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South Africa has an impressive history of manufacturing exceptional cars. Some of the notable examples include the 325is, the 333i, the Opel Kadett Superboss, AMG-modified Honda models, and the special edition Golf MK1s. In this video, we will take a closer look at another rare South African collector's car from the 80s - the Ford Sierra XR8, which boasts a powerful V8 engine.
The Ford Sierra XR8 is a rare and unique performance car that was built in South Africa from 1985 to 1989. It was a high-performance version of the Ford Sierra, a mid-size family car that was produced by Ford Europe from 1982 to 1993. The XR8 was designed by Ford South Africa to compete in the Group 1 touring car championship, which was the premier racing series in the country at the time.
The XR8 was powered by a 5.0-liter Windsor V8 engine, which was a small-block V8 engine that was originally developed for the Ford Mustang. In its standard form, the engine produced 200bhp, but the figure quoted for the Sierra XR8 was closer to 215bhp – now I have to note that here in south Africa we weren’t it subject to the tough US emissions standards that limited the power of the Mustang, Which is probably why the Windsor in the XR8 made more power.
Now along with the bigger engine the XR8 was equipped with a number of high-performance features, including AP Racing four-pot calipers at the front and modified ATE Porsche 914/Ferrari 308 calipers at the rear, providing excellent stopping power. The car also had custom 6J Ronal 15-inch alloys, which were machined to fit over the calipers. A bi-plane rear spoiler was used once it was discovered that it delivered lower lap times.
Ford quoted performance figures of “under eight seconds” for the zero to 62mph sprint and “in excess of 225km/h (140mph)” for the top speed, which made the XR8 one of the fastest cars of its time. For context, a Sierra RS Cosworth could hit 62mph in 6.2 seconds before maxing out at 150mph. The XR8 had one distinct advantage over the ‘Cossie’: an eight-cylinder soundtrack. Now by Grand dad actually owns one, and trust me the thing sounds amazing. And another random fact. The first time I ever went over 200kmph in a car, was in the XR8. I was still young but back then it seemd so fast. When thinking back on this car Three words stand out: “real muscle car”.
All XR8s were finished in Ford Motorsport white, with tri-blue stripes running along the flanks and boot, and grey/blue PVC panel below the doors. The inside was fitted with velour.
Now The XR8 was granted international Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) approval, with Bob Lutz, the then executive vice president of Ford, flying to South Africa to do the sign off at Aldo Scribante racetrack. He ordered two, one for himself and another for display at Ford’s Dearborn HQ. Smart Guy.
Now here in South Africa The Ford XR8 is a must-have for any car collector or Ford enthusiast. This rare and unique car was originally built for racing, but it also delivers an incredible driving experience on the road. In total, only 252 XR8s were built, including a pair of prototypes, with the first two sold to Ford enthusiasts from the Cape West Coast. Surprisingly, this is 50 more than required by racing homologation rules, and all cars were completed before the XR8 went racing.
#Sierra #302V8 #XR8 #Cosworth
