Faults:

Melt down of fuse box

Battery tray corroded

CV joint needed replacement.

Torque converter in auto box needed replacement

Self leveling shocks needed replacement (very expensive)

General Comments:

Overall very comfortable and smooth.

Flawless engine if regularly serviced.

Achilles tendon is the location of the fuse box under the bonnet beside the battery tray.

Examine this area very carefully as EC unit directly underneath inside the car and look for corrosion which will cause leaks and interfere with the electrics.

Make sure that the area around the bell housing for the auto box is dry.

Check rear shocks very carefully.

Faults:

Exhaust is starting to go and some of the fairing is starting to hang a little on the front offside.

General Comments:

Total quality machine, I was thinking about getting a Jaguar 4.2 but as I do most of my driving in and around London, figured it wasn't worth the petrol.

As far as comfort goes, I can't fault it. Leather seats, excellent air-con, a switch/gadget for everything and all of it works. Although this has been well looked after (FSH, and I mean full).

Took me a while to get used to having wheels that were aligned and power steering that worked when compared to the knackered Sierra.

Fuel consumption isn't that bad, on the motorway at least, it cost me about £20-£25 to get to the far end of Cornwall from South London. Around town it is a bit of a dog though.

Faults:

The Scorpio has never let me down on the road side.

The worst problem was the catalytic converters blocking. This happened very rapidly. The car losing power and vibrating rapidly. The backpressure created caused havoc with the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system on the car. This shorted out a sensor, and then a large section of the wiring loom burnt out. The repair was costly from my Ford Dealer. I had thought though when driving at the time that it was the Autobox failing. The car had lost near all drive, and wouldn't kick down. When it did change gear, it was very violent.

The total repairs cost about £300. Not including new cats. Cheaper new than a new gearbox.

There have been a few minor faults, like an electric window switch failing, and occasionally the central locking develops a mind of its own.

More recently the car developed a taste for water. Despite me doing extensive checks, I could not find the source. A cheap anti coolant leak product seems to have cured the problem so far.

The build quality of the Cosworths is perhaps a bit poorer than the Standard Scorpios. The alloy wheels are badly corroded. Apparently this happens to all Cosworths.

General Comments:

This car is a joy to drive.

My last car was a lot newer, an Audi A6. This was a sound motor, but failed to give any stimulation when driving.

Even with the Autobox, the Cosworth is a mighty quick motor car. On flooring the accelerator, the car really does run away with you. This is a car that can get you into trouble. VERY QUICKLY.

In the wet, it can be downright dangerous, the throttle has to be treated lightly. From about 30mph, on activating kick down, it has a nasty habit of kicking out the rear end. This takes a bit of getting used to.

Inside, its a story of unashamed luxury. Electrically controlled, heated Raven leather seats, Air Con, CD Player, On Board computer, Cruise Control to name but a few.

The Scorpio likes the fuel though. On long runs this equates to about 26mpg. Around the town though, this drops to a worrying 18mpg.

It has a wicked engine note, basically shouting "lets go". Though at idle the engine is whisper silent. To be honest though I did prefer the engine note of one of my first Granadas, a 2.9 12v. This seemed more refined and less vocal.

The Cosworth is a car I dreamed of owning since about 1993. Ford UK's mainstay production at the minute is unfortunately the likes of the 1.0 Fiesta. They showed they could build a proper motor car, yet axed the Scorpio in the end.

Badge prestige I think. What executive wants to buy a car with the same badge as a lowly Fiesta these days?

Says it all. Ford even gave buyers of the Scorpio a free Fiesta toward the end of the production!