1987 Merkur XR4Ti from North America - Comments

The automatics were dimmed down because their transmissions couldn't handle the power. Their chips were different.

Automatics: 140HP

Whereas...

Standards: 175HP @ 5000rpm with 200lbs/tq @ 3000rpm.

I LOVE THESE CARS. They're amazing!

Um guys 4 cyl cars from the eighties that will do over 120mph, vw scirocco 16v, and dude with the hyundai um 2002? shut the phu up we talking bout 80's babies.

Here in Europe we had the fabulous Sierra RS Cosworth which was based on the same car as the XR4Ti. It was a 2 litre four cylinder DOHC 16v engine with a Garrett T3 turbo making 204 horsepower stock, and over 300 with a simple chip change. The engine's "natural" power output is 300 horsepower and was detuned for insurance and legal reasons. Many owners put it back to how it should be.

As tuning knowledge and fuelling technology has developed, there are now road legal "Cossies" (as we affectionately call them) running 650+ horsepower still from just 1993cc. Later versions had 4wd and were doing twice what the Impreza WRX now does, but 15 years ago.