Rare Car Archive

Makes › Ford South Africa South Africa › Sierra XR8 · Factory competition · 1984–1988 Extremely Rare

Ford South Africa
Sierra XR8

Mustang 5.0 V8 Sierra homologated for SA Group 1; 250 built

Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

IDENTIFICATION CARD · FORD SOUTH AFRICA SIERRA XR8 1984–1988
No licensed photograph yet. Photographs are published only when their licence permits it.
250BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
250 Built
Years
1984–1988
Engine
V8 (Ford Mustang 5.0-litre, naturally aspirated) · 5,000 cc / 5 LFactory: 5 L
Power
154 kW / 209 PSFactory: 154 kW
Top speed
225 km/hFactory: 225 km/h
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Sierra XR8 was a South African homologation special that put the 5.0-litre V8 from the Ford Mustang into the Sierra so Ford could race it under Group One rules. Only 250 were built between 1984 and 1988, and enthusiast-made clones also exist.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityExtremely Rare 250 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionroad-going examples 2501 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Based largely on the XR6, the XR8 was created to meet the Group One racing homologation rules of the time. Its naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 produced 154 kW, enough for 0–100 km/h in under seven seconds and a top speed of 225 km/h. Production totalled 250 cars from 1984 to 1988.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Sierra XR8.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutV8 (Ford Mustang 5.0-litre, naturally aspirated)2 Independently researched
Displacement 5,000 cc / 5 LFactory: 5 L2 Independently researched
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemNot yet verified
Power 154 kW / 209 PSFactory: 154 kW2 Independently researched
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 225 km/hFactory: 225 km/h2 Independently researched
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Visual cues are blistered wheel arches, a lowered stance and a large dual-plane rear wing. Because enthusiast-built clones exist, these features alone do not prove a car is genuine.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Cars.co.za – 6 highly collectable SA special editions Level B
    • 250 road-going examples
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    6 Highly Collectable SA Special Editions Level B Cars.co.za · 2018-09-26
    • 5.0-litre V8 sourced from the Ford Mustang (paraphrase)
    • 5.0-litre V8 (paraphrase)
    • 154 kW from the naturally aspirated V8 (paraphrase)
    • top speed of 225 kph (paraphrase)
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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