RR Of The Day: Merkur XR4Ti
Merkurs are some of our favorite cars. Flickr pool member sncollins has a nice '88 XR4Ti he's been wheeling around for the last 20,000 miles or so. Powered by the tough-as-nails 2.3 liter turbocharged four that also saw service under the hood of SVO Mustangs and other Fox-platform cars, even a stock XR4Ti is a hoot. Of course, with the owner being an engineering student and car guy, this XR4Ti didn't stay stock for long. The nice thing about the Merkurs is their chassis was far more modern than anything else Ford was offering at the time. The aforementioned Fox-based cars were live-axle deals that would get all crossed up trying to claw out of a bumpy corner. The XR4Ti would spank BMW E30s hard, and with a Garrett T3 bolted to the side of the engine, a quick trip underhood with an open-end wrench would turn up the wick that much more. Sncollins's car is currently huffing out 23 psi from a modified turbo (the stock T3 would be in serious surge territory at 23 psi). The pressurized charge courses through a SAAB intercooler and tweaked intake manifold. The Civics are wary of this car now, due to the past smartings it's dished out. The rorty custom 3" exhaust doesn't help you fly under the radar, either.
More info, pics and a short mod list can be found after the jump, as well as instructions on how to submit your own ride for our RR of the Day.
Back in the early 1980s, the domestic brands were in dire straits, and Bob Lutz was around to shake things up. We think of him now as the guy spearheading GM's resurgence, but in the early 80's, he was Ford's man in Europe. The Sierra, which served as the basis for the XR4Ti, dropped in 1982 in Europe, and it was quite a change from the Cortina it replaced. The body was a hatchback with lots of glass area for great outward visibility. The RWD chassis had an independent rear end, and the cheeky face and smoothed shape resulted in a Cd of .34. Ford excitedly brought the car to the US, but under the Merkur moniker, which caused some confusion (the least of which was how to pronounce Merkur). Being sold out of Lincoln and Mercury dealerships didn't help, either. There were far fewer L/M stores than Ford locations, and the XR4Ti was out of step with the iron the Lincoln/Mercury guys were used to selling. No amount of accolades from the press, or beatings rendered upon the European darlings of the time could keep the Merkur around. The double whammy of a ineffective sales machine and high price conspired to take the brand out of circulation by 1989. It's too bad. The Merkur really was a viable alternative to the Hessian or Nordic invaders.
1988 Merkur XR4Ti modifications
Engine
- Garrett T3 w/T4 intake impeller
- Log Headers
- Ported and polished intake
- ECU and Air Meter swapped for SVO Mustang parts
- SAAB 900 intercooler
- Custom 3-inch exhaust
Chassis
- Cosworth RS500 front brakes
- Potenza RE92 tires
How to submit to RR of the Day:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
drolds1 9:52PM (2/14/2007)
The bungling of the Merkur in the U.S. just illustrates how long Ford has been mismanaging things.
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jscro 2:06PM (2/14/2007)
Awesome ride, one of my favorite cars back in high school.
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Michael Karesh 2:06PM (2/14/2007)
Sweet. This car should actually outperform the car Ford put in the press fleet. Car and Driver's initial test yielded numbers that later stock cars never came close to matching. They weren't happy at getting hoodwinked by Lutz or whoever else turned up the boost.
Just needs the biplane wing from the earlier model years.
I never drove one after the refresh, but remember the suspension on the earlier car being quite soft. Should be room for mods there as well.
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ellerton 2:08PM (2/14/2007)
Were these RWD?
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ellerton 2:58PM (2/14/2007)
Uh, nevermind. Should have read the whole thing
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Bill 5:45PM (2/14/2007)
I saw a man in a Scorpio a couple months ago and chatted with him about it. It was in great shape, and he was the original owner. He said he's getting ready to sell, because finding parts is becoming a problem, and it's his daily driver (!). The Scorpio was quite roomy especially in the rear seat. I have a Mazda3 hatch, and he said he was considering one and asked me how I liked it, or a Mazda6 hatch. Obviously, he is one of us rarities in the US that likes the functionality of a 5-door hatchback...
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Brad Evanson 2:26PM (2/14/2007)
I always loved the look of the XR4Ti, but I couldn't convince the parents to pony up for a new one for me in HS back then. By the time I could afford one, I wanted something newer (Mazda 626 GT 5 door, a wicked sleeper). Still, part of me will always want a cool car that I never got (jeezus what a freaking list!).
SN, sweet ride. And I totally approve of your method of modding...keep it looking stock and clean, with the hidden ability to kick ass and take names. Nicely done!
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fizzandpop 2:59PM (2/14/2007)
The XR4Ti has always fascinated me. We had them in blighty for about a nanosecond. They had the Cologne 2.8 V6. I didn't know these were blown fours. Because it's the Sierra platform the mod possibilities are endless. You could make it 4WD, fit a Cossie engine, fit a V6, fit a diesel. This one looks pretty tight. IMO it's crying out for the massive double rear wing from the Euro version.
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Andy 3:47PM (2/14/2007)
ellerton writes: "Were these RWD?"
Yes, rear-wheel drive.
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jgp 2:46PM (2/14/2007)
I love this car!
I'd actually like to get my hands on one of these some day...
And, #4, yes, they were RWD.
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alex hofstetter 2:47PM (2/14/2007)
I actually owned one of these, white, single wing version. Bought it new for $14,500 in 1989. I think it was a leftover 88. Drove the snot out of it for several years and enjoyed it very much. My first heated seats car. Mmmmmmmm heated seats.
Considering its a 20+ year old design, it still looks pretty decent. Aged better than most, imho.
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John P. 3:02PM (2/14/2007)
I owned two of these, a 1988 and a 1989, both 5 speeds. I still would if my wife didn't,... ah well, that's a whole other story.
I do wish I still had one though. My favorite of all the cars I've been through over the years. I sure hope that's not my very car, as a tear is coming to my eye thinking about it,.... ok I have to go now. *sniff*
nice ride by the way, I don't care what else comes after this one this week, it's getting my vote.
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Kowell 3:16PM (2/15/2007)
The "Misfile" webcomic is practically an Ode to the XR4TI....
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UCBert 3:39PM (2/14/2007)
Had a white, 5-speed '87 with the wings. Suspension was soft but it was great fun except for the donuts in ice and snow.
Ah, for the days when cars didn't have big chrome snouts. Damn you, Walter daSilva. You've ruined Audi and now everyone thinks that they need a shovel-faced ride.
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UCBert 4:33PM (2/14/2007)
Had a white, 5-speed '87 with the wings. Suspension was soft but it was great fun except for the donuts in ice and snow.
Ah, for the days when cars didn't have big chrome snouts. Damn you, Walter daSilva. You've ruined Audi and now everyone thinks that they need a shovel-faced ride.
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All your base are belong to us. 3:45PM (2/14/2007)
260whp at 23 psi? Ditch that Saab intercooler and get something a little more efficient! 20+ psi should be putting this car in the upper 300whp range easy...
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Reuben 6:01PM (2/14/2007)
Hey guys, thanks for all the comments, and thanks or posting this autoblog! To answer a few things, the dyno is a little closer to about 245-250 usually (depends on the turbo's settings). I am actually in the process of ditching the saab intercooler in favor of a rapido setup (merkur parts company), I'm not a gangster at all (a little joke around here), and good god do I love these cars.
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Reuben 6:01PM (2/14/2007)
My name is Sean by the way, dont think they posted that
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Snix 6:30PM (2/14/2007)
Ahhh, yes, this was a cool ride. Quite radical at the time. A friend of mine had one and the radiatior went out. They wanted 700 bucks for a new one! Of course I commented something like "wont a Fairmont/Mustang radiator fit? We could get some sheet metal screws and........" Oh well.
But what's cool is that the Ford 5.0 engine fits quite nicely. I've seen it done. Don't let the drifting crowd know about this!!!!
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dan 6:01PM (2/14/2007)
little trivia:
Sierra 4x4 stuff is a near bolt-on... front x-member, diff, axles, hubs, transfer case, etc...
can make an xr4ti into an AWD wonder, and have fun chasing down WRXs in the snow :)
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