Capri Confidential
Exploring a Zakspeed Turbo Unicorn
STORY | Chris Seely
Photography | Vijay Sankar Anil
Avid readers of this magazine know the story of the Ford Lotus Cortina, the Ford family car that changed our definition of what a racecar could be. You may also know the story of the Ford Escort, Ford’s dominant family rally car. Beyond these two cars however, the American concept of Ford is limited. We Americans immediately think of their Mustangs and F-Series pickup trucks, plus some historic racers that were successful in Europe, but everything in between is mainly ignored. We forget altogether that Ford of Europe was almost a completely different company that produced some completely different cars compared to the American Fords we have grown up with here in the states.
One Blue Oval that should not be forgotten however is the Ford Capri, while U.S. customers of the ‘70s and ‘80s were focused on a long lineage of big, heavy, torque filled Mustangs, our counterparts across the pond were offered a similar but distinct formula that was more politically correct for European streets. Like the Mustang, the Capri was a handsome two-door with a long hood. Unlike the Mustang, it was lighter, more neutrally balanced, and mostly offered with a V6 under the bonnet.
As the story goes with both the Ford Cortina and Escort, the Capri was a little bit of family car, and a little bit of sportscar which led to huge success in the European markets. Ford has always been good at making cars. Since the ‘50s, Ford has been even better at understanding their customers and targeting the enthusiast market. While Americans wanted big V8s for Eisenhower’s highway system, the European Ford enthusiast wanted a more nimble and well-rounded package. For the 18 years the Capri was offered, it was the athletic but modest kid in the European Ford lineup. Yeah it went racing, but it was also usable every day and priced affordably. Like the Mustang, every diehard Ford enthusiast wanted to own a Capri. The lucky ones did or still do.
Keen eyes will notice something special about the Capri photographed in this article. In typical Avants fashion, we aren’t featuring just a standard Capri, we chose the coolest of them all; a one of just 77 remaining, Ford Capri Werks Turbo V6 Zakspeed Wide Body. If a standard V6 Capri is as cool as Bruce Wayne, the Zakspeed Turbo is Batman. The Zakspeed Turbo was built by Ford to commemorate team Zakspeed’s 1982 DTM victory. Unlike other DTM heroes like the later E30 M3 or 190E Cosworth, this particular car wasn’t built to go racing, it was built to celebrate racing dominance. As a result, Ford pulled out all the stops, making the Zakspeed Turbo even more epic than the racers that carried the team on their back.
So what was Ford’s recipe for this bad boy Capri? Starting with the body, stance and presence was the first step. The Zakspeed Turbo sports subtle but wide flares that extend from the door seams all the way to the front and back of the car. Whereas a standard Capri is slim and straight down the sides, the Zakspeed bulges out of its paint like a body builder wearing a tight shirt. It’s a meat-eater too. Stanced beneath those wide flares are custom 13x8 RS alloy wheels with a very rare 235/60R-13 tire. This tire is so bulging and intimidating that only one company is brave enough to make this size. Moving up the body, the hatch features a custom rear wing made of black rubber with not just one, but two decks, while at the front, the hood extends over the headlights like an MLB pitcher staring at you from under the brim of his hat. It puts its money where its mouth is too; the motor of this flared out tough guy is not just the standard 2.8 liter Cologne V6, it’s the steak and potatoes version, carbureted but force fed through an aircooled turbocharger and good for around 200 horsepower. Factory Bilsteins, and a locking diff keep it on the road. Inside, the driver is wrapped in period-cool grey velour seats, with six gauges seeping green light like the cartoon radioactive uranium bar from the Simpsons.
The owner of this flared-out, dirty dog Capri is Ace Robey of AR Motorsports and Retro Sporting restorations. Ace is undoubtedly the correct owner for this car. When I called him to learn more about the Capri, he was in-between sessions racing a GT3 RS at the Nurburgring. Ace told me that he bought the car sight unseen off of Bring a Trailer, and immediately drove it from Czechoslovakia, through Poland, to its first track days at the Nurburgring and Spa. “The car handles a lot better than it looks” says Ace. “It’s boxy and meaty, but the engine actually sits pretty far back and low in the body. Technically, it’s front-mid engine. This is one of the last cars I would sell,” he went on to say, after talking about the 40+ unique cars in his collection. “I love cars (like the Capri) that were unavailable and underappreciated in the U.S.” “(The Zakspeed) is so rare and special, I am really lucky to have found it.”
Ace is right, his Ford Capri Zakspeed Turbo isn’t just rare — it’s a rolling tribute to motorsport glory, European ingenuity, and everything that made Ford of Europe distinct from its American sibling. In a world where the spotlight often shines on Mustangs and muscle cars, this wide-bodied wonder reminds us that performance and passion took many forms across the Atlantic. With only 77 known examples remaining and a pedigree rooted in celebration rather than competition, the Zakspeed Turbo stands as a bold, flared-out icon of what could have been — and, thanks to enthusiasts like Ace, still is. Thanks for sharing it with us, Ace.
