Wild, wilder, wilder: Holyhall’s Group 5-inspired Ford Capri

The 1970s and early 1980s were a turbulent time for touring car racing. The Group 5 category had few restrictions, and spawned iconic ‘Super Silhouette’ racing cars based loosely on production models. Extra-wide body extensions were all the rage at the time.

Since Group 5, countless replicas have been built for road and track. This Ford Capri, built by Johannes Döll of the German team Youtube The Holyhall chain is one such creation.

Inspired by the Group 5 Ford Capri Zakspeed, Holyhall’s car has gone from a pile of rust to a tubular, super-wide work of automotive art, with modern touches throughout.

The first thing that strikes you about the Holyhall Capri is its width. Using the factory windscreen as a reference point, you can see where the original Capri MkIII ends and the wide Zakspeed-inspired bodywork begins. The front window is one of the few original Ford parts still intact.

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The body panels used in the build are faithful UK-made replicas of those used on the original Zakspeed Group 5 car, designed to fit a production Capri. To properly recreate the look of the race car’s front end, a section of the wings had to be cut away so the headlights could be pushed outwards. The outer lights now sit halfway out of the bonnet line, while air intakes in place of the inner lights help cool the brakes, a feature found on some Group 5 Capris.

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The story of the rear gets even crazier. To differentiate the car from other Group 5 Capri replicas, the fiberglass rear fenders were extended beyond the trunk, creating a long tail. Additionally, a custom wing based on the original Group 5 design was fabricated to extend all the way to the rear fenders.

Zakspeed’s Ford Capri was a pioneer of aerodynamics in the Group 5 era; it was one of the first touring cars to use a rear diffuser to reduce air pressure under the body. For the Holyhall Capri, an aluminium diffuser completes the longtail.

But that’s not the rear’s most notable feature. Check out the full-width custom light bar, which replaces the stock Capri taillights to bring a futuristic aesthetic to the overall design. It works perfectly.

The Capri is fitted with custom Rotiform Motorsport center-lock wheels, measuring 17 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear. The staggered configuration remains faithful to the original race car, but is enlarged in diameter on both axles. Yokohama Advan slick tires are present at all four corners.

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Although Group 5 cars bear a visual resemblance to their road-going counterparts, the race cars feature chassis modifications so extensive that they cannot be compared. When creating this replica, the build team referenced images of the original Zakspeed Capri to reverse-engineer the required modifications. A custom tubular frame replaces most of the Capri’s original monocoque chassis, with only the hood, roof, doors, window frames, trunk lid, and partial pillars remaining. Under Group 5 “special production car” regulations, these are the parts that must be retained.

A complete rear subframe from the BMW 3 Series E90 is mounted to the rear of the tubular chassis. The suspension, however, is a custom pushrod design with the H&R coilovers visible through the rear window. The rear is raised by about 40 millimeters, mimicking the stance of the original race car.

The other E90 suspension components used throughout the build – rear and front – have been overhauled, with all links replaced with adjustable equivalents from BMW specialist 55Parts.

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It’s a shame I couldn’t capture what’s under the skin at the To Hell event where I photographed the car, because that’s where the bespoke chassis and suspension work is most visible. The Capri is powered by a naturally aspirated Chevrolet LS1 engine sourced from a C5 Corvette, mated to a BMW 6-speed manual transmission via a PMC Motorsport adapter. The 350hp GM V8 gives the Capri presence, performance and reliability without requiring any major modifications to suit.

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The interior is completely custom, with the first thing that catches your eye being the raw aluminum dragster seats. Aluminum dominates the interior and is used for the custom floor, door panels, dashboard, and side panels.

The HSpeed ​​CNC machined short shifter is simply stunning.

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Beyond the extensive work that has gone into the car, I admire Holyhall’s method of construction. No detail has been overlooked, with the construction process resembling that of a bespoke touring car, much like the Group 5 Capri Zakspeed to which this replica pays homage.

Everything from the tubular chassis to the fitting and reshaping of the fibreglass bodywork and the exterior paintwork was carried out in-house at Holyhall, with outside help only being called in for specialist tasks.

I was amazed by what I saw in front of me at the To Hell show, but watching the build process on YouTube as I wrote this article gave me another level of appreciation for what Johannes Döll and Holyhall have created.

Steve Edward
Instagram: stevedwrd

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