Back to the late seventies. The motorsport was getting into an evolution. There was a veritable arms race of motorsport evolution. Engineers grappled with perfecting fuel injection and aerodynamics, while some pioneered the use of computer-aided design processes.
The FIA had made rules for a ‘Group 5’ category. Over the years it applied to three categories, including ‘special touring cars’ and ‘sports cars’, and ‘special production cars’. Remember these flame belching cars !
The Deutsch Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM) ran from 1972 until 1985 and represented the pinnacle of Bavarian tin-top racing. The DRM operated on a relatively simple ‘Division 1’ and ‘Division 2’ category basis. Effectively, the Division 1 machines were the ‘big boys’ of the championship, running engine capacities of 2.0- to 4.0-litres, with Division 2 cars sporting engines under 2000cc. It was originally run under FIA Group 2 Touring Car and Group 4 GT regulations which saw it attract cars such as Escorts, Alfa GTVs and Capris (Group 2) alongside Porsche 911s, an occasional DeTomaso Pantera and similar GT-bred cars. These two groups would contest the series for its first four years, before the introduction of Group 5 rules, which really kicked things off. These ‘Special Production Cars’ became evolutionary developments of the cars already competing.
The regulations allowed an astonishing amount of design and engineering freedom so there were liberal rule interpretations. The cars had to retain a silhouette resembling the original production car, an engine type homologated to that car, a handful of panels such as doors and a bonnet retaining production dimensions. And that was about it. This allowed designers and engineers to really cut loose.
Erich Zakowski took his first steps in the world of motorsport in 1968 with a Ford Escort 1300 GT, which he had repaired after a severe crash. His name appeared in the results of the German Touring Car races. He wanted to create a team like the English Broadspeed team. Together with his mechanics from his factory Autohaus Zakowski, they founded Team Zakspeed in 1970. They started to have some success. That is why Ford’s motorsport department in Cologne quicky realised the value of this new team from the Eifel could bring. That was the start of a long relationship.
The Zakspeed Ford Escort were regularly in the front in the DRM series with drivers like Harald Menzel, Dieter Glemser, Hans Heyer and Klaus Ludwig. After winning the 6 hours of the Nurburgring, a race for the European Touring Car Championship, it became clear that Zakspeed could built racing cars.
In 1977 Zakspeed had troubles in the DRM. The BMW 320 was the dominant car. Zakowski realized that the atmo 1800cc Escort had reached his limit and you needed a turbocharged engine. Time for a change, also for Ford. They would launch their new Capri in march 1978. But Zakspeed had already a plan to create an ultimate Group 5 ‘Silhouette’ racer based on the Mark III Capri.
Apart from the headlights and headlamps, the car retains very little from the road-going Capri, except for the roof and pillars, which, according to the regulations, had to be shared with the road car. The body is made primarily of aluminum with Kevlar panels. The chassis is tubular, while the roof and pillars of the original Capri are welded.
Furthermore, the suspension pick-up points had to be retained. But Erich made it a Formula 1 suspension with adjustable wishbones at the front, an aluminum MacPherson system, and Bilstein dampers with adjustable compression, rebound, and height. The rear axle is also made of aluminum ( for lowering the weight). Braking is handled by perforated and ventilated discs with four-piston Girling calipers at the front, which are also water-cooled.
The interior is stripped back to the bare bones, with several pressure gauges and two generously sized regulators, one for turbo boost pressure and the other for brake force distribution. The driver sat as far back as the Capri's chassis allowed. In the rear is a 100-liter ATL fuel tank with four pumps, plus the battery and engine oil tank for dry-sump lubrication.
The engine that powered the Capri Turbo was developed by Cosworth, based on the famous BDA, with a displacement of 1.4 liters, 16 valves, two KKK turbos, Garrett intercoolers, and Bosch fuel injection. Later, due to poor reliability, Zakspeed installed only one turbo, but with a larger diameter. In 1980, the engine was enlarged to 1.7 liters, and the twin-turbo system was reinstated. It ultimately produced around 530 hp at 9,200 rpm, at a boost pressure of 1.4 bar. At the limit, boost pressure could be increased to 1.6 bar, but only briefly, increasing power to 600 hp. Mated to the engine was a Getrag five-speed manual transmission with a Sachs twin-disc clutch, and a ZF limited-slip differential on the rear axle. Power was delivered through Goodyear tires, mounted on 16-inch BBS bipartite wheels at the front and 19-inch at the rear.
Aesthetically, the Zakspeed took the ‘Silhouette’ concept to an extreme. The car sat so low it looked body-dropped, standing a mere 1100mm.The monstrous boxed arches covered the 19×12.5-inch rear and 16×10-inch front BBS wheels, as well as housing the radiators in generous ducts to keep that fiery little 1.4-litre happy.
The first car (chassis 001/78) with Mampe Sponsoring entered in division II was for Hans Heyer. He started in July in the DRM race at the Hocekenheim Ring. The Capri did what was expected and claimed pole in exactly the same time as last year’s pole sitter Ickx and the Porsche. The engine failed during the race. Again pole in Zolder and a P3 despite rear axle problems. Smashing pole again at the Norisring, but still no reliability. In the last race, Heyer scored a convincing win.
For 1979, Zakspeed had three Capris on the grid in Division 2.
Harald Ertl (Sachs Sporting sponsoring) joined Hans Heyer for the DRM. Despite the rain at the first race in Zolder, both Capri’s were a class above the rest finishing 1 and 2. Hans Heyer kept his winning mood for the next three races, while Ertl won in Mainz-Finthen. Heyer won again from pole at Diepholz and again in Zolder. Last race, the supersprint Nurburgring was again a 1-2 for Zakspeed. So in total six out of 11 races were for heyer; Ertl only won two but he had some bad luck and technical defaults. He was beaten for the title by the Porsche 935 of Klaus Ludwig.
It was precisely this Ludwig that joined Zakspeed for 1980. Zakowski upgraded the engine to 2L, which was 200 horsepower weaker, but 200 kilograms lighter despite a massive rear wing. Th Capri was aerodynamically revised! The mudguards on the right and left were shaped upwards in conjunction with that large wing. This would create a massive downforce. He could now have a go against the Porsche 935 in the Division 1. And Klaus Ludwig did just that. Again three cars were entered in the championship. The Wurth-spnsored car (#002/80) was for Ludwig, the D&W sponsored car for Klaus Niedzwidz and a Sachs car for Hans Soldeck and Harald Ertl. This car remained a division 2 car.
But at the first meeting in Zolder, the large wing did not get passed scrutineering. After an appeal by Zakspeed and Ford, the car could start. Ludwig promptly took second place. While the Capri was strong again in the division 2, Ludwig was unable to win at the Nürburgring after setting the fastest time in practice. The third round at Hockenheim (the mudguards were approved!) saw a close battle between Ludwig and Axel Plankenhorn (Kremer Porsche 935)until the last corner. They touched and spun, but the Capri recovered first and won the race. After this race, the capri was declared illegal and Ludwig lost all his championship points. Zakowski did not wanted to appeal and changed the rear of the car again. Still, Ludwig showed that in the DRM, the Capri was a match for the previously dominant Porsche 935. He went on to win Mainz-Finten and at Spa at Diepholz (the 50th win for Zakspeed). But at This last race, the car had flexible side skirts and a tunnel of which any F1 team at that time could only dream of. Klaus Ludwig then won the Hessencup and later the Baden-Wurtenberg cup Hockenheim. He finished third in the championship.
Ford wanted to break also the dominance of Porsche in the American IMSA series. Since Capri was not available on the American market and Mustang was a popular model, Zakspeed was asked to buikd a new Capri with the roof and the front of the new Ford Mustang III. Under the hood it was a division I Zakspeed ford Turbo Capri.
In 1981 Klaus Ludwig continued in the division II with the Würth sponsored car (photo above from Zolder)and went on to win 10 out of the 13 DRM races. With an upgraded new diffuser, the Capri was unbeatable. The title was his. Team mate Manfred Winkelhock ( Nigrin/Liqui Moly sponsor, see above photo) drove the division I machine in the DRM. He managed to snag six wins and enough points to deny Porsche the division win and a third place in the championship. The team also entered a D&W sponsored car for Klaus Niedzwieds in division II. Privateer Jurgen Hamelmann (photo below) ran the 002/79 chassis, also in division II and finished P6 in the overall standings.
With Group C cars being admitted to the DRM for 1982, it was a fitting swansong for the Group 5 Capri, which would be outclassed by the newer cars the following year. Zakspeed concentrated on the development of the Ford C100 and an adventure in F1 for 1983.
Mike Kranefus and Erich Zakowski
