If you’ve been around here for awhile you know good and well I love my Fords and Mustangs. I also have a little thing for the 80s Ford 2.3L 4 cylinder turbo cars. I think Ford was way ahead of their time with this motor and would have loved to see what would have happened if SVO would have been allowed to run with the DOHC 2.3L in 1989.
When I was a kid the Neighbor had a Merkur Xr4ti and it was something you just did not see. Always thought it was cool. I have a fully built 2.3L turbo motor out of a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe that someday will make it into my 92 LX and hope to be about 325-350hp to the wheels at some point.
But anyway some company did up this thing for SEMA and WOW just WOW. I would go to say this enters my 10 top car I would love to own.
If I sat down and actually put time then pen to paper in a true comparison of those top 10 this car may very well make it to the top 5. Presuming this thing was actually in semi production form and something that was actually driveable and enjoyable. Not just something pretty to look at and nice numbers on paper.



I don’t know anything of the company or fella that built it but I know that there is no way it would be cheap to do this.
I also don’t know anything about business finances. But the cost alone, not to mention man hours, creating some of the custom parts.
But being this is a show car, advertisement almost. Do these folks get some sort of business tax write off on costs incurred. Or are they just taking a gamble in spending so much on building a car hoping SEMA or other events will drum up enough business?

I thought those xr4ti’s were neato, but I’ve never driven one, let alone ever sit in one. Cool they upped this one and pushed it forward.

My last police car, a ‘21 Ford Police Interceptor SUV, had a 400 hp Echoboost, and I think it is the fastest LE vehicle I’ve driven. I couldn’t imagine the modded motor in a light and aerodynamic vehicle.(Our ‘94 LT-1 Caprices were fast, but governed at 120. They surely got their quick, though!)

Back when I was younger in the early 1990's I wanted one of the special handful of imported Ford Escort RS Cosworth.


CARB-Legal 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth

XR4TI were amazing. Drove a young lady's after church one afternoon -- I tried hard to stay focused on the lady but the car was too interesting. Sadly I never got a date with her, nor a spiffy car.

My parents had two of them, Both white 4dr models with the Turbo engine, very well made, ran great, handled much better than any US made 4 dr.

Weird looking though

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
My parents had two of them, Both white 4dr models with the Turbo engine, very well made, ran great, handled much better than any US made 4 dr.

Weird looking though

Did you grow up overseas?
I thought we only got the Scorpio here in the states which all were 2.9L V6s.

The Ford Sierra 4 door may have gotten 4 cylinder turbo but most were just naturally aspirated and far as I know never made it here.

Either way you should check with Guinness as a family actually owning two is likely a world record of some sort.
Since I do believe the Scorpio is the shortest lived true production vehicle with only 2 model years.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
My parents had two of them, Both white 4dr models with the Turbo engine, very well made, ran great, handled much better than any US made 4 dr.

Weird looking though

Did you grow up overseas?
I thought we only got the Scorpio here in the states which all were 2.9L V6s.

The Ford Sierra 4 door may have gotten 4 cylinder turbo but most were just naturally aspirated and far as I know never made it here.

Either way you should check with Guinness as a family actually owning two is likely a world record of some sort.
Since I do believe the Scorpio is the shortest lived true production vehicle with only 2 model years.

The XR4Ti was sold here 1985-89
Total production: 42k
Wiki only mentions a 3dr hatchback, with the 2.3T engine, though, not a sedan