Fast Fiesta Family tree
tracing the history of Ford’s hot superminis from 1976-2017
Supersport 1980-81
fiestamk1.co.uk
Buy your 1100 or 1300 Fiesta in S trim in the late 1970s and you got stiffer suspension and fractionally wider wheels, but not much else.
But Ford’s Series-X brochure was full of goodies like extra carbs, alloys and spoilers, and by fitting some of these to a production car, the short-lived Supersport was born.
Engine-wise, it was the same pushrod 1298cc engine as lesser Fiestas, but there was plenty more to come.
Power: 66bhp, 0-60mph: 13sec, max: 97mph
XR2 1981-1983
And it came in the form of the XR2. You could already get a 1600cc Kent engine for your Fiesta through the X-programme, but now you didn’t need to skin your knuckles fitting it.
It was a sophisticated as a stone – pushrod carb-fed 8-valve 1.6 meets four-speed box – but most rivals couldn’t get close on grip or straight-line go.
Power: 84bhp, 0-60mph: 9.7sec, max: 104mph
XR2 1984-1989
Ford switched to the ohc CVH 1.6 for the Mk2 XR2 and finally added a fifth gear, but stuck with carbs.
The result was noisy and raw, with great handling but a brittle ride. Steels and hubcaps were standard; the pepperpots cost extra.
Power: 96bhp, 0-60mph: 8.9sec, max: 111mph
1.4S 1986-1989
Pic: KGF Classic Cars (kgfclassiccars.co.uk)
Hot hatch fans not quite able to stretch to the XR2 were offered a 1.4S from 1986.
The dash and steering wheel came from the XR2, but the 1.4 was straight out of the Fiesta L, and the flat seats, skinny wheels and stingy standard equipment list meant it didn’t look much sportier than a poverty-spec Popular.
Power: 74bhp, 0-60mph: 11sec, max: 102mph
1.6S 1989-1992
Pic: KGF Classic Cars (kgfclassiccars.co.uk)
Things got better for the S when it switched to the Mk3 shell. There were properly bolstered seats, fatter 185-section 13in tyres and an extra 200cc of capacity, making it almost as quick as the previous XR2.
Power: 90bhp, 0-60mph: 9.3sec, max: 108mph
XR2i 1989-1992
Adding fuel injection to the CVH didn’t solve the thrashy hi-rev refinement, but did push power up to 110hp to help offset the Mk3 shell’s extra weight.
The styling was clearly inspired by the 205 GTI. The stodgy handling was not. ‘Another duff Fast Ford,’ screamed Car Magazine’s cover.
Power: 110bhp, 0-60mph: 9.0sec, max: 119mph
RS Turbo 1990-1992
Three-spoke rims, bonnet vents and a tasty set of proper Recaros were the RST’s visual telltales, but the big news was under the bonnet.
Bolting a Garrett T2 blower to the XR2i’s 1.6 transformed performance – but did nothing to help the handling. Autocar summed it up: ‘Not a patch on a 205 GTi.’ Car thieves everywhere disagreed.
Power: 135bhp, 0-60mph: 7.9sec, max: 129mph
XR2i 1992-1994
Ford finally junked the nasty CVH in ’92, slipping the new 16-valve 1.8 Zetec under the XR2’s bonnet.
A mandatory catalyst meant it was actually less powerful than the old one, but its real problem was crippling early ‘90s insurance costs.
Power: 105bhp, 0-60mph: 9.4sec, max: 116mph
RS1800 1992-1995
Recycling a name from the iconic ‘70s Escort rally car was a brave move. Fortunately the RS1800 was a big improvement over the car it replaced.
Power from the tweaked XR2i 1.8 wasn't far off the old Turbo’s, but now there was no lag and you could rev it out without needing ear defenders.
Power: 130bhp, 0-60mph: 8.3sec, max: 123mph
Si 1994-1995
Fuelled by a joy-riding epidemic, insurance costs for fast Fiestas were massive by the mid-90s. Ford’s answer was to kill the XR2i and replace it with a two-tier Si-range.
We’ll not even waste breath on the 75bhp 1.4 because even the 1.6 – despite its aggressive new bumpers and winged seats - was a bit of a slug.
Power (1.6): 90bhp, 0-60mph: 11.7sec, max: 109mph
Si 1996-1999
The mid-late 1990s was a fallow period for fast Fiestas, but the good news was the basic cars were miles better thanks to a revised chassis and new Yamaha-developed Zetec-SE 1.25 and 1.4 engines.
Power (1.4) : 90bhp, 0-60mph: 10.8sec, max: 112mph
Zetec S 1999-2001
The lack of a proper Fiesta hot hatch in the late '90s was particularly annoying because Ford had developed the brilliant Puma coupe from the Fiesta’s platform, and developed a 125bhp 1.7 version of the Zetec engine.
That never did make it into the Fiesta, but we did get the fine-handling Zetec S in 1999.
Power: 104bhp, 0-60mph: 10.2sec, max: 113mph
TDCi Zetec S 2005-2008
The warm Zetec S returned for the Mk6 Fiesta, but this time you could choose between diesel and petrol.
And while 88bhp was never going to be enough to outsprint the police after they clocked you doing burnouts in McDonalds’s car park, its 64mpg economy meant they’d probably have to give up to refuel before they caught you.
Power: 90bhp, 0-60mph: 9.3sec, max: 108mph
ST 2005-2008
Ford finally resurrected the idea of a proper Fiesta hot hatch in 2005. Okay, so it was over 30bhp down on the Clio 182, but it was torquey, simple and fun.
Ford also seriously considered a Fiesta RS, even showing a 190bhp concept car, but it couldn’t make the sums add up.
To make up for that disappointment an optional Mountune package offering up to 185bhp was available from ’08.
Power: 150bhp, 0-60mph: 7.9sec, max: 129mph
ST 2011-2016
Although only rated at 180bhp in Europe, the ST actually made 200bhp on overboost, meaning it was every bit as quick as its quick Clio rival, and even better in the corners.
Limited run ST200 got shorter gearing, and optional Mountune kits offered as much as 230bhp.
The best fast Fiesta ever, critics say, but who’d bet against 2018’s new ST and its 200bhp triple being even better?
Power: 180hp, 0-60mph: 6.9sec, max: 139mph
Have we missed one out or made a mistake that's sending Ford fans purple with rage? If so, please let us know.
Tags: #fiesta #hot-hatch #fiesta-supersport #fiesta1300S #supersport #fiesta-s #fiesta-xr2 #fiesta-xr2i #fiesta-rs-turbo #fiesta-rs1800 #xr2 #xr2i #rs1800 #rs-turbo #rst #fiesta-st #ford #x-pack #series-x
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Comments (5)
Hola soy Peru, este auto es sorprendente hay pocos y soy uno de afortunados en tenerlo en buen estado
Ah, the old Kent engined XR2. I recall fondly the look on several oiks' faces in my mirror. Ever seen someone in a "fast" Ford outclassed by a rusty, tappetty (they all were) Talbot? It's probably cruel and inhumane but very satisfying.
This was, of course, the era of Capris with 2.8i badges, two exhausts and blue smoke coming out of just one...
My friend bought this Mk7 Black Edition. It has the 1.0 ecoboost engine and 140hp. It's great fun to drive and makes great noise also.
Had my ST for 5 years and absolutely love it . Ford dealers keep telling me not to get rid of it 😆
What about the mk7 S1600? Same power and weight as a escort rs turbo. A more powerful, better equipped Zetec S with close ratio gears