The Ford Capri Laser Page

New week, new topic.

If the Capri had extended its life through to MK4 possibly using the Ford Sierra platform including the RWD layout 2.0is and 2.9i V6 would we have accepted the definite change to FWD system as per the Cougar, a MK5 could certainly have Progressed then through to share the AWD system as per Jaguar X-type using the Focus 2.0ST170 VVC and 3.0ST Mondeo engine then maybe as a Mk6 using Revo-Knuckle from the RS Focus with independent rear suspension and Volvo 2.5T engine? Possibly even a Diesel ST?

Would we have ridden the Storm and accepted the changes as being gradual and current?

We could now be faced with a Mk7 with econetic and hybrid technology aswell as a Turbo Charged 1.0L?

I know Topics of Capri progression have been spoken about before but FWD when you think of it like that Ford would have had to make the car and sell it in sufficient numbers to make the investment worthwhile. Imagine the Focus ST as a Capri would we have not bought into it?

Well they did in Australia, Mazda in a frock

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Capri_(Australia)

It wouldn't be for me. After the Capri came to an end I've had a few coupe's, all RWD. I've test driven FWD ones like the Celica & Cougar but they never did it for me. To me, a sports coupe should be RWD like the Toyota GT 86, that's what it's all about. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with front drivers, there are some great sports hatches out there, most of which I'd like to own. As for a FWD Capri, not for me thanks, the Mustang is still rear driven & I think Capri would only have a modern following if it was too.
Well, that's what I think anyway

ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote: would we have not bought into it?

The way I look at it is this.

"we" as in Capri owners are the sort of people who like traditional rear-drive coupes, or maybe liked the Capri because it was a bit of a lothario's type of car.

If we had bought into a theoretical line of Capri's developed throughout the 1990s and 2000s onto the current Ford mid-sized platform with the variable timed and turboed engines, then we would have started this "buy-in" back in the 1990s by buying the Probe or the Cougar or the Puma in large numbers.

Thing is, we didn't.
Both Probe and Cougar were good in their own way, but lacked the mass appeal of the Capri. Maybe that's because they were front wheel drive, and bit polite, or maybe the Capri was by the end of it's run part of a market segment that had been eroded by hot hatches. Who knows.
We often forget about the Puma. A very popular car in its time, and very similar to the Capri in it's market placement. If Ford had replaced it I am sure it would still be popular today, but for some reason they bottled it and didn't spend the money.

Caprifan Rob wrote: a sports coupe should be RWD

I totally agree.

Andrew.

When the Capri ceased to be made, someone wanting an affordable RWD coupe could have still bought the Manta and also the Nissan 200SX which was a good handling, fast, RWD coupe. Neither sold brilliantly though as the XR3i, Golf GTi and Astra GTE etc were the flavour of the time.

I don't think a FWD capri would have been a flop.... Like Escorts, starting off RWD and then became FWD, and they kept making them FWD for 24years!

Paul's point about GTI's and XR3I's outselling other RWD cars at the time shows that its not all about drivetrain that motivates people to buy... Like the new Golf R or Focus RS, they are both 4WD rather than FWD anymore and no one seems to be put off by these developments?

I definitely think it would have been interesting to see how the capri would have fared if it had been made a FWD car. Especially when you consider the success of the Escort, made them FWD for 24yrs then dropped the name in 2004 to replace it with the focus instead which has been massively successful.

I'd also be interested to see what Ford would have done with the shape of the car... If they tried to stick with the sports Coupe look I would hazard a guess it would look a lot like the current Mondeo does anyway!

D366Y wrote: I definitely think it would have been interesting to see how the capri would have fared if it had been made a FWD car.

The Ford Cougar pretty comprehensively answers that question good sir.

Caprifan Rob wrote:It wouldn't be for me. After the Capri came to an end I've had a few coupe's, all RWD. I've test driven FWD ones like the Celica & Cougar but they never did it for me. To me, a sports coupe should be RWD like the Toyota GT 86, that's what it's all about. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with front drivers, there are some great sports hatches out there, most of which I'd like to own. As for a FWD Capri, not for me thanks, the Mustang is still rear driven & I think Capri would only have a modern following if it was too.
Well, that's what I think anyway

Couldn't put it better.

Major_Tom wrote:

D366Y wrote: I definitely think it would have been interesting to see how the capri would have fared if it had been made a FWD car.

The Ford Cougar pretty comprehensively answers that question good sir.

In one respect... maybe...., but that was hideous so not really a fair comparison

The Probe didn't set the world on fire either, and that was so polite as a car it couldn't possibly offend anyone.

I think the mass-market for a medium sized coupe was very much reduced by the late 80s.
Hence however good the Probe / Cougar / Calibra had been, they were destined to be niche sellers.

I hear that cougars are growing in popularity amongst the younger male population. Or have I misunderstood? ........

Andrew.

Andrew 2.8i wrote:I hear that cougars are growing in popularity amongst the younger male population. Or have I misunderstood? ........

Damn it, too old to test drive one of those, but I bet they would be a better ride than the version ..

Noel wrote:The Probe didn't set the world on fire either, and that was so polite as a car it couldn't possibly offend anyone.

I think the mass-market for a medium sized coupe was very much reduced by the late 80s.
Hence however good the Probe / Cougar / Calibra had been, they were destined to be niche sellers.

What’s interesting is that ze Germans are selling loads of medium sized coupes at present; two door 4 Series, C Class and A5’s are everywhere!

It is. I like the 4-series coupe a lot.

Anyone who wonders why Ford haven't piled in with a RWD coupe of their own should not forget that the latest Mustang is available from your Ford dealer today.

So maybe that's what a Capri would be like today? In fact given it was always a Mustang-for-Europe, the fact we have the actual Mustang available now means we kind of do have the Capri available again. Its like the coming of the Messiah, after its path to earth was prepared by the Capri!

Taken at my local Asda four weeks ago. I turned into the same lane just behind him so parked up next to him for a chat:



The Mustangs are nice motors but mine fits me like an old pair of gloves so I'll stick with it.

In that picture the Capri just looks so much classier and authentic than the modern shaped Mustang. Id certainly have the Mustang over my eurobox A6 daily driver though anyday.