22. Merkur XR4Ti
During the ’80s, Ford took several approaches to revive its performance image. One of them was the introduction of the Merkur XR4Ti. This was basically a British Ford Sierra they packed with a special aero package, a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-banger, and various other improvements.
Ford envisioned it as a hot hatch with rear-wheel drive, racing credentials, and better driving dynamics than its front-wheel-drive competitors. Unfortunately, the Merkur XR4Ti proved to be unsuccessful because it was expensive. Also, the American market just didn’t understand Ford’s attempt to offer a rear-wheel-drive hot hatch.