Tag Archives: SEMA 2023

SEMA 2023: 1987 Merkur XR4Ti by Jordan Henke

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Captive Imports

A “captive import” is an automobile that is produced in a foreign country and imported and sold in another country under a different name or brand.

In the 1980s, Ford Motor Company Vice President Bob Lutz felt that the Ford brand should have a small, luxury-sports car to compete with European rivals like BMW. Rather than develop a new car in-house, they leaned on Ford’s European division instead.

A Sierra By Another Name

The Ford Sierra was sourced from Europe and brought to America, with an increase in power thanks to a turbocharger. Engine output was 145 hp with the automatic transmission and 175 with the manual transmission (this was the 1980s after all).

The cars were sold in North America as the Merkur XR4Ti from 1985-1989, during which time 42,464 units were built. The car failed to meet Ford’s sales goals and was retired after only four years on the market. More than 30 years later, I am always surprised at how many people within the car community have not heard of the Merkur XR4Ti.

1987 Merkur XR4Ti Custom

I’ve been a fan of the bodystyle for years, as well as pretty much anything with a turbo from the 80s. When I saw this XR4Ti in the Battle of the Builders area at SEMA 2023, I was immediately drawn to it.
The first thing I noticed was the color – Ford’s “Area51” Blue with highlighter orange accents. They coordinate well together and provide a unique look to the car. It rides on a set of American Racing VF529 wheels finished in black, though personally I feel that silver would have stood out better. A set of Toyo Proxes tires provides the necessary grip when cornering.

The next thing I noticed was the wide flares over the wheel arches. The XR4Ti was never available in a widebody version – this one was completely custom made by Jordan Henke and his team at JH Restorations in Windsor, Ontario. They 3D scanned the car and made their own widebody kit and carbon fiber hood – technology that is commonplace today but would have been unimaginable in the late ’80s.

Every inch of this car has been upgraded with modern components and technology. The original engine was replaced with a Ford 2.3L Ecoboost turbo engine coupled to a Tremec TKX five-speed transmission and an 8.8 rear differential from a 2018 Mustang. I like that the 2.3L Turbo engine remains true to the original spirit of the car.

The suspension was also completely re-engineered and is based on Corvette C6 hubs with QA1 coilovers. Integrated into that are 14-inch disc brakes from Wilwood, front and rear.

The interior is a comfortable place to be. The retro-style Recaro racing seats are wrapped in leather with Recaro fabric seat inserts. A set of custom Dakota Digital gauges provides the driver with all of the necessary information.

Jordan Henke made it to the Top 10 Finalists at the 2023 Battle of the Builders at SEMA – an impressive achievement!

For more information, check out JH Restorations: https://www.facebook.com/jhrestorations

SEMA 2023: Lincoln Continental Twin Turbo

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The fourth generation Lincoln Continental was in production from 1961 through 1969. Just over 334,000 units were produced during the eight year production run. The Continental is an elegant car with beautiful body lines that look fresh and modern even today.

Wicked Welds Custom Shop in Fort Collins, Colorado has taken the American luxury sedan to the extreme with their build that was on display at the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The family sedan has been completely transformed into a powerful drag racer, owned by @Masters824.
Under the hood is a twin-turbo Chevrolet LS engine producing upwards of 1,000 horsepower and fed by a pair of Turbosmart turbos with a Holley EFI system. The intake and piping are all polished to a mirror finish. The turbos are mounted in the front fenders just behind the headlights, which gives the car a really menacing look.

It’s backed by a 4L80E automatic transmission with an FTI Performance billet torque converter. The driveline includes a narrowed Ford 9″ rear end with Moser axles.
For a drag car, the interior is quite a comfortable place to be. The interior was done by 5280 Upholstery in Denver with diamond tufted seat inserts and matching door panels in bright red – which is certainly an eye-catching look! A Restomod Air A/C system ensures passenger comfort in any weather.

The car is slammed to the ground thanks to the air ride kit from Devious Customs in Riverside, CA. The custom exhaust exits through the front fenders through a unique teardrop shaped outlet. Wilwood disc brakes, a roll cage, and a drag chute on the rear bumper round out this fully customized Continental.

Admiring the car in person, I noted how every single body panel had been modified in some way. This is a full custom build that must have cost at least six figures in parts and labor. I have always appreciated the Lincoln Continental’s styling, and it was cool to see one of these land yachts reimagined as a drag racer. Excellent work by Wicked Welds and all of the different shops and specialists who contributed to this amazing build!