Here in the not-too-far north, I spotted this rare 1994 Mercury Capri XR2. The car was out and about on the somewhat salty roads in Pennsylvania, on a late December evening, while my daughter had her voice lesson in town. The Australian-imported roadster was in its final year of production/exportation for 1994, when it sold in small numbers. So regardless of the poor light conditions, here was a chance to revisit the rather forgotten 5-speed “Miata-Fighter” from FoMoCo; in turbo form, even, the rarest of the breed.
Our example here is finished in Cobalt Blue Clear Coat with 15″ 7 Spoke Wheels, and a black convertible top – Interior options? Yes! –Â Black! –Â All black with leather on the XR2.
One can only wonder if this car had been more successful if it were badged as a Ford instead of a Mercury here in the United States?
The Ford of Australia imported Mercury Capri had no Blue Oval twin here in the United States during its 1991-1994 sales period. By the 1990’s, every Mercury marque had a badge-engineered Ford twin, but not this one. Could you imagine a badge-engineered Ford variant of this “Miata Fighter” situated in showrooms between the muscular fox-platformed (for 1994 the SN95) Mustang, and the futuristic Ford Probe that was originally supposed to replace the Fox-based Mustang? Apparently, the Ford brass could not. So off to Mercury you go, you wispy “Miata Figthter”!
The “Miata fighter” idea is a funny one, since the Capri and Miata were actually relatives of sorts. In case you don’t remember about these Capris, the short brief is that the car had been in development hell for several years within Ford, a story covered in detail at CC previously. Originally inspired by the rather sharp looking 1983 Ghia Barchetta concept car, the idea of turning it into a saleable model got kicked around Ford’s worldwide production maze for years. The car eventually reached Australian showrooms in 1989, with input from Mazda on engineering and hardware, plus updated styling. Of course, Mazda was also working on the Miata throughout that time, which also launched in 1989, and with which the Capri shared some components.
The unexpected success of the Miata in the States got the Australian built roadster sent to the US wearing Mercury badges in 1991. Those 1991-1993 Capris had almost no updates and are difficult to tell apart from each other, except for possibly spotting the VIN tag. However, the 1994 models have some telltale signs that can help us out to place a positive ID as to what year the vehicle is.
First and most obvious is the better-looking and streamlined tail light housings. The ’91-93’s had a flatter, boxier taillight with a small reverse light placed in the center and amber turn signal indicators. This ’94 has a clear strip on the bottom, housing both the reverse light and an amber-bulbed turn signal indicator.
The trunk spoiler is also more connected into the design language as compared to the 1991-1993 models.
Another obvious sign is a larger, more bulbous rear bumper that appears to protrude rearward more than the first iteration of the car’s life. Another Easter egg is the embossed “Capri” in the rear bumper; it was in line with the design language of other Ford performance vehicles of the era, such as the SN-95Â 1994 Mustang GT, which also had its name embossed in a similar manner.
All Capris are of a roadster 2+2 design with a convertible top that folds neatly under the boot ahead of the trunk area, and could be optionally supplied with a hard top that, with the assistance of a second set of hands or a small bit of rope and tackle in your garage, you can have off the car in less than 5 min.
The Capri has some differences that set it apart from the Mazda Miata. The NA Miatas are a physically smaller packaged and lighter car, with no rear seat. This played to the Mazda’s strength. The Capri comes in at ~2424# for the base model, to ~ 2575# for the TurboXR2 version, adding 150# for the intercooler and other turbo bits on the XR2. Both Capris are generally heavier than the average ~ 2180# NA Mazda. The Capri and Miata also have a similar engine derived from the Mazda B Block, with different components and states of tune.
The Capri’s 2+2 (more like a 2+1/2+1/2) interior had a smallish rear seat that is perfectly sized for small children, pets, or a place to put your feet if you are a passenger in the vehicle for a parade! The rear seat folds down, so you can fit your skis or possibly some lumber in there from the home center.
Up front, it vaguely reminds me of a’93 Mustang from the driver’s seat perspective. I would be willing to bet that an SRS-equipped steering wheel would swap with one from the last few years of production of the Fox Body Mustang. The black leather interior trimmings as well as those 15″ seven spoke wheels, are standard equipment on the ’94 XR2.
Those niceties aside, the Capri never caught on. As is well-known, the NA 1989-1997 Miata MX-5 has generated a loyal and dedicated following in the corner-carving, grassroots motorsports, and racing community over the years. Additionally, enjoying strong aftermarket support for engine swaps, upgraded brakes, roll cages, and more. The Miata has become the Swiss Army Knife of Auto Crossers and Road Racers alike. Our Mercury never fared so well.
Miata production numbers for the timeframe during which the Capri was produced were:
- 1994 21,400
- 1993 21,588
- 1992 24,964
- 1991 31,240
The Capri’s production during that same time totaled approximately 66,000 units, with only about 4000 produced in the final year of 1994.
The 1994 XR2 is the rarest of all of the Australian based Capris, with about 4000 produced for the 1994 Model year. Of that 4000, less than 10% of those were XR2’s. Production figures suggest that only 366 1994 XR2’s were produced.
What makes the XR2 special? It carries the turbo version of the Mazda-based B engine, which gave a 32% horsepower “boost.” The standard tune Capri B engine had 100 hp, while the intercooled and turbo-tuned XR2 has 132 hp, with 136lb-ft of torque at 3000RPM. There are other things as well, such as all XR2’s had a 5-speed (no automatic transmission available), a firmer suspension, and the ride height was slightly lower.
The XR2 logo design reminds me of many 90’s cars of the era, whose design language now called for a splash of color in the form of a raised plastic stick-on emblem. I happen to dig the Cyan and Violet color combination here – very 90’s – seemingly right from the rad video games and MTV of the time.
A few last looks at this XR2. Man… that dumpy rear bumper cover… I guess it was the best way to stay on budget for the one-year refresh.
It seems to me that the last year bumper refresh did not leave room in the budget for streamlined or wrap-around rear side-marker lights. The side marker lights stick out and look like something from the utility trailer parts aisle. Even F-150’s had a smoother rear side marker light design.
Well, this Capri is doing well and living on to fight those thousands upon thousands of Miatas that have been produced since 1994. I look forward to seeing it again on the streets and I hope that the headlights can be repaired to flip down when turned off.
Related CC Reading
Curbside Classic: 1992 Ford Capri Barchette – Full Circle
Curbside Classic: 1991 Mercury Capri – Birds Of A Feather
I had a 91 version in the same color with a 5 speed, sadly no turbo. It was a fun little car to toss around the back roads in the fingerlakes region of NY. I called it my Spitfire without the electrical issues. The only weak spot that I experienced was the poorly designed window regulators. The cable end would pull out of the plastic anchor point. I replaced the driver’s side at least twice during my 6 year ownership.
Thanks for the insight on the regulator issues. That sure seems like a lot of hassle for only 6 years of owning the car. Maybe that is why there is a complete website devoted to sourcing parts for these little Mazadacrury’s by way of Australia.
I think what really hurt the car vs. the Miata was the Capri’s front wheel drive architecture. The Miata was a classic front engine-rear wheel drive sportscar, and the Capri was a front wheel drive commuter.
A good looking car, I remember seeing a few back in the day, and the XR2 was pretty rare.
Great find! And I knew these Capris were rare, but 4,000 in total, and only a handful of turbos? Wow.
I also had completely forgotten that the ’94s had all of those minor changes, which makes one wonder at what point Ford actually decided to pull the plug on this car. Designing a new bumper, etc. for the last 4,000 cars with a disappointing sales record doesn’t seem too justifiable. Also, I love the cyan and violet XR2 logo – almost like the use of cyan was compulsory at the time, so they just stuck on a new badge. I guess it beats a cyan swoopy stripe down the side.
I used to have a Mazda 323GTX, which had the same 1.6-liter turbo engine. Very fun, though even for the time, the lack of low-end power was notable. Overall, I think these Capris were fun cars, and with FWD and being a bit bigger, should probably have been more successful than they were – given the hot sporty car market of the day. After all, not all customers were sports-car purists. But they just fell through the cracks for a variety of reasons – marketing chief among them.
These graphics remind me somewhat of the very Rad graphics from 90’s Beretta (gtz) and Lumina Z34’s of the time.
Your local Mercury dealer sometimes acted like a dumping ground for cars that Ford Motor Company didn’t want to sell at Ford dealers, for various reasons.
For the 70s Capri, they didn’t want it to compete with the Mustang
I have no idea why FoMoCo thought it would be a good idea to sell Panteras next to Town Cars.
Then there was this neo-Capri
Later there was something called a “Cougar” that wound up sharing the sales floor with Grand Marquis.
I really need to scan a few more. Mine was a 1992 XR2 in “Dark Charcoal Metallic” that identified as black unless next to something that was actually black.
1991’s were available only with 14″ wheels. 1992 and 1993 XR2s upped to a 15″ wheel and 195-50R-15 tires were not readily available in 1993-1998. You had to order ahead or go on an Indiana Jones expedition. Grip was achieved but with a side-effect of ride harshness. Tuning a little car for 50-series tires was in its infancy then, especially for such a sales afterthought.
I had a little parking lot mishap but took that opportunity to have the front bumper replaced with a 1994 model, then paid for the rear and rub strips out of my pocket. The strips definitely faded lighter grey with time and body color looked a lot slicker.
In my own opinion, the glacially long gestation of this car killed it. During that time Mazda thought up and executed the Miata before this found its way to dealerships. The Capri would never fit that classic-roadster niche the way the Miata did; but it’d have got a lot more press as a leader than a seeming-copycat.
In April 1993, used Miatas were still thin on the ground. Plus, it was my only car so maybe I needed more carrying space. 30 years later I can Miata because Mrs’ Beetle’s ES350 has room for whatever and whoever doesn’t fit.
Rear View – I liked that rear bumper with CAPRI in it.
…and from the front
Here in Australia any Capri is a rare spot these days.
It seemed weird at the time that Ford would go to the bother of building a car primarily for export, Aussies not being great convertible buyers. And it’s rather alarming to see how little rear ‘seat’ room there is – it’s more like a parcel shelf with hold-down straps for luggage!
I think it suffered in the public eye for coming out at much the same time as the Miata; it was natural for Fred Average to compare the two, to the Capri’s detriment. That’s not to say that you can’t have a FWD sports car (Lotus Elan), but that this wasn’t primarily conceived as one.
What seems weirder yet is that they didn’t send you the best one, the Clubsprint.
https://autocatalogarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Ford-Capri-Clubsprint-1992-AU.pdf
Wow. I remember the ride was harsh with 50-series tires. 45-series on 16″ wheels must’ve been brutal. Plus, with any convertible something has to flex and if the tires don’t and the suspension doesn’t much, that’s passed on to, say, the structure.
The Clubsprint must be one of the most effective bodykits ever: it transmogrifies the hideous old door-stop into a not-bad looking car, though I’m sure DungBeetle’s point is true as regards drivability.
I sat in the back seat of one, btw, and I’m a six footer. Mind you, that was long ago, when there was less of me and my joints were still limber.
If I got in one today, I’d have to be buried in it.
What an extraordinary find. I must confess, though, that it is arguably akin to alighting upon an astoundingly preserved unflushable turd, but that is subjective.
I was so disappointed when the local Ford factory here released their not-so-secret small convertible, only for it to look exactly like the partly-disguised prototypes that had been caught – improbably malproportioned. And then they all leaked, and the PR from that was dire. Sales just evaporated thereafter (unlike the puddles inside ’em). It didn’t help that we don’t buy convertibles, as the sun in the south where most of us all live is simply too harsh to sit in (the tilt of the earth in summer makes UV 15% stronger). I also drove one in about ’92, which felt as rigid as a mattress. Lovely Mazda twin-cam, but nothing else. Even then, Australia made much, much better cars than this, and it felt smarting to have this as the great export hope.
However, good luck to the brave owners of this XR2. I salute them for their perserverance.
This is my car, cool to see an article of it! Second Capri that I have owned, first a 93 then this 94.
Soon to be for sale on Facebook marketplace in the 15690 zip code, if you want to check it out or drive it for documentation purposes feel free to send me an email!
Headlights work, owners manual recommends keeping them up in the winter to reduce motor wear from ice! 🙂