rapid red

The first time I saw an XR4Ti in the 80s as an impressionable teen I knew I had to have one. They were a unique departure from the conventional style of the decade. Born from the wind tunnel, it was unlike any other sports car on the market at that time. Then came the November 1985 Car and Driver article describing the Rapido Modified XR4Ti and I decided then and there I wanted a Rapido XR4Ti. After 37 years my quest to find a Rapido modified XR4Ti was finally realized. They say never meet your Heros, but this is one Hero that I am glad to have met.

I love the rarity of this car. With 1100 Merkurs still registered in the USA(as of year 2022), you are not likely to see another XR4Ti on any random day. Getting into the details you find that the engine is the same as the Mustang SVO of the same year. The key difference is that the XR4Ti was lighter than the Mustang, has Independent Rear Wheel Drive, and a far more luxurious interior appointments such as heated leather seats which were very rare in 1986 on any car. The enhancements from Rapido such as the 150 MPH speedometer(instead of the factory 85MPH limit); the wheels, the stiffened and lowered suspension, and the intercooler work together to make this an enjoyable car.

When you drive this car, you feel like you are on a never ending parade. People wave and take pictures while you are driving. Younger kids look on wondering what it is. They have the same look of wonder that I did when these first came out 38 years ago. The design to this day looks just as unique as it did way back then. Every gas station stop is an opportunity to meet someone new. I love answering questions and hearing all the stories people have had about an XR4Ti they or someone they knew owned. I love showing people who have never seen one the car and all of its features.

Once you get out onto a quiet highway or back road though, that is when you can put all the Rapido modifications to the test. Leave the worries of the world behind as you enjoy the silky smoothness of the driveline from the comfort of the heavily bolstered heated leather seats. Enjoy the road holding ability of the stiffened suspension and modern performance tires. You smile every time the power of the turbo kicks in; especially when exiting a corner at wide open throttle. Nothing can quite compare to hearing the turbo of the XR4Ti screaming at its max output through a turn. It is a car happy to play on dirt as well as pavement. At 6.7 seconds from 0 to 60, it is still quick even by 2022 standards. It is a muscle car ready for a road course, not a drag strip.

You can read what car and driver said about the Rapido Modified XR4Ti back in 1985 here: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15142069/rapido-merkur-xr4ti-archived-test-review/

The XR4Ti was the idea of Bob Lutz when he worked for Ford. He wanted to capture the USA youth market who were turning away from Ford Msutangs and towards BMW 3-Series. He looked to his european division and found the performance oriented Sierra XR4i. The XR4i in Europe was already successful against its rivals such as the BMW 3 series and Mercedes 190. Bob Lutz wanted to replicate that success in the USA. Since the Sierra name was already being used for a GMC truck, Ford decided to drop the Sierra name and simply use the XR4i moniker. However, the only engine that could meet emissions for the USA was the 2.3L Turbo from the Mustang SVO and thus the name was updated to XR4Ti with the T standing for Turbo. 

The XR4Ti is a rare case where the USA received the better car then the european counterpart. The XR4Ti came with better equipment standard. The highly tuneable 2.3L Turbo engine was more powerful than any of the offerings in Europe with the exception of the very limited run of the Cosworth Sierra. Due to US safety requirements, the XR4Ti used the highly desirable and ultra rare 909 Motorsports Chassis stiffening plates at both front and rear. These 909 chassis are highly sought after in europe and yet it was standard in the USA. It is simply one of the few times that the USA received a better car than Europe. The enhancements from Rapido took this already better car to the next level of performance.