Incredible 80s style! Ford Sierra XR4i tested
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- Опубліковано 1 тра 2024
- At last! I've admired these cars since I was a child and finally, I got to drive one! The Ford Sierra XR4i uses the 2.8 Cologne V6 to produce a thrilling soundtrack and strong performance for its day. Huge thanks to Tony for letting me take his car out. #ford #retro #80s
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Music is Muriel by Bobby Richardson - Авто та транспорт
![[실시간] 전철에서 찍힌 기생생물 감염 장면 | 기생수: 더 그레이](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4nkFvwxGAfA/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks to @HubNut for the honest review.
Car was owned by FMC for 6 months,then sold by Strath ford, Dumbarton,Ford Main Dealer to a company in Glasgow who had it for around 12 months before I part exchanged my XR3 for it.
Thanks for letting me have a drive, and for your stint with Kitch. Info overload!
@@HubNut I was gonna say, an electric sunroof on a Ford? Ford and Vauxhall always made you wind the sunroof!
@@clivet3252I had an electric sunroof on a ‘94 1.6 LX Escort.
@@clivet3252 Yes, they liked to keep you fit didn't they!😂
@@2760ade I remember you'd always see the reps furiously winding, whereas if you had a Japanese or French car all you had to do was press a button.
It's amazing how well the styling has held up. Gorgeous car, particularly in that color!
It was extremely advanced for the time, they basically copied the prototype.
Nimbus Grey
I'd have this over a Cosworth I think mostly because it is v6 and sounds much sweeter. Not too fast so you can enjoy revving it out.
@@Oldsmobile69advanced is hardly the proper word. The wet noodle chassis, powertrain and suspension basically made it a facelift of an early 1970's Taunus. Cabin had a decidedly low-rent feel to it with exposed screws and nasty plastics. A contemporary bmw e30 or even the humble 1982 Opel Ascona felt decidedly more 'advanced' in comparison.
@@user-su5cm1kh9n The design was advanced, the tech wasn't.
Out of all Sierra's, the XR4i is the one I prefer the most. Combination of the big lights mk1 front end and the rear quarter styling with the split windows make it the best looking Sierra in the line-up. Nice and sporty looking as well. The rear glass of a standard 3-door car was absolutely massive in comparison. .
An XR4i would fit nicely on the drive next to my Escort XR3.
and of course the Cosworth got the standard 3-door glass.
Escort Cosworth clear indicators on the front finish these off perfectly.
Wow!!! My father had a Caspian Blue XR4i when I was 15 in 85, and I loved it. It felt so special at the time and quite outrageous. I'd have one any day!
Lucky you!
Same here. I was 9 though. All my friends were jealous.
My Dad had a black B reg. I was 12. All my friends were jealous too.
Wow! 40 years old! I can't imagine our 2020 cars lasting that long.
Very very few 1980s Fords are left, that's why they're valuable now. Total rotboxes that literally rusted to bits beneath you. Were great to drive but build quality, what a joke. Only British Leyland was worse (nobody mention Lancia 😂).
Most of these were terminally rotten by the mid 90s, to be fair.
Them lights on the screen for the brakes is a check light, once you press the brake they go out if there working. This brings back Lots of memories of my dad's ghia 2.0 auto. Thanks
Also had a yellow or red snowflake on the roof for ice warning.
@wirdy1 yes below 5c yellow and below 3c red for Ice. 🙂
Biggest mistake I ever made selling mine, in silver A390UGC.
Will forever regret that. Bought mine after a friend got a white one.
So much fun to drive.
The most ergonomic dashboard I’ve ever owned in a car.
Did you know that all of the Sierra hatchbacks were originally intended to have the whacky dual wing spoiler? Apparently, that’s how it was developed in the wind tunnel but the marketing folks baulked at the appearance and bean counters the cost, so it was deleted from the majority of the range. The result was a car at launch with horrendous cross wind instability at motorway speed. Apparently the smooth airflow coming from the rear of the car would blow around and take the car with it, much like a balloon on the end of a stick. Within a year they’d developed a fix. Some little ‘bats ears’ that fitted behind the rear edge of the rearmost windows. The stuck out about an inch and broke up the airflow a bit to stabilise things. Look out for the ‘bats ears’ next time you see one.
My Dad’s 2.0 Ghia had the picture of the car with the opening doors. In the middle of it there’s a double snowflake symbol in two colours. When the first part lit up it meant less than 4°C (risk of black ice) and when it came fully on with both colours it meant less than 0°C.
They just looked so outrageous when they were launched. A twin spoiler! It was just crazy!
90s Ravers's car. My mate had a black A-reg with a Cossie wing, that replaced the double-decker. Used to go to early 90s raves in it 👍
Car phone?
Salesrep suite?
Spandau Ballet cassette?
What more would you need to be a top dog in the 80s
Everything about this car is so cool. Two tone paint, red pinstripe, split rear window, double spoiler... just awesome.
The car my dad had when I turned 17 and the one I used to drive to school in the 6th form. White, A619RDM. Glorious chunk of metal. I want one again!!!
I was obsessed with these too. Another early Sierra thats even rarer is the 2.0iS. Five door with pepperpots. Not seen one in decades.
Yes very rare, had XR2 trimmed seats,5 door, first Ford EFi powered.
They had pepper pot style wheel trims,not alloys, replaced by the GLS as the warm Ford sporting saloon for the next 7 yrs or so.
I was a young Ford mechanic back when these (and the Sierra range generally) were newly released. Worked on a fair few of em....happy days nice and simple compared to today
LOADS of these still out and about over here in Arizona/New Mexico.
Awesome car for 1982, nobody was close...
And on a great Essex plate. Always WOO, NOO, LOO, MOO and the desperately avoided POO!!!!!!
I've got one on a "POO" plate.
People always point and laugh but I don't mind 😂
Plus famous POO 504R Escort RS1800 rally car
My dad bought one new in '83. I was a teenager at the time and compared to his previous vehicles, it was like sitting in a spaceship. In my opinion the XR4i was the best car he ever owned, and that would include the Sapphire Cosworth and BMW 535d that he bought later. Obviously not the fastest of the bunch, but the XR4i was the most reliable, had the most character and had that amazing engine noise. I bought it from him when he eventually wanted something new in the late nineties and it was great fun to drive, but by that time it was ready for some restoration and after a while I had to part with it. Apparently it was restored and I regularly check the small ads, hoping that one day I'll be able to buy it back. Fingers crossed!
Have you done a text check on it's reg? You'll at least know if it was still on the road.
@@ianandjohnandmaniandreni9323 Yes, it's SORN'd at the moment, not insured and the last MOT was in 2009. Between the last two MOTs it did 7k miles, so someone was enjoying it.
A classic Ford is like no other manufacturer, it has nostalgia Like nothing else to many people. No wonder they command a premium as they get older. This is a great example.
I loved the styling of the Sierra, also known as the jelly mould. Once everyone took to it, all cars looked like it. The XR4i looked menacing on the road. That huge rear spoiler and 2 doors, you knew it meant the business.
My Fiesta Supersport had those headlamp pressure washers.
That brought back some good memories Ian. The chap who owned the chippy in our village bought a brand new early XR4i, which I'm certain was on a Y plate. In silver, with pepper pot alloys, it looked & sounded ace. As young kids, we'd be eating chips in the bus stop opposite of an evening & it was always a treat to see him roar off in it.
I always loved this car. It was rare here in America, where it was sold, as Ian said, as the Merkur XR4ti. Merkur is German for "Mercury", as it sold in Lincoln/Mercury dealerships. It had the turbocharged version of the 2.3 Pinto engine here, which had anywhere from 160-200 HP (this engine was also fitted to the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and the Mustang SVO). 160 HP was the version that was de-rated for an automatic transmission, and 200 HP were the last versions of the engine, with an intercooler (which was forbidden for the Turbo Coupe and XR4ti, until 1987, when the Mustang SVO was discontinued and Ford let everyone have the full potential of the engine 😅 ). Mercury was the upmarket brand in North America, and Ford's rationale behind this car was to lure Yuppies, who adored 3 series BMW coupes, into Lincoln/Mercury dealerships.
Got to drive a T Bird with that engine last year! Only a brief one so wasn't filmed. Seemed an odd choice of powerplant.
@@HubNutthe Lima / Pinto 2.3 had a decent racing history and the US at that time just got out of an oil embargo and saw fuel price spikes plus the EPA started clamoring for increased fuel economy so every US automaker went turbocharged only two really got the reliability handled GM with the Grand National, cyclone/typhoon and Ford with the mustang, Thunderbird and xr4ti.
There were several of the XR4ti Merkurs in my area. The Merkur Scorpio too, also a nice car.
Merkur never got the intercooled version of the 2.3 TC. The rating was 175 hp for the manual cars and 150 for the auto. 87-88 Turbo Coupe T-Bird was the only car other than the SVO to get the intercooled engine. 🙂
@@HubNut I owned an 88 Turbo Coupe for a few years. Nice highway car, had a huge fuel tank and would go forever. Around town the car was sluggish because of the vehicle weight.
That Cologne V6 sounds amazing.
I had an 87 XR4Ti when we lived in the States. Heated Recaro front seats, air conditioning, power locks and windows, sunroof. And I could make the Garrett AirResearch turbo glow after a good run. Wonderful car. They lost the whale tail in 90-91 for a more subdued version.
I too think this is the coolest Sierra version, unique styling in those rear side windows, and the rear spoiler. Childhood dreamcar for me too in the 80's, and was happy to get a white Matchbox Sierra XR4i toycar back in the 80's, which I still have it in pretty nice condition :)
We got one of 21 mk1 2.8 xr4x4's left on the road. Owned it for 30 years, Even has working abs and optional extra air conditioning. Still a fun car to drive.
I can't believe it! The moment has finally arrived! Hubnut reviews a Sierra! As usual Ian does a brilliant job🙂Loved the intro ☺️
Love the retro music and love the car
I soooo wanted an XR4i! Terrific review.
Brilliant video and a beautiful car.
Great video Ian, you look to really be enjoying yourself
Such a great car, thanks for sharing your drive and to the owner for allowing you to present such a rare example
Amazing intro to another great video absolutely love 80s ford's,really enjoyed this one 😊
That was a great video to watch, I really enjoyed that.
What a great car that is… good work Mr. Hubnut! 👏👏
An interesting video. I also grew up in the 80s and I remember Ford having an advertising campaign on MTV where the slogan was "The changing shape of Ford" which definitely made a big impression on me. The car really had a futuristic design for its time and contemporary competing cars such as the Mazda 626 seemed old-fashioned in comparison. Personally, I have the most experience with the Ford Granada and later the Scorpio (first generation). I really liked the Scorpio and think that as a family car it was quite reasonable with plenty of space and a large degree of comfort. However, my father was a big fan of Peugeot and we therefore had a new 505. The design seemed old-fashioned compared to the Sierra, but the 505 had very good driving characteristics and not least excellent comfort. We went on long trips with the car all the way to the south of England a couple of times from Norway and I remember the trips with great pleasure. I doubt a Sierra could have done better beyond the fabulous design that really stood out at the time.
It was ahead of its time. It's interesting how the more conservative Cavalier outsold it but then Vauxhall eventually adopted the rounded styling, first on the Carlton and then the Cavalier.
I'm also a big fan of 505s! Was it one of those massive estates/station wagons, that could be optioned with 7-seats?
They must have been pretty solid cars since there are folks in the Middle East and some parts of Africa still using them!
Beautiful 80's madness. I love it.
That's a beautiful sounding car. Thank you for the road test!
That is for me a serious piece of cool. Having spent a fair amount of learning to drive in a D-plate 1.6L this would be the stuff of dreams. The spec’ and subtle mods, awesome ❤
My mum worked at a Ford dealers when the XR4i was launched. I never left the showroom, it was love!
Geez what a nice looking car, that V6 sierra is a car I would definitely like to have, too bad Ford didn’t sell them here in Australia
Sounds really nice! 👍
I consider the original normal four door Sierra as one of the icons of car design. In the same leage as the Jaguar E type. Such a beautiful car. Never owned a Sierra, though.
This was my dream car as a 13 year old 😍 Still got my Ford ‘Cars’ brochure that I gleaned from the Motor Show in Glasgow that featured it 😉👍
Always loved these, thank you Mr hubnut and the owner for showing us this lovely motor, if i ever was to own a sierra it'll be either an early xr4i like this, or really late saffire 4x4 with all the toys thrown ate!
I always loved the Sierra, the first one was the 2.0is, then I upgaded to the 4x4 facelift 2.9i, I have it for 6 years. loved it
Brings back memories, my dad had this car ,we loved it as kids and when we was dropped off at school or picked up my mates loved it ,even now my dad said he should of kept it ,I've shared this video with him ,thanks for this made me smile and I'm sure when my dad sees this, it's gonna make him smile too ,great video.
I had one of these as a company car in red and absolutely loved it. At the time it was so fast for me but I just remember the torque and the V6 sound. Great car and thanks for the review.
My dad put his Y reg Sierra in for a service back in 1984, the garage found problems with the car and loaned him a black XR4i demonstrator. I was 12 at this time, so yes, very impressed with the sound of the engine and the hifi system was pretty punchy too.
I'm m now reminded of the Golf VR6 which is another beautiful purring sound when cruising and then an angry growling when power banding, a very addictive sound indeed and great fun to drive, especially with a full stage 3 stainless exhaust system, a lowering kit complete with Bilstein shocks/coils all round, b-e-a-utiful!!
Man and machine in perfect harmony
Back in the mid 90’s , a genius mate of mine was an electrical engineer designing ECU’s for many makes of cars. He always drove a battered old Sierra, considering his high pay, I asked him why the hell he drove that Sierra - his answer ‘ just about the last car made without an ECU’ !
One of my dream cars!! Thanks Ian 🙂
I clearly remember one of those parked outside my school in the mid 80’s
Never normally saw rear wing extravaganza like that where I grew up 😃
Gteat review.Also one of my childhood favourites! Have been driven in all the other trims avaliable but never an Xr4i. So thanks again !
Excellent video.
Ooh yeah, I could see myself driving one of those! Another great vid Ian, many thanks for sharing.
Really for 1983 when it came out it was an extremely futuristic design.
The XR4i was originally intended to be the replacement for the Capri but in the end Ford decided to keep going with the Capri a little while longer.
There was 2 side window style on the 3 door shells, the XRs had 2 rear side windows each side and the normal specs had 1 side window each side.
Superb Ian. I worked in a used car dealer from 89-91 and all our stock was between 1908 and 1990. I was lucky enough to drive a load of these and also some other now iconic 80's cars. I do remember we had a few of these that had prop shaft issues and had to be sent off to get re-balanced.
Absaloutly brilliant video ian❤👍 what a beautiful car yeah they don't make them like that any more brilliant
had a sierra 2.9 gls 4x4 ...loved it
Excellent stuff. Dad had 3 sierras in a row, two 2l ghias and an estate gl. Loved the ghia's that I learned to drive in and borrowed when I passed. It was mentioned that the tyre wear had increased substantially after I passed my test in '86. The estate was very very lairy in the rain.
Lovely car! I’m almost certain the 2 red lights on the display go out once you’ve pressed the brake pedal for the first time & proof the brake lights after start up. My Dad had a couple of 2.9 Granada Scorpio’s in the late 80’s & early 90’s & that’s how the display worked on them.
Always loved the Sierra ended up buying myself a 2.0i GT in the mid 90’s when I was only 21 (the insurance was a tad steep) but an XR4i was always a bucket list car for me. Excellent review as always.
That is a tremendous combination of seriously tidy condition and A-reg "patina". The fact that just about everything still worked well is even more impressive! What an incredible example!
Oh wow!! What a fabulous video, I had an XR4i back in the day it was a fantastic car and I'm pleased to say it survives to this day. It was featured in Practical Classics magazine as one of its projects !!
It looks fantastic. Love the headlights
LUVVELLY. I think this design has probably improved with age. I particularly like the red piping stripe that bends into the grille and is repeated inside.
My 3rd car when I was 18 ( so 1994) was a xr4i, cost £500. I scared the crap outta myself on the test drive. 😁
What a great car. Still remember being properly surprised by the rear spoiler as a young boy in the mid eighties.
About time you reviewed a Sierra Haha. been looking forward to this one
Thank you very much for this fantastic video. The fan base of the XR4i drivers are falling down on their knees making this fantastic video.We feel the passion with which you are driving this legend.
This is beautiful! My favourite style of Sierra with those big headlights and split rear side windows 😍 And I love that is specced to the likes of the owner.
Also, loving the dual camera setup 😃
Thanks for the explanation about the XR4 window glass. I wondered about that when I owned one in the late 90's.
I absolutely loved it and it got many an admiring looks. Mine was in the dark metallic blue colour.
My father had one, he had many cars during his life. But this was the one he loved the most and the one that identified him. Thanks for the video
This is a great video!! I'm not a ford fan but really enjoyed this one, what a nice car!! ❤
YUM!!!! Love the Sierras
I love your love for cars.
The Mk1 Sierras are fascinating cars - I remember them being launched, and a neighbour taking delivery of an early white GL model. I thought it was fantastic - years ahead of our Austin Ambassador. I think my favourite Sierras are the mild facelifted mk1s - they all got Ghia style headlights, and a number of improvements to solve the side wind stability issue that caught many a Sierra driver (Frank Williams being one) by surprise on the Autobahn. There is a brilliant article on the gestation of the Sierra’s design, written by someone involved in forming it - Patrick Le Quement. Quite a sad end - the lack of sales success saw Uwe Bahnsen, who had overseen all of Ford Europe’s 1970s cars (notably Granada mk2, Cortina mk4, Capri mk3 and Escorts mk2 and mk3) sidelined and eventually let go from Ford as a result.
hooo yes oldschool ford Sierra, I so approve.
Never forget seeing a black one around 1983/84 - It was parked up at a boot fair and people were standing around it as if it had just beamed down from space. Nobody knew what to make of it. I don't think any other car made such an impact since.
Stunning inside and out
My dad had one of those in about 1984 - metallic black. 8 year old me - a big fan of "Knight Rider" - thought it was the absolute cat's pyjamas. Loved the sci-fi on-board computer etc - and the fact that it went like the proverbial off a shovel!
What a beautiful car always makes me smile when I see one they really were brilliant cars so underrated but the style has aged well
Very nostalgic 👌 In 96 i bought E777 WWG XR4X4 in metalic grey. Lovely motor
Had a 1.8 Sierra and even that Engine when You floored it it really shifted nicely and could blow many away ,but was a good all round workhorse, plenty of room for the kids and didn’t cost the Earth to run , XR2 was nice as well
Fantastic video
A rare car even when new! The later XR4x4 was a popular choice where we lived in rural Wales in the late ‘80s. I always loved the sound of the 2.8 and 2.9 V6s.
Dream car for me forty year ago!
Brings back great memories, company I worked for senior sales managers had these as company cars, complete with the Philips transportable phone. Few occasions I got to drive could not believe the levels of road holding especially at speed around curves compared to usual company fare of Cavaliers and 1.8LX Sierras😂
I had a black 1985 over here in Canada. Bought it brand new, ours came with a 2.3 l turbo charged putting out 175 ~ 185 hp and was called the Merkur XR4ti as you mentioned. It was the first car I owned that came with heated seats.
What a smooth engine did not notice hubnut started it up to I saw the rev counter move
Always loved them too, so many got turned into "cossie" reps ... so nice to find a good one ...👍
you re really good with ford,these are the beautiful cars we used to admire as kids in the 80s
I learnt to drive in an XR4x4 in the same colour as that one nice update hubnut
I just spat my tea out realising you’ve just driven past the end of my road on this review 😮 great vid.
Nice car
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
The XR4i looked beautiful when it was launched & it STILL looks good today!! I remember seeing a black one in a shopping centre, when it was new & I loved the sporty look of it & like you, I think I prefer it to the more sporty Fords that have been on the market since...!! 👍🙂
I remember my Dad owning a 1986 Sierra XR4x4 in the late nineties. 2.8 V6. Lovely car and probably my favourite of all the cars he's owned over the years. Reg was C200 ORM.