Ford Sierra XR-8: You Know You Want To

Like an XR4i, with a V8. Why wouldn't you?

Interesting cars are virtually guaranteed at a car auction. It doesn't necessarily have to be the super exotica either, but there are always a few oddities lurking in the catalogue somewhere.

We got turbos, South Africans got V8s

Take Coys Ascot auction next Saturday. Along with an E30 325i Touringowned by Phil Collins, a Boxster-engined Beetle and a lovely Maserati Indy, there's this: a Ford Sierra XR-8.

A what? We were equally dumbfounded. Turns out this could be the coolest homologation special you've never heard of. The XR-8 was for the South African market only, produced for Group One touring cars from 1984 until 1988. So it was their XR4i effectively, only a whole lot more interesting. See neither the three-door bodyshell or 2.8-litre Cologne V6 was offered in South Africa, making the European car unviable. But they did have an XR6, powered by the 3.0-litre Essex lump and with five doors. It was decided the Sierra range needed a better flagship though, and so the XR-8 was born.

Apparently 250 were made, 50 more than required by homologation rules. This was to prove it was a production model and not just a skunkworks touring car special, a point Ford reinforced by selling the obligatory 200 before going on track.

Wing looks familiar, rest of it less so

The '8' of course signifies a V8, here sourced from a Mustang. It's a five-litre engine (or 302 cubic inches, as it probably should be referred to), with 209hp. Oh. It's a little disappointing really, isn't it? Contemporary road tests timed the XR-8 at seven seconds to 60 and the top speed was said to be around 140mph. Perhaps not the straight line monster you may expect, but it must be hugely tweakable being so lightly stressed. Supercharger?

According to a South African test, the XR8 wasn't just a leaden muscle saloon either. It only weighed 30kg more than the XR6 and a wealth of suspension tweaks helped it to maintain a semblance of composure on track. The test states: "The tail comes out easily under power [that'll be the 195/60 tyres then] but in an eminently predictable manner, and the understeer is far less than expected. The car is predictable, smoothly responsive and turns in very well."

Not one for the feeble though, with no ABS and manual steering. Sounds like a burly driving experience then.

So a very rare and fast old Ford; must be worth a fortune, right? Well no, actually. Presumably as it's so unknown in the UK, the XR-8 goes under the hammer with an estimate of just £8-12,000. That sort of money even for an RS Cosworth Sapphire now, which would make for a fascinating comparison.

Yes it's more risky, but the underpinnings should be fairly easy to maintain. There's a week to do some research, remember. And it's a production V8 Ford Sierra for crying out loud! Someone take the plunge, please.

FORD SIERRA XR-8
Price: £8-£12,000 (auction estimate)
Why you should: Homologation special Sierra that isn't £60K. With V8.
Why you shouldn't: Parts maybe? And fuel.

See the original advert here. Auction catalogue here.

[Test source: AfricanMuscleCars].

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treetops

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