Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Does anyone have the Autocar article on the launch of the Sapphire 4x4 from February 1990? I've found the road test April 1990, but would also like to read the first article on the launch.

Here is the link were the road test is shown. http://www.merkurtech.com/merkurtech...icles/main.php

Mike1

Yes chap, if you can hang on till tomorrow afternoon I'll scan it in for you

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Thats a cool web site.

Mike1

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Cheers for scanning it mate! It will be a nice read for this evening.

If more people are interested, while I was searching for the article myself I came across some nice tests on all cosworths. Just search the collections for Cosworth, Sierra, Sapphire and Escort to easily find them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trigger...7622143448306/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trigger...7608806913780/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trigger...7615892361529/

http://berlinasportivo.com/magazine/...phcosworth.pdf

Mike1

Worse thing is I can remember reading those when the ags had just come out.

Also in the same issue as the scans I did above Marc, was the Road Test editor review. Same guy now writes for EVO mag. He probably regrets saying it would be his choice for a twisty road blast over an Integrale though. The Integrales seem to have become legendary for handling since they were new whereas the Sierras have become much worse since they were reviewed.......

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Well in most reviews they all loved the handling of the 4x4 sapph. But not only the 4x4, also the 2wd sapph. In the comparison with the BMW e30 M3 and the Merc 190 2.3 16 they found the 2wd sapph the best handling car. Indeed strange that at that time the opinion was like that, while now the Integrale and e30 M3 are famous for their handling and the cosworths are (sometimes) described as bad handling cars.

Mike1

Apparently all the Fords were tuned examples with special suspension and the press were bribed to write good reports....

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Or they were actually quite good when new, but now the handling might be poor due to tired shocks, springs and bushes.

I can't compare, I've never driven an Integrale or an M3 e30 anyway.

Mike1

This could well be true......... that type of thing never happens to Integrales or E30 M3s though .....either that or the motoring scribes forgot what they wrote

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Top onfo there.Ive just read a few of the reports.The cossie was a good car back in the day.

Mike1

Even the Porsche-loving Editor of "Fast Lane" mag got caught up in the hype when it was reviewed against the Lancia Thema 8.32 and E30 M3......

mk22door

Any plasterers offended?

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Reviewed against those? Where is that review?

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

It mentions the M3 at the top of the page matey.

Mike1

Or Police Forces!





If only someone could package the handlings mods that the press Cosworths got.......

Mike1

Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 meets Audi Quattro 20v and 911 Carrera 4

If you click on the images, they should open in a larger size

Mike1

Here's another one for you Marc that you might not have seen before.

Original road test of the Sapphire 4x4 Cosworth from 'Performance Car' mag ( later became 'EVO' mag )

Click on the small pics to see more detail

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Very cool.The press rated the saff cossie back in the day.

Mike1

They did seem to be consistent in their praise back then.......... They're the elephant in the room now when they include a benchmark 80s Sports Saloon in a modern test though

Mk4 Lew

iTrader: (1)

Got to read this at a later date!!!

Mike1

Reviewed against the Lancia Thema 8.32 and also an E30 M3 - 2wd Sapphire Cosworth.
For whatever reasons they decided the Ford had the best handling balance and came out as the "best driver's car" ....... ( for drivers who prefer Fords to Lancias and BMWs presumably! )

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

Both the 2wd saff & 4x4 are great handling cars IMHO, tons of feedback & very nimble for a larger car.

The trouble comes when people chuck 400Bhp into a 25 year old chassis on soggy old dampers & bushes, expect it to cope & compare it to an evo 8 or new gen impreza

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for putting all the articles up, I love reading those!

I did read a test with the Merc 190 2.3 16, E30 M3 and 2wd Sapphire Cosworth, but not with the Thema 8.32. Any chance on putting that online too?

Mike1

Back in 1990, Autocar mag included one in their Annual Handling Day





Amidst the perennial car-forum favourites for handling, the MX5 and 944, and with BMW M cars, Lotus and Caterham along for the day, a 4wd Sapphire saloon.

Interesting voting on the last page if you want to skip the reading and see the results.
6 of the 10 judges put it either in 2nd or 3rd place.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

4 second places not bad.I didnt think a Mazda MX5 was that good a handling car.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

I thought more people would of been interested in this thread.

Mike1

Here you go chap - 2wd Sapphire up against Lancia's V8 powered executive saloon and the E30 M3 again!

( Click on the small pics to open the bigger version )

Mike1

Really? A lot of people seem to rate them quite highly for an affordable fun car.

Having said that, handling is different things to different people .......as seen by the results in that test!

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Cheers for taking the time to scan all those reviews. I've read them all already, except for the last one.

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Funny how they rate the 2wd sapph over the M3 in the last article and in the 10 car test they compare the 4x4 sapph with the Lancia Delta, but find the 4x4 sapph must more controllable. Strange that these opinions seem to have changed in time.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

With them been rear wheel drive i would expect the rear end would wanna step out all the time.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

The cossies were a good car back in the day.I like the fact they were better than the M3 too.How much was the M3 to buy new.

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

The M3 was 23.5k versus 19.5k for a 2wd sapph. But 25 years later noone cares about the price difference anymore. Although even not considering the price difference they found the cossie a better car, although the image did suffer from it being a Ford compared to a BMW.

The 4x4 sapph was more expensive though, something about 25k, which some found too much for basically 'just' a Ford.

mk22door

Again, plasterers with a fat wad

These must have been written by complete middle class tits!

Mike1

About the time that the Handling Test with the 4x4 Sapphire was done, mid 1990, BMW would sell you the Evolution Sport version of the E30 M3 ( limited edition similar to an RS500 ) - 238bhp 2.5 litre.

That came in basic form at around Ł34,500 but you could easily get that up to Ł37000 with a few extras

Mike1

Got a couple more 4x4 reviews if you're interested in reading them? I used to buy all the mags of the time, especially if they had a Sapphire review in

p.cressie

Nice one for posting them up Any more from the Ford RS range?

Marc sierra

iTrader: (1)

Of course I'm interested in reading those! I love reading these reviews!

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Yeh get the reviews posted up.The thing with bmws,to me its a snob factor."look at me ive got a bmw"Years ago when i was younger i used to class people who had money were the people who drove bm,s and merc,s.Now a days a lot of people have these cars now.