Ford Sierra XR-8: South African Muscle Car - SentiMETAL Ep.14
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- For SentiMETAL Episode 14 we head back to the Freestate for another fast, locally-developed Ford, the XR-8.
There are few words that get us petrolheads as excited as a homologation special. We often forget how many of these cars were actually produced locally, some of which have already been covered on our SentiMETAL RUclips playlist while a few are coming in the near future. To be able to enter its Sierra XR-8 into Group One racing in the 80s, Ford had to build 200 of these V8-engined beasts.
Earlier, the company had actually planned to increase that number to 250. Appropriately, the initial local launch of this car was held on the Aldo Scribante race track in the capital of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, Port Elizabeth. Following this event, selected press gained access to the car a few months later. One can only imagine how exceptional and important this car must have been for Ford and the industry in the mid-80s.
There is no mistaking the XR-8 for any other Sierra as it offers a big-bore exhaust, bi-plane rear wing and the car’s designation just below it. Open the bonnet and nestled in the front is a 4,9-litre, V8 engine taken at the time from Ford’s Mustang sports GT. It goes without saying that at the time this was the fastest factory Sierra in the world, developed right here in South Africa. During a road test conducted by CAR magazine, the XR-8 achieved a top speed of 231 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 6,95 seconds - impressive figures for 1984, especially since Ford conservatively claimed an acceleration time of "under 8 seconds"!
Another interesting figure is the average consumption the car achieved - over 18 litres per 100 km! The engine produces 161 kW at 4 750 rpm and 374 N.m at 3 250 rpm and was imported from the USA, together with a light alloy Mustang gearbox with an overdrive fifth gear. The engine is fed through a four-barrel Holley carburettor. Local might be lekker, but the development of this car included more than 90 specialist components, so it wasn't easy...
These were parts such as a new front cross member, an extended grille, uprated propshaft and axles and, as expected, also a stronger differential. The engine is 33 kg heavier than the V6 engine of the XR-8’s volume-selling sibling. The suspension was modified with uprated coil springs, said to be 50% stiffer in the front and 40% at the rear. Ventilated disc brakes were fitted on all four corners while the fronts offered four-pot calipers. Developed in Germany, the Ronal alloy wheels were specifically manufactured for the XR-8. All of these performance sedans were painted white with Ford Motorsport-inspired blue stripes while the lower rocker panels were finished in grey-blue moulded PVC.
Both Fanie du Preez and his dad have an intense love and interest in cars. As their business is focused around trucks and transport, it doesn’t come as a surprise that their hands are always ready to work or maintain their car collection. These include even full restorations of certain cars in this collection. One would have thought that only being 28 years of age, Fanie would not appreciate or understand the importance of this car, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
One article confirmed that when the news hit Europe that a V8-engined Sierra was being built in South Africa, there was an immediate level of interest followed by some envy - which is totally understandable. CAR magazine’s article ended by stating that “…the XR-8s could become much sought after…”. It might have taken a while, but 25 years later and this has indeed become the case.
0:00 Intro
1:46 Why did they create the Ford Sierra XR-8?
1:59 Race requirements
2:31 Ford Sierra XR-8 Modifications
3:05 Ford Sierra XR-8 Driving experience
4:20 What's special about the Ford Sierra XR-8?
4:51 Mileage Description
6:01 Test Driving Experience
7:09 Overview
9:34 Outro
Specification
Car: Ford Sierra XR-8 (1985)
Engine: 4 942cc, V8, Holley carburettor
Power: 161kW @ 4 750rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 3 250rpm
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Weight: 1 269kg
Top speed: 231kph (tested)
0-62mph (100kph): 6.95 sec (tested) 
Авто/Мото
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Music Video)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
They actually built 255 XR8’s. 5 Preproduction cars were built 6 months before the dealerships got their cars. One auto went back to the UK, Ford in Port Elizabeth had another 2 for testing and the press and my family got the remaining 2, Our cars are number 4 and 5. They sold for R27 500 back in 1984/1985. We still have them after all these years.
WHO ARE YOU
😂😂😂1 came to Namibia also.The diamond&gold branch of the then stil SA police force before independent Namibia.An old boer topie Hennie Brink(passed away,believe in a car crash in SA)and Schawn Geyser both from the police drove around in Namibia with that beast of a car.Whenever we saw that car car we knew the "Gattas"are around.Maar boeta,ekke dink daai gogga XR8 Sierra hy moet bietjie bang by die Chev Constantia 8 cylinder by die pad want XR8 hy wou nie,of kon nie overtake by ons nie by die pad van Windhoek na Oshakati,genuine,oshiri shiri.Sowaar ok mut hy was gebang by die Chev😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sounds like your cars got a story waiting to be told. =)
Your channel has no content. Forgive my scepticism of your claims. Best you post a vid
I take it that this car never was sold in here in Europe??
Lovely car, I remembering lining up against an xr8 one day, in my e36 325 the way it disappeared in my windscreen was insane😂. Sadly the only ever xr8 I saw to this day 😥
My late dad was a director at the local Ford Dealership and he brought the XR8 home a few times. I remember I deliberately used to put my school bag in the boot and then ask for the keys just so I coud hear (and show off) when he started her up. Iconic vehicle
I never knew there was a v8 version of this beast, I know the turbo version was very popular here in Australia. Very nice car
I've owned an XR4x4, and 2 XR4I's in my late teens, early 20's. Then finally got me to my 3 door cossi later on. Wicked memories
🧢
I was just going to say the same
Xr4x4
I have a xr4ti murkur
I did not know that this was built in SA, thank you for sharing with us this beautiful machine. Another reason to be proud. #ProudlySouthAfrican
Great video. Great that the owner understands the significance of the car and its very special history. Very pleased to see its original and not been modified like so many have.
What a car!Still a few here on SA roads to this day--remember test driving a 2nd hand one in '95 which had virtually doubled in value despite being 10 years later!
Settled for the 3.0 XR6 followed by a 3.0 Sapphire -great cars!
Thanks for sharing your XR8 story!
You have to be a v8 enthusiast to really appreciate it. Awesome car no matter who says what
I had no#14 for 8 years.... mis that boy every day.
Very nice that you actually enjoy the car and not just storing it. Please, more engine sound, less music....
Thanks for sharing. =)
Gotta love the late 80s and early 90s cars.
Wow Im from UK and didnt even know this existed. My dad had an XR 4x4 as well as an XR 2. He would have loved a car like that if he were still with us. Scary driving in the car with him though!
Love it !! Thank you for sharing it with us !!
A blast from the past - childhood memories !!
Bravo! Nice presentation.
First order car you and yours have manifested. Plan to have a bash at sorting one out for myself.
What a special car and a great guy. SA got some great cars we never got in UK & Ireland.
You guys in South Africa got all the best of the small Ford's.
hardly smal for the era. there was only the Granada that was bigger than the Sierra in Europe at the time. the Sierra was eventually replaced by the Mondeo which is now the biggest car (ignoring SUV style crossovers etc) Ford make for Europe and it has grown to....the size the old Granada was!
What an awesome car bro! I had no idea that Ford had commissioned such a car. I want one you lucky bugger! Thanks for sharing!
This is a nice vehicle in mint condition! With that V8, what a car, what a car!
Love this series
Can't be!!! an ex Cape Town car with manual trans that was not abused by spinning or used for dicing...can remember way back when I was a snot gat I used to watch the Ford Boyz from Rocklands Mitchell's Plein Cortina big 6's, 3.0 s, XR6's and Sierra XR6's that they used to spin with the XR8 was used for dicing as it had a automatic trans in it... Man the sound those cars made drove me insane I couldn't get enough of it
Lekker to see this video, loved this car as a kid, nice to see some clean examples out there...
Having owned two 5.0L V8 Mustangs (83 and 86), I totally understand your feeling. Congrats on a cool car. 😎 In the US, the 5.0 Ford V8 is legendary. My Mustangs weren't the fastest, but they were a blast to drive.
Great video.
Absolutely a classic my dads boss had one in East London as far as i know it was sold we had the Ford Sapphire 2.0 litre GLE me and my brother tried to kill it and only broke the camshaft at about 350000km still made it to the garage woth the broken camshaft absolutely brilliant cars
Old legends never loose there names.its build to be a legend and it will die a legend.
You are so right, not many people know about this car. Sierra Xr8 Beast. Wow. I certainly didnt know anyway. Lol
What a beast it was back in the day, nice one again guys but my 2 cetns, lose the crap music and replace with engine noise please!!!!!!
Love it!
I remember working on these and servicing these cars.
What a classic Sierra XR8😍💖💓❤️
Nice..owned a 2.8 xr4i with some mods...good sideways action but
Always wanted xr8..
Wow. Im a fan of the 4 cylinder turbo Sierras, but this is pretty cool.
We have a Ford XR8 here in Australia, but it's based on the Ford Falcon and has a nice V8 too.
Great car, nice to see one kept so well. The XR8 is really a legend of a car 🔥
Saw one at a car show last year. That was the first one I ever saw
...just love it...
Amazing beast
I never know these existed
Awesome , I wish we had these in Australia
I wish we'd had that Sierra here in the UK.
So, theoretically, we can recreate this beast here in the US with the help of a fox Mustang since the 5.0 was taken from one of those and crammed into the Sierras or Merkur XR4Tis here.
Yes, but a Merkur Turbo with a extra few pounds of boost would smoke the xr8..
@@xsduprwd3937 Yep; or if you can get your grubby hands on one of the Eggenburger 4 cyl Turbos ala Aussie touring cars
@@maxrockatanksyOG aka Cossie!!
In the UK we got the Cosworth. 2.0 4 cylinder turbo with 220bhp, quicker lighter and handled far better.
However the UK missed out on all the V8 goodness and for that we are sad :(
@@FullBoostJ4 a heavy cast iron v8 would ruin the handling
Over here in the UK 🇬🇧 we had the xr4i 2.8 litre and the cosworth 2 litre turbo which were the fastest Sierra's ..
I bet the V8 were quick ,and sound great ..
I had a 2 litre Ghia /GLS hatch
And a sapphire . happy days 😁
A friend of mine had a V6 3.0 Sierra which was part of a cancelled order for the South African police, it was tuned had uprated wheels tyres and suspension and air conditioning other than that it was very sparton in specification. It also went very well ,fuel consumption was not great but it was not built for economy a very fun car which upset many other drivers as it looked quite mundane but pulled like a train.
I remember seeing one if these in the uk on English plates (E reg) in the late 80s,i thought thats an unusual grill for a uk Sierra? i thought as it came towards me,as it passed i remember that V8 burble and XR8 script on the bootlid...I realised at that moment that this was a South African Sierra XR8 ..wow what a car!..This particular car must have been privately imported..A shame we never got these officially Imported to the Uk..
Lovely car. I own sapphire 3 litre V6. Fantastic car.
Just learnt something new
That Mustang engine is put to far better use in that Sierra than in an 80s Mustang!
It's classic icon..👌🏽👍🏼
the XR4 Coupe is a Clasic here in Argentina. its has a 2 litres 4 cilindres engine.
What a special car.
Nice
Classic!
From an Aussie Falcon XR8 owner- i have always wanted a Sierra XR8
XR8 Falcon it's the ducks guts Max
Why, It looks like the sort of car people who drink latte's would drive.....
@@incomingshell3268 Bogan Holden fanboy!!!
AU Xr6 VCT standing in my garage mint condition. Right next to my MT09.
@@omgwtflmaololrotfl2368 Am I supposed to be impressed?
Why?
Très belle vidéo de présentation sur cette Sierra xr8 . Dommage sur se véhicules la on pas mélanger le Cosworth avec le gros V8 mustang qu'elle possède sa aurais était un mixte chouette
Great car bro I've got a 4x4 sierra in the lockup I know this is a S/A production car only wish Britain had it 💯👍
Although these are quite cool, I am a Ford and a Sierra enthusiast and have an RS Saph, the cossies we all got were far faster and higher performance than these with half the motor
@@Flying_GC all true BUT you cant top the sound of a V8, which is the difference. the Cossies can sound good (unless you have a stupid loud dump valve then they sound cr@p, in my opinion) with the right sized exhaust, but a V8 will ALWAYS sound better!
Surprised so few will built.
I never knew Ford made a Sierra XR8. I'm from the UK, so the only performance Sierras we could buy were the XR4i, and the Cossie. I'd love to see an XR8 go head to head with a Cossie on a track. Maybe one for Clarkson, May, and Hammond to sort out?
Plus V6 in SA....
WoW. 302 Windsor in a Sierra🤩🤩
Someone in my town owns a Capri V8 perana...also a nice car
Hi, I am trying to find out what number out of 250 mine is where exactly do I look or which digits on the chassis plate tell you this?
Xr6 next? I'm getting one soon and am desperately looking for more info on it. The internet isn't helping much
Best, Sierra first love
Hala peeps. Are you guys going to feature a Ford Sierra 3.0 irs by any chance?
Only seen one in the UK.We had the XR4 and RS Cosworth.
kwaai man!
Wish we'd had these in the UK 🙁
I had the firenza can am but not original engine I had 350 Chevy discs all round and bow brake boosters only problem you battled to stop it but a true animal white n black auto and I lived in brakpan car was well liked there .it's funny you could have the latest say porsche but people always like these old beasts .
Is it possible for you guys to produce a video without any music playing on the background? Would be nice to hear the engine only!
I always liked the look of the 2.0.i s in the UK with the charcoal bottom half ,I had a gls in blue over the charcoal.
I'd love another Sierra ,or a Cortina mk3 or 4 ...
I currently own a Vauxhall Calibra which I like ,but would much prefer a ford again
What does he mean when he says 'Sideshafts'? Does he mean axels (inside the diff)?
Awsome 👍🏻
In the UK we had the xr4i and xr4x4 with V6s and obviously the cosworth Turbos but a V8 in a one would be so much fun.
Would be great to see this up against a standard cosworth.
Cooper Williams My dad had a Granada with the 2.9 v6 cosworth lump. Only downside it was automatic 🤢
Still went sideways tho. It was black, K reg I think
Lovely car '
What's wrong with the front end looks 2 high ?
That looks like a real pocket rocket, being so small. As much as i liked the 2 litre turbo charged Ford Sierra that was kicking butt at Bathurst, you cant beat the sound and torque of a V8. Good work not making it a garage princess.
Australia also built XR8's but they were Falcons
Yeah XR8 Falcons came a number of years after these
@@roxannenuttall1510 and were alot better
Wonder how it stacks up against a cosworth?
At 1:30 you open and close hood, but never show 5.0?🙄
Mine was no. 233 of the 255 made, it was written off shortly after I sold it….i was gutted
I'm British and had a mark 2 rs2000 with the xr8 low compression bottom end to a pinto head wi a set of 48s on it what a toy
not really sure how you managed to put a V8 enginebottom end into the RS2000 and only 1 Pinto head (which was a 4 cylinder engine)
Reminds me of a V8 Ford Taurus
Amazing but in argentina it's sierra XR-4 and the motor is 1.6L and 4 cylinder
Why is the front end really high
Ohh
I learnt something today. V8 sierras = wtf. Only new them as 2l , turbo 2l and v6. Never new them as a v8. South Africa had some cool ideas with vehicles in the day.
my uncle had a V8 Capri ,
Your sound levels are all *way off*. I can hardly hear what the guy is saying over the excessively loud music. Please sort it out and re-upload. I’d love to watch this video, but not like this, it becomes too painful to listen to after only a couple of minutes. ☹️
Only in south africa
keegan reddy 😆😆
Goosebumps ! Clearly Better than the Cosworth ! If only they were not as rare as golden eggs !
Are you crazy..? Better than a cosworth? Tell that to the Sierra cosworth’s that are doing high 9’s 1/4 mile!!!!
Plz review a corolla rxi
Nice car but it needs new springs at the back!
No it doesn't, the sierra's are low at the back by default. I think it's to keep the wheels planted as the have negative camber as well
@Pandu Hishiko the car sat level when new as magazine tests at the time proves
@@africankat1 yeah it sat level 25 years ago...
Ok. Like it more this way though. Looks as if the car is in constant acceleration
Pandu Hishiko The rear wheel arches are also cut lower than the front wheel arches which makes it look like it’s sagging more than it actually is.
I notice that Sierra is way to high in the front. the headlights would light up the moon. but cool anyways. i thought i all about eu Fords, but never seen a xr8 untill today. And i have Granadas and scorpios etc. and legally got to build a v8 Granada because of the production of the V8 302 in South Africa
why Is there background music it, spoiled the entire video
Pinto OHC is pretty good also
Drove up to Cape Town. 5:48. Up to Cape Town? Damn, from where can you drive up to Cape Town.that is at sea level?
I've lusted after one of these for years, sadly like the Cosworth they'll be way out of reach.
For us poor british only high end cars came with a V8 so very few of us experienced one.
Besides when you look at numbers a lightweight 2.0 turbo could smoke a heavy old 2 valve push rod V8.
But! Then I had my own V8 experience and have lost interest in small capacity engines!! Now I get it, the torque and the noise👌
You need to import some Aussie Commodore and Falcon V8s. They were just affordable everyday cars for us.
@@seegee7728 closest we got was the Vauxhall Monaro and there was very few of those. Seems everyone got awesome cars but us Brits🙁 I have to make do with my Lexus V8.
We got better BMW’s than America the m3 was detuned for them don’t know about South Africa
Wow didn't know Sierra a with a v8 engine
We had a 1.3 litre in the UK , lol
@A S Humphrey I sold a 1.3 Sierra with a ohv lump they weren't popular but cheap ,
Merkur XR71 I believe, basically a SVO motor, dashes were horrible.
A very different beast to the Aussie XR8.
Give me an Australian xr8 anyday
Nice car, but personally I like a bit of V8 sound.
I think this is the only car in the World with a V8 and still 4 lugnut wheels.