for that amount of money that looked so good, sounded awesome and went as fast as most "Sports" cars of that era. I was lucky to drive various XR's back then from the XR2,XR3 to the XR4 and no matter what you say Ford simply had the market cornered. Along came '86 and i am proud to say I bought an RS Cosworth. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING could catch that Cossie. The Sierra was the working mans entry into fast sports cars, and we loved them. Looking at the Capri, I always wondered why Ford never made an XR version of it. Capri Tickford, Brooklands, 280 Special etc but no XR... I remember one day I was invited to skelmersdale Ford for the showing of the Capri Tickford. 100's of people walking around looking at the Tickford and other fast Fords and I drove into the parking area in my Cosworth... Well those people were like flies over it, I couldn't get out the door. As soon as I walked away, the manager came over and asked me to park it round the back out the way as they were promoting the Capri Tickford not my Cossie. hahahhahahahahahahha my head was HUGE, was I proud, hell yes. 19 years old and driving a Sierra Cosworth... Saddest day of my life was when I sold it to peoples Ford in Liverpool in 1989 as the insurance went mad and I had to get rid of it. Even today when i think of that day my stomach turns :( ps, if anyone creates i time machine let me know, im going back to 1986 and starting again... Long live the Blue Oval...
I really liked the Sierra for it's styling. Never driven a Sierra but a friend had a 85 Sierra 1.6L hatchback, was a very comfortable car
For me the thing that let the xr41 down was that it was just a larger xr31, it makes a lot more sense as a 5 door hatch or the sapphire saloon. Nonetheless still a icon. 👍
Interesting. I imagine there barely any of these in the UK, but it'd be interesting to see a video about the Ford Escort that we had here in Canada, and USA versus the UK Escort of the early 90s. Overall similar looks, but completely different cars. Same goes for the Fiesta vs the Festiva.
The Festiva was sold as the Mazda 121 in Europe and it was a lot smaller than the '89 Fiesta.
to be fair, that comparison would be extremely painful for the american versions. The american Escort was the size of the european escort, but with the weight of a Granada. It's most "sporty" model was just abysmally disappointing in comparison to the delightful XR3I and the mean RS Turbo. As for the fiesta and the festiva...they were essentially not even in the same class, the festiva (or more precisely the Mazda 121 or the Kia Pride as we knew it) was a citycar, while the fiesta's a supermini.
Work colleague had one brand new in 1983 in white. What a thing it was too.
Still my favourite Sierra. I lusted after these so badly forty years ago. In '89/90 I was in a friend's 16v Astra GTE & we got into a drag race with an XR4, on a dual carriageway. We got completely lunched.
Was the Asta only firing on 3? I had a GTE 16v back in the 90s and would routinely demolish these without much effort.
Was probably a cosworth that hammered the gti.these sre great cars but not sure it would have beat a astra 16 valve,probably an 8 valve one tho.
Ford made the XR4i with the intention to replace the Capri with it, but in the end they kept making the Capri in LHD until November '84 and in RHD for the UK until December '86
Gosh the fit and finish of those 80's Fords. Is it any wonder they were known as Dagenham Dustbins!
Actually they weren't bad...the example in this video looks like it had been in a crash and not been properly mended.
not going to argue about that...bit sad that the concepts and cars themselves were pretty good, but the quality did kind of disappoint throughout the range
@@Timico1000 Hmmm...I lived in Dagenham in the 80's and had the torture of watching some of Ford's finest escape the front gate with bits hanging off them. I think I could have made an entire Ford fiesta out of the parts I found around the streets near that Factory 🤣
They still are…
41 years on since the Sierra first showed it's face in public, it's difficult to imagine it being so radical now. Yes it was at the time, but with all that followed in the years since, the Sierra is just generic family hatchback shape now.
In the late 80's the Merkur was mopping up in Trans Am racing. Only the short lived 4×4 Audi displaced it, but the 351 Cleveland Merkur racecar ( most were 2.3 turbos) was still way faster. They also had the XR 8 in South Africa. I had 5 XR4TI's, they were fun.
They say they wanted this to replace the Capri but it never did!But I remember the Sierra XR4x4 and 2.0iS that came later too....
I had an XR4X4 in the early noughties. Loved it, handled great, but it ate gearboxes. The early chain driven transfer box was very suspect and after two expensive replacements I had to let it go……
Given the choice of the Sierra XR4i or the Capri 2.8i, I know where my backside would be seated in. But still; I think that the XR4 had to happen to progress to the Cosworth imho, and that is a good thing indeed...
Can't argue with that!
@@ClassicsWorldUK I think ford shot themselves in the foot by having the Cosworth & the XR4i available at the same time. Then there was the XR 4x4 as well.
So they had 3 performance versions of the same platform. I suspect that if only the XR4i was available that it would have sold a lot more units.
That's my logic anyway, for what it's worth.. I liked Sierras in general, I had a 1.6L & a 2.0GL Sapphire back in the day. That 1.8 CVH was the only bad engine. They only lasted about 90- 100K miles. Instead of making a 1.8 version from the 2.0L block, Ford opted to overbore the 1.6L CVH. Apart from that engine (Which worked great until it died) they were good cars.
@@F4Insight-uq6nt The cosworth and the xr4i were not available at the same time.
@@F4Insight-uq6nt cosworth was never available the same time as the xr4i.the xr4i was gone by 85,cosworth came along late 86,most sold in 87,88.totally different car.xr4i was a cruiser,cosworth was a homologation special hard core high performance car.my dad had a 3 door cosworth allmost brand new as in 88 when he decided he wanted one they had all bin sold.cost him more to buy secondhand lol.
I’m afraid the Sierra finished my love affair with Ford after five Granada’s and 4 Cortina’s which disintegrated In front of my eyes by the day😂 I liked the sharp square lines which other manufacturers didn’t really have, Fords then looked like everything else that was bland and jelly mouldy. I actually had a race with an XR4i in the 80’s on the M25 I was in a Sapphire Cossie I let him keep up to 120mph then unleashed the beast I actually scared myself and I was riding powerful sports bikes at that time respect for that Ford but the look still doesn’t impress. Good review you were spot on I nearly bought one back in the day until I drove it I went and bought a Subaru instead.
I used to love the look of the sierra, but the Rust was unstoppable by the time it was 10 years old! Mine looked good but come the MOT, it needed so much welding, I couldn't wait to get rid of it! Lol! Good video though.
Just remember it launched in 1983 as a 9 year old kid also had the Matchbox model
Ditto mate. My Match Box car was in white & loved it so much I kept it in a plastic food bag 😂. In 1991 my mate bought a black one, that we used to go Raving in 😂😂
Xr4i is one of the most beautiful designs Ford came up with imo.
Loved my xr4i, had a stainless 3" straight through and K&N - sounded amazing but yea it was a tank!
I had the sister car Sierra 4x4 Ghia estate. Loved it, wish I’d still got it now!
Fun fact the xr4i was based on the mk3 capri floorpan, the only body panels that it shared with the sierra was from the screen forwards. That’s why you got the odd windows on the rear quarter panel
😂😂😂😂 think the only parts that were shared were the engine and gearbox
Spent many a happy hour working on these when they were new
Forgot to mention the Merkur with the 2.3 turbo and these cars racing under the Mac Tools racing team in their Yellow and White TransAm colors. (I owned one an (85) put an intercooler on it and 210 HP later with mustang 15" wheels and 215-50 front and 235-50 rear tires I kept up with my friend with his 87 M3. and could fit 4 adults in comfort. none around any more.
Awesome car! We had a version sold here in the USA. It was called the *"Merkur" XR4ti.* While I found the car attractive, and possibly a fun car to drive, I could never figure out the name and why they gave it a name like *"Merkur"* for the US market.
They wanted a European sounding name as it was intended to compete with BMW and audi in the u.s .. merkur is German for Mercury.
Very not awesome
The name "Sierra" was licensed by General Motors in the United States(the GMC pick-up line), so Ford couldn't use the European Sierra name in North America.
I always thought the best comparison for the XR badge was the Rallye badge peugeot used in the nineties. Where you didn't need the most powerful or most potent engine, but you had to balance the car itself; make it more peppy, more exciting to drive, somehing which as mentioned: the XR2 and XR3 did wonderfully, to the point even that imho the Escort XR3i is the better buy compared to the RS turbo.
I dunno, the Rallye badge generally signified something honed and specially tuned (both original 106 and 205 versions were homoligation specials). The XR range wasn't that, it was just slightly bigger regular engines in regular cars, with added stickers, spoilers and spotlights.
@@UPnDOWN
Indeed.
Don’t know about the 106, but the 205 Rallye engines were prepared by Danielson, a specialised tuning company.
I remember the 205 as extremely lightweight, stripped down, no luxury at all.
A different beast altogether.
XR is like the ST-Line /ST of today the step stone between the standard car and a full RS. There was a Cortina XR6 and Sierra XR6 sold in South Africa with the Essex 3.0 V6 engine that we never had in the UK. Also a Sierra XR8 with a 217bhp 5.0 V8!
No Peugeot Rallye models were striped out honed lighter versions of their
106 205 and 306 and Ford XR models we're soft hot hatches
@@e28forever30 I know they were stripped and specially tuned, but the concept in the end was still somewhat similar, to have a car which was a joy to drive
I had a XR4x4i , it seemed a great car then, except in those different times, it was broken in to twice with ease, the thieves simply bent the top of the drivers door down to steal the radio/cassette.
Oh and I remember being woken early one morning by the fuzz, a car matching mine, with the same number plates had ram raided a jewellers whilst me, and my car may I add, were tucked up in bed.
Any Ford XR back then was nowt but trouble, as my dad used to say.
Thought these were tasty at the time 👍
should they have fitted a turbo like the american flop with a wierd name the Merkur XR4TI?
The XR4i was a cheaply thrown together way to marke a sporty version. It was thirsty, relatively slow, heavy - especially on the front - and lazily set up so it rolled in corners and handled like a bus.
When the injected 2.0 pinto was added it was a better car in most ways and when the twincam came along (in the XR4x4 era) it was faster, used around half the fuel, handled better and was better in every way - maybe apart from sound.
I did a lot of mileage in the more basic Sierras, they grew on me. Very simple mechanically for anyone used to Cortinas. The XR4 was a bit of a sheep in wolf's clothing, the more restrained looking XR4X4 was lovely, very sure footed but again not a sports car.
Siërra's were cool cars in those days. Another planet in 1985.
IMO, the XR4i was by far the best XR of the range.
The XR2 & XR3/3i were just FWD hatchback cars with suspension and engine tweaks. The 4i was a RWD V6 with a unique bodyshell.
I imagine the the XR4x4 was introduced so that they could ditch the unique bodyshell and revert to a std 5-door shell and make up for that by using the 4x4 system. Not as special IMO.
An interesting mod is to mate up the 24v V6 Scorpio engine with the running gear of the XR4x4 and put that in the XR4i.
Yes indeed.I had an 82 XR3 .They had a weber carb but the cvh engines were terrible by comparrison to a Pinto.The gear change was horrible and they were pokey but hardly breathtaking.Luckily mine got pinched! Read into that what you will......
@@glennpowell3444
The 4i & 4x4 had the Cologne V6. That V6 is an old-nail of an engine: iron block, iron heads, pushrod-operated valves. It sounds refined as it's so bloody heavy, so it doesn't rattle about as much and iron is inherently more damped than aluminium alloys, which sing like a Welsh choir in comparison.
I get your point though, the XR3 was just a Halfords Escort really.
@@lewis72 cologne v6 is/was all alloy!
Essex v6 was iron
Sorry alloy heads
I remember these being launched - seemed like a big deal at the time, but the XR4i to me was a bit of a let down. The later XR4x4 was more like it, and provided a more fitting performance model to the Sierra range, leaving the Capri to do the coupe thing - which it did brilliantly! I don’t think many mourned the passing of the XR4i when it left production. Seems to be a curio now……….
I had an xr4i then a xr4x4 after. The 4x4 was slower, it lost a lot of power through the transmission!
Back in the day my friend bought a sierra xr4x4 from a farmers wife. It looked terrible with an inch of muck. However after a wash and detail it looked great and it went like stink
Sadly the US did not see the Cologne V6, but the 2.3 turbo. Had the transmission held up or at least been interchangeable with other 2.3 US spec cars, it would have done much better over here.
i had an '85. It was a great car, my problem was the dealership. They had no clue how to work on it and ordered euro parts from Germany to find out they ordered the wrong parts and had to re-order the correct parts. I eventually had to file a lemon law suit and traded it in for a Audi 4000cs. Again, not the car but the dealership.
Amazed the Coswirths that followed never stuck with this shell. It would have looked great and msybe would have been stiffer given theextra metal in that extra pillar......I wondercif Ford ever trialled that shell maybe???
5 door Sierra 2.8i Ghia was a missed opportunity (think these only came in estate form?). There was the later 5 door XR4x4 which doesn't seem to get a lot of attention. They looked good though. Problem was the Granada was a really good car, spacious and closely priced. It was a market niche though, Audi only had a 2.2i, the Monza was long in the tooth and probably more expensive, a 323i BMW would have been more like Granada money. The fact it was a 3 door probably isolated it from the majority of company car lists of approved purchases. Cosworth though... A whole different story, fabulous car, complete hooligan (back then).
The XR4Ti ( Merkur ) was a 2.3 pinto with a turbo but no intercooler.
The ti had a Lima engine. Not Pinto.
It’s the same thing
@@markscully2342 it's a different variant altogether, Lima only for American market. In Europe, the 2.3 turbo wasn't available. Only up to 2.0 ohc and dohc n/a 8v, and 2.0 dohc 16v turbocharged RS Cosworth.
@@pokest225 all basically the same design or evolutions of it
I wish ford would bring back the XR models
Ford make uninspiring square cars these days.
I think that US models offered the most sensible engines, even though these cars lacked broad appeal. I thought that they were ultra modern for their time, but the US market was indifferent.
It was a rocket in the day. People were jealous if you had one of these. It ate up xr2's.
I’d happily have one - I’d have a Merkur.
It was head to Head with the Manta GTE, which was just as quick in real terms but looked like a real sports tourer.
I test drove both and the Manta was just so much better to drive, it was an easy choice and I bought the GTE.
Nah. The manta was 40hp down.
i always admired the XR4I. 3 mates had them , a chap at work had a beautiful black one . They looked terrific . typical ford though , They styled a car wonderfully but interiors etc were usually disappointing .Fords were never as special inside as they were from the outside .
I don't know about that. The Sierra's interior was far better than a 2008 Vectra or pretty much all Vauxhalls up to 2009. I was never a fan of the Focus's interior, it looked like a child designed it so it's kind of a hit and miss really.
@@Kit_Bear I do know about that ! ha , i cannot but disagree entirely with you . I've never been in a 2008 vectra but no ford i ever had can compere with my mk2 cab , series ! carlton or my mk2 Carlton .They werern't base models though i will admit and i've only owned 5 Fords . I nearl;y bought a Royale because of the interior, ir was a wonderful place to sit . the newest Ford i had was a 2005 mondeo which did look good outside but the interiour was pretty standard for cars of that period.My sister had a mk3 cortina which was comfy . It generally depends on the model . Hard to believe the XR4 is nearly tax exempt!
I had a 5 door 86 XR4x4 2.8 Colone. It was very thirsty and in no way fast.
also, the merkur was a totally different car with chassis and engine changes that wern't available here in europe
then you had the xr8 in south africa with it's 5.0 v8
Wanted one, never did. I got a 2.9 XR4X4. Parts were a nightmare even in the early 2000s the MAFF went Ford didn't have one that fitted my car in he whole of Europe.
Be interesting to compare it to the later XR4x4
Xr4x4 was slower despite being 2.9... lost too much power through the transmission as four wheel drive
The 2.9 had a much stronger MT75 gearbox, the 2.8 ones were awfull.
Unusual designation usually the number after XR represents the number of cylinders, ie Focus XR5, Falcon XR6 and XR6t, XR8, fiesta XR4.
Xr2 xr3???
@@markscully2342 Nah never got them they dropped the XR naming before the new fiesta and the new fiesta can run on 2 on the highway so I guess they could call it the XR2+1.
Great, unforgettable car ❤
Xr4i looked great but only around 150bhp, not a quick car and low mpg I think mine did around 15mpg
Pas was an option. They trully did hate fitting pas as srandard back then ( or at all).
I very much doubt theres many standard ones left now... i remember all of em in my area being turned into cosworth replicas..
You could see the petrol gage going down when you cained it
The mondeo ST24 was the same for sucking down petrol if it was ragged
Do you know if the example driven actually still has the correct springs and shocks?
I do know this example has been on and off ebay for years. its had a fair few owners
Beat a couple of these in a lightly modded 1990 Swift GTi 1.3 back in the day. Did see a twin turbo one do a massive backfire when I was a kid which impressed me.
Would only have beaten it a couple of times till the diddy little engine went pop.
@@ivanfernyhough3851 it's Japanese, they keep going
A swift was a toy car. There's no comparison. Thrashing it to get anywhere. No thanks.
I've always loved the styling but could i buy, No!
If i did i would have to modify it. Cosworth suspension and a Jag V6( Cosworth tuned) would make this a Nice car to drive and own. 250bhp or 400bhp with a Turbo or Supercharger could make this a Real Weapon without the need to Spend £100k+on a Cosworth
There's obviously a story somewhere to do with those particular 3door shells compared to the normal 3door shells. Why didn't Ford use normal 3door "cossie" shells for the 4i's ?
I'd love to hear the story behind the murek (dodgy spelling) American 4i's with the 2.3 4pot as they use same shell as European 4i ?
@sicosis the Xr4i was a Capri 2.8i with Sierra body panels grafted on, the Cossie was a Sierra
@@Phuc_Yhou 🤣🤣👍🏻
The body shell was because there was going to be a targa top model, thay only made the prototype though, but the roof on that started from the extra piller.
I had one. you needed petrol tanker to fill it up it wasn't fast either. Cavalier sri eat it up for speed and economy
My mate has got one, he takes it for an MOT every year and that is all the miles it has had for probably about 20 years.
Thats a little bit sad really.
@@insertnamehere5146 i completely agree. we do bitch him about it but he refuses to use it. He is happier driving his 06 astra 🤣
@@cornovii3012 he should give it a gentle run in the summer. No one knows how long they have on this planet. It's a fine automobile and he would love the drive. Hell he can disconnect the odometer if that's the reason he is scared to driver it
I got one of those... A RC toy car :D Stratos silver.
I dont agree it doesn't deserve the XR badge , not a lot of cars were faster in 1984 and it was the fastest of the uk XR lineup and if you give that car another road test this time in the rain with some throttle in the corners you will find a very exciting car 😊
I was a mechanic at a ford dealership when these were new, they weren't particularly fast, even then 🤷🏻♂️
Nice! Love the XR cars
Belgium's Dagenham dustbin! Not a street close to the XR-2!
Wasn't the final generation Cortina essentially a rebadged Taunus?
Ford apparently decided that Ford of Europe would design subsequent models.
From 1970 onwards the Taunus and the Cortina were largely the same car, in fact the last 3 generations of Taunus were called Taunus TC 1,2 and 3 internally = ( Taunus - Cortina )
41 years on Ford can now extract more power from a 1.0 litre engine thanks to turbocharging!
until that engine cracks
Nowhere near as reliably tho.dont sound anywhere near as good either.
According to the claimed output doesn’t feel like it though
put 1 of these engines and gearbox and dash in a mk4 cortina went well for an 80s car
That poor old girl has been in the wars.
Yes, its been through a phalanx of owners in the last 15 years on ebay with the last V5 change in February 2023.
The Cosworth were the KINGS
awesome video
i’m watching this one closely 🤩
"I have earned a fortune by dodging taxes and I'm very wealthy, I remember these cars from when I was a child,I'll give you £500,000 for it even though it's a Ford Sierra, just so I can realise that they wasn't that great anyway.and I have more money than sense."
should have been a 2.8iS and waited for the Cosworth to take the mantle of the sporty Sierra!!
Always liked the Sierra styling. But not in that guise. RS500 Cosworth works much better. Just need £90k now...
no anti lock brakes in 1984 on 150 BHP lol, Porsche 911 turbo did not get anti lock brakes until what 1989, the Ferrari or Lambo did not, don't think even the F40 in 1988 had anti lacks, Rolls Royce did not get anti locks until 1987. What did have anti locks in 1984 a well optioned Merc or BMW .
i was 12/13 when these came out. my mates and i would drool like love sick puppy's when ever we seen one
My cousin had a few of these
They look great sound good
But slow as fk
My rs1600i escort used to keep up with no stress but i couldnt go sideways in that 😂
Cool car