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Ford Probe 2.5 GT 24V - Anti-Mustang

Name: Ford Probe GT 1988
Brand: Ford

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Created on January 7, 2026

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Ford/Werk

Ford Motor Company

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Ford/Werk

Ford Motor Company

Archiv

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - 177.5 cm wide

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - tuned a little firmer for Europe

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - compact coupé with pop-up headlights

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - not too expansive for narrower country roads

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - still fun on all kinds of roads today

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the aerodynamic qualities can be seen in the coupé

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - elegant and no-frills bodywork

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - Rear not designed for wide European number plates

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - wide light strip at the rear

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - characteristic folding headlights

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - lots of glass, few edges

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - 454.5 cm long, 177.8 cm wide and 131.5 cm high

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - indicated notchback, rear hatch with windshield wiper

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - Japanese-style interior with airbag steering wheel

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the early versions did not yet have a passenger airbag

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - large leather-covered steering wheel with few buttons

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - cleanly drawn instruments

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - clearly arranged instruments

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - red zone from 7000 rpm

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - air conditioning installed, radio retrofitted

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the automatic transmission only offers two selectable gear steps

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - electric windows

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - speakers fitted as standard in the doors

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - tastefully patterned seats with fabric upholstery

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - Notes on tire pressure in the door opening

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the transversely mounted 2.5-liter engine drives the front wheels

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - it says Ford on it, but the engine comes from Mazda

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - transverse-mounted V6 engine

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - four valves per cylinder, resulting in 24 valves in total

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - a visually appealing unit

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - a large radiator grille is missing

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the Ford oval on the front

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - folded out headlights

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the manufacturing quality was praised at the time

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - aerodynamic rear-view mirrors, adjustable from the inside

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - GT lettering on the flank

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - vertically arranged door openers were also available on the predecessor model

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - Probe lettering on the side window (B-pillar)

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - Type designation on the flank

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the loading sill is relatively high

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - standard aluminum wheels, five wheel bolts

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - clearly labeled

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - large tail lights and Probe type lettering

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - the rear seats can be folded down, the trunk holds 404 liters

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - retrofitted Grundig six-disc CD changer in the trunk

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Ford Probe II (1980) - Study for a new generation of more compact and economical USA cars, could go into production in five years - Geneva Motor Show 1980

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Ford Probe III (1982) - at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show - the prototype anticipates key elements of the upcoming Sierra

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Ford Probe IV (1983) - ready-to-drive concept car with an almost sensational drag coefficient of 0.15, not least thanks to fully enclosed wheels and a smooth underbody - at the 1983 Geneva Motor Show

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Ford Probe V (1985) - concept car with record-low drag coefficient

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Ford Probe V (1986) - View into the cockpit of the aerodynamic record holder - Geneva Motor Show 1986

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Ford Mustang Cobra (1980) - with three-spoke alloy wheels in metric format (390 mm) for Michelin TRX tires

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Ford Mustang GT (1982) - aggressive in red

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Ford Mustang Cobra GT 2-Door Hatchback (1987) - with 225 hp the most powerful passenger car in the Ford range

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Ford Mustang SVO (1984) - special model from "Ford Special Vehicle Operations" with turbo four-cylinder engine and 175 hp

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Ford Mustang (1987) - as a third-generation GT convertible

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Design for a future Ford Mustang from 1976

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Design for a future Ford Mustand or Ford Probe from 1989

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Mimi J. Vandermolen as a young designer at Ford in 1970

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Mimi J. Vandermolen in 1994, with the second-generation Ford Probe in the background

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Mazda 626 Coupé (1987) - also the basis for the first Ford Probe

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Ford Probe LX (1991) - the first generation was available from 1992 with both four and six-cylinder engines

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Mazda MX-6 (1992) - Coupé, which was also the basis for the second generation of the Ford Probe

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Ford Probe GT (1992) - the second edition

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Mercury Cougar (1999) - sold in Europe as Ford Cougar, originally planned as Ford Probe III

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - flat front with pop-up headlights

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Ford Probe 2.5 GT V6 (1993) - brakes with four discs

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Summary

The Ford Probe was actually intended as the successor to the comparatively old-fashioned Mustang. Aerodynamically exemplary and modern, the first Probe generation was then placed in a niche and sold so successfully that a second generation followed in 1992. Nobody was bothered by the fact that a Mazda was actually sitting under the attractively designed body, as the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. There was no third generation, at least not with the same name. This driving report shows the second generation of the Ford Probe and tells the story of the model series.

This article contains the following chapters

A new Mustang
American-Japanese collaboration
Successful first edition
Successor based on a proven recipe
Attractive design
Proven but advanced technology
Competitive
Indirect successor
Pleasant to handle

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Yes, this is a classic car. After all, the 1993 Ford Probe 2.5 GT 24V driven for this report is around 33 years old, which makes it look quite modern, one could almost say timeless. However, the history of the Ford Probe is much less straightforward than its design. It all began in 1982, when petrol prices were skyrocketing and the Ford headquarters in Dearborn were wondering whether there was still a future for the Ford Mustang. It had been revised for the last time in 1978 and was sold on the basis of the Fox platform with four, six and eight-cylinder engines with around 90 to 230 hp. The latter in particular were not exactly considered to be fuel-efficient, so Ford saw good opportunities for an aerodynamic coupé with reasonable fuel consumption.

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