Southern Thunder: 1984-88 Ford Sierra XR8

In 1982, Ford introduced its global replacement for the Cortina, a sleek hatch dubbed Sierra. Whilst the range of drivetrains was familiar, the Sierra was built on an all-new platform, and its avant-garde styling was in direct contrast to its boxy predecessor. For many, however, the styling was a case of too much, too soon, and so Ford’s South African division decided that the best way to promote the new model would be to take it racing, specifically in the local version of the FIA’s Group A touring car formula, known rather confusingly as Group 1.

However, because the South African market only received the Sierra in five-door form, the XR4i and its 2.8 litre V6 was off limits, as the local touring car series was only open to domestically available cars. As the fastest incarnation of the Sierra then available only had a 2.3 litre, 112bhp version of the Cologne V6 at its disposal, Ford South Africa would have to turn to the art of the homologation special if it were to create a truly competitive racer. The Blue Oval brigade would stick to what they knew, and, following the on-track success of the Capri Perana over the previous decade, decided it was best to fit the Sierra with a V8.

The final product, christened XR8 in accordance with standard fast Ford nomenclature, was recognisably not a standard Sierra; the re-engineering required to accommodate its new 8-cylinder powerplant involved a grand total of 246 new or modified components, including a redesigned front crossmember and propshaft, stiffened spring rates all round, and anti-roll bars modified to fit around the new 195mm tyres. This re-engineering effort was clearly evident in the vented bonnet, slatted grille and bolt-on front flares hiding its fatter rubber.

The V8 in question was a catalytic converter-free variant of the 5.0 litre V8 lifted from a USDM Mustang GT, running through a 5-speed Borg Warner manual ‘box and a 3.5:1 differential. Free of any emission restrictions and breathing through a four-barrel Holley carburettor, the high-output Windsor’s 216bhp and 276lb/ft made it the most powerful production car to bear the Blue Oval at the time of its June 1984 launch (though it was eclipsed within a few months by the highly specialised RS200), and could propel the XR8 to a top speed of 143mph.

Due to its relatively short development period, it is perhaps not surprising that the 5.0 litre Sierra was very much a parts-bin car; In addition to the Mustang engine, its cooling fans and differential (albeit with modified rear stub axles) were sourced from a Granada, and its disc brakes were mismatched front and rear – AP at the front, German Teves units at the rear. While it may have had a bottom-of-the-barrel genesis, the XR8 was an undeniably effective machine, cementing itself nicely atop the Ford range and constantly running at the pointy end of Group 1 racing.

As a homologation special, the Sierra XR8 was never going to be built in any great quantity; the total production figure was 250 cars, 50 more than required by South African Group 1 regulations (but far fewer than any British or European equivalent), all leaving the factory sporting an XR4-style twin-plane rear wing, 15” Ronal Sport alloys, and an appropriately snazzy blue-on-white colour scheme. To ensure the XR8’s introduction to competition went as smoothly as possible, Ford was careful to have the homologation requirement of 200 cars sold and delivered before the start of the 1985 racing season; the remainder of production cars would continue to trickle off the line until 1988.

The Sierra XR8 was the product of Ford’s South African division utilising the global parts bin to fill a halo car-shaped hole in the model line-up. Using its experience and success with V8 models in the past, the Blue Oval created a 5-litre Frankenstein to bludgeon an entire field of touring cars into submission, and in doing so created quite possibly the ultimate derivative of Ford’s humble saloon.