'Heroes!'

The Explorer pushes all the boy racer buttons the wrong way, it's huge, heavy and obviously a "slow" 4x4.

Most amusing at times, I wonder if the frantically cog swapping boy racers that try to out accelerate the Ford realise that I don't even need to try hard. Nowadays I tend to put the autobox into "2" which is Ford's winter setting (locks the box into third, even when setting off from rest). Even doing this and not exceeding 3k rpm I can still leave them behind comfortably.

Is this a 4.0 Explorer? With a whopping 200bhp/300nm and a 4 speed auto? And a 0-60 of over ten seconds? And a top speed of between 106-120 mph? And a weight of over 2000kg? Dude, aside from basic 1.2s, I suspect there is very little you can out accelerate...

"Good afternoon, and welcome to another edition of 'Pedants Corner'..."

Ah, but you said... :-P

LOL

Definitely.

In which case we'll get my Golf chipped, and bring that instead. ;-)

-- JackH

I can handle one fine thanks - I'm just qualifying that they were never a prolific handler, and a well driven Saxo VTS / 106 GTi... or a Rallye (especially one with a tweaked 16v lump), would comprehensively beat one along a twisty route or round a track.

Ever seen the Clarkson video where he works his way through a series of exotica to determine which car is (in his opinion, which you'll probably deem counts for s*it) the best handling car?

Strangely enough, no Capris featured in that video...

-- JackH

We really should have a trackday meet, you know. ;-)

-- JackH

Hmmm.... Golf.... Bet I'd win the parking in the shortest space competition...

Not sure if they sold it over here, but there was a 4.6 V8 Explorer as well, had just under 300 BHP and did 60 in 8 and a bit seconds - which should be good enough to see off a Capri 2.8 anyway :)

Nope, but I've seen one with a bunch of racing drivers + clarkson. They came up with the 106, either GTi or Rallye.

I just went by Parkers.

Plenty of cars handle better than a Capri; I'm not denying that. But compared to the average Saxo (in the dry), a Capri will be more than capable of using the extra power.

I've put 2.0 Capris against Corsas and Saxos in real-world situations, and I am no 'driving god' - but the Capri was quicker. I could corner tighter and faster than I can in a small FWD car, and I'm not incapable of handling them - I learned in a Chevette, and the next main car after than was an MG Metro that I used to have fun racing one of the local rally drivers with (identically matched cars - except his was the earlier shape).

It's all about driving style and what you're comfortable with. Capris do handle, they just don't feel right to a lot of drivers.

Richard

'N here's me thinking being 1 mile north o' the Trent made me a Northern.

Liberation for Mercia NOW! Or at least devolution.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

"I'm sorry Sir, we appear to be fresh out of goalposts..."

-- JackH

Contender for the Russ Swift record?

How do you know? Plenty of YB and XE powered Capris about.

Still slower than a Special then....

Mad considering the XE will do 200+ BHP with no internal mods.

You need big nads to get the best out of them.

LOL.

He didn't include the Yukspeed or the Turbo Technics.

What about a meet up at a RWYB weekend at York Dragway? That way we get timing slips too.