A new, two-door four-seater coupe has emerged from the Ford ranks the Visos.

Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Germany, the Visos is a clear signal that Ford intends to crown a new successor to the long-dead, but not forgotten, king of the coupes, the Capri.

Although Ford describes it as a design study, it won't be too long perhaps a year at most before the stunning Visos goes on-road.

The Capri, out in 1969, proved to be well worth the £20m Ford invested in the original development budget, and it paid strong design homage to that American motoring icon, the Ford Mustang.

The sporty Mustang first appeared in 1964, and took the Ford badge to a whole new market younger drivers.

Not surprisingly, a million Mustangs were sold in the first two years, so the company looked to continue that success across The Pond with a distinctly European version.

Older readers may remember that the Capri name first appeared in Britain in September 1961, with the introduction of a fastback Capri Coupe version of the Ford Classic saloon.

But old Henry's company can be proud of the fact that motoring in the Seventies belonged to the Capri, and it evolved through several revamps to finally cease production just before Christmas 1986, after 17 successful years and a near two million sales.

So Ford are set to build on that proud history with the Visos, displayed in Frankfurt as a 3.0 litre, 345bhp bi-turbo mean machine of six-speed transmission that has four-wheel drive and the look of a true millennium roadster.

Ford say the design concept is a true fusion of sports car and luxury touring motor, with ample space for up to four adults and packed with innovation and new technology.

The inside bristles with LCD panels and futuristic controls, with the ability to switch from sedate saloon to sport mode at the driver's whim. That means displays can be switched from performance-orientated to luxury-inclined, and a sculpted instrument pod is mounted on the steering wheel.

Externally, the Visos has classic coupe styling, with a sharply-curved C-pillar that is so reminiscent of the Capri. The uninterrupted side glass gives the cabin a cockpit look, and there are retractable roof panels that give easy access to the individual rear seats.

Aerodynamic aids such as spoilers are hidden from view until the car reaches 50mph or so, and then deployed via Ford's active surfacing technology.

But this early viewing of the Visos shows the car to have success written all over it. It certainly has the potential to put Ford back in charge of the sports coupe market, and should become the must-have motor of the next decade.

Watch this space...