A Four-Door Mustang From Down Under
By Michael Stahl, Contributor
Date posted: 05-22-2007

We Aussies find it amusing that our most American-inspired cars turn out to be so inspiring to Americans. As you've heard, General Motors is plugging a gap in its performance credibility with the Australian-built Holden Commodore SS, which will become the 2008 Pontiac G8.

It seems to us that the 2007 Ford Falcon GT would be a good choice for you Yanks as well. Ford's Interceptor Concept from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show and its 427 concept from the 2003 Detroit show suggest Dearborn also has a hankering for a full-size, rear-wheel-drive, high-performance sedan, and the Ford Falcon here in Australia is the most obvious candidate.

The large, rear-drive V8-powered sedan took root here in the Antipodes exactly 40 years ago, when Ford Australia introduced its Mustang-bred Falcon XR GT 289. Since then, an environment of sunshine, beer and barbecues has made the Falcon the kind of car that should be sold in America.

And You Thought NASCAR Came From the Deep South
Ford might squander the credibility of its nameplates in other countries, but the "Falcon GT" moniker has never been used lightly at Ford Australia. The seminal 1967 Falcon XR GT went right into competition once it was launched and finished 1st and 2nd in the annual Bathurst 500-mile touring car race. The victory prompted Holden to fight back with its first Monaro, using an imported Chevrolet 327-cid V8 in its Bathurst racer.

Epic battles between the Falcon and Monaro ensued through the 1970s, until Ford Australia unwisely dropped its V8 option from the Falcon range in November 1982. It was 10 years before the Ford V8 (known as the "blue bent-eight" by the locals) came back into production, losing a whole generation of Ford buyers to performance-minded Holden.

So influential and fondly remembered is the original Falcon GT that a low-mileage yet historically unremarkable example of the 1971 XY Falcon GTHO Phase 3 — in its day, the world's fastest four-door — sold at auction for a record U.S. $567,293. Makes you wonder what the Falcon driven by Max Rockatansky (you know, Mad Max) would fetch.

The Flight of the Falcon
As with the Holden Commodore, these days the Ford Falcon does most of its business as a six-cylinder fleet-and-family car. In fact, V8 variants constitute roughly 15 percent of each car's sales. Holden uses the 6.0-liter pushrod LS2 imported for this purpose, while Ford has a locally assembled 5.4-liter SOHC unit.

Your Falcon enthusiast can choose among a 310-horsepower 24-valve SOHC V8, 350-hp 32-valve DOHC performance Falcon XR8 or a turbocharged 330-hp inline-6 XR6 Turbo.

And then there are the image-making, limited-edition Falcons from factory-owned hot-rod shops like Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV). Back in 2003, FPV partnered with ProDrive (the English motorsports engineering specialist) and finally got Ford's performance-brand image together. Today the collaboration supplies FPV with a range of sedans powered by either a 362-hp version of the turbocharged inline-6 or a 389-hp DOHC V8.

Emotional Engineering
Named for its output in kilowatts, the "Boss 290" engine in our bright-orange FPV Ford Falcon GT test car is a transpacific freak. The 5.4-liter V8 uses a Mustang Cobra R block and 32-valve DOHC cylinder heads from America, while the pistons, bearings, inlet manifold and exhaust headers are sourced in Australia.

FPV maintains that it doesn't want to get involved in a horsepower war with Holden Specialty Vehicles (HSV), which is an elegant way of conceding defeat before you've even left the showroom. While FPV's slogan of "total performance" applies to the well-integrated package of accessories worn by this Falcon GT, the hardware isn't especially exciting.

There's the engine, for instance. With not much happening underfoot until the tachometer needle swings past 3,500 rpm, you're thinking this quad-cam V8 must be a screamer. But no sooner has the V8 begun to come alive than it gets breathless beyond 5,500 rpm and finally splatters against the rev limiter at 6,000 rpm.

There's no alternative but to dip the long-throw clutch pedal again and have a grumble through the knuckly gate of the six-speed manual transmission. The first four cogs are nicely useful, but the direct-drive 5th and overdrive 6th leave the V8 snoozing at the 70-mph speed limit ruthlessly enforced on Australian freeways.

With a 0-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 14.5 seconds at 98.9 mph, the Falcon GT is slower than the Holden Commodore SS, which itself gets to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds on its way to the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 99.1 mph.

You've Mellowed These Last 40 Years
In many ways, however, the Falcon GT is admirably swift and competently composed.

Most remarkable is the ride quality, as it's very comfortable across all but the most patchy surfaces, where the body control begins to suffer from the combination of limited suspension travel and soft rebound damping. It's a useful achievement considering the car's aggressive 245/35R19 tires.

In GT trim, the Falcon's double-wishbone front suspension and independent multilink rear suspension get a lower ride height with unique springs, dampers and antiroll bar. But the Falcon's curb weight of 4,090 pounds sabotages the car's handling at the limit. One also has to remember that this is a big car: just a fraction of an inch shorter than the Dodge Charger.

We managed a slalom run of 64.9 mph and then recorded 0.84g around the skid pad. The Ford is agile enough to be entertaining, but not swift enough to keep up with the Holden's 67.6-mph slalom speed and its 0.87g skid pad performance.

The Falcon's steering isn't fazed much by road undulations and its turn-in is consistent and quick, but the thick-rimmed steering wheel transmits more hydraulic effort than road feel. The seats feel good, though the support is compromised by the need to accommodate our big, beefy Aussie frames.

We Don't Slow Down Much in Australia
Even these bold, baboon-butt Brembo brakes don't deliver fully on their promise. While pedal modulation feels great, the Falcon GT came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet, 5 feet longer than the stop recorded by the Holden Commodore SS we tested on the same day. It seems like a disappointing performance from such an expensive brake package with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears.

Slightly oversensitive calibration of the ABS also flusters braking performance over road ripples, making apex-picking a challenge during press-on, open-road punting.

Well, all of that's true in Australia, anyway. Our roads vary from divided highways to wandering tracks across the Outback, so it's easy to turn up the compromises that must be built into a platform that must be sufficiently tough for daily dirt-road use, yet sophisticated enough to aspire to the performance of a European sport sedan.

You know what it is? The Falcon GT's shortcomings are the things that make it feel to Australian drivers as if it's a bit, well, American.

Winging Its Way to Where?
The Aussie Falcon's future has been debated for about as long as Dearborn has lacked a decent platform for a large rear-drive sedan.

It seems that each new generation of the Falcon is predicted to be its last, as smaller international platforms (like the DEW98 platform beneath the current Lincoln MKZ and Jaguar S-Type) are constantly tipped to replace this Aussie-engineered production, which is as old as grandfather's axe.

Next to the VE Commodore, however, the Falcon does feel a generation older. That's why a substantial revision of the Falcon platform is due next year, we're told. Apparently Ford will address the Falcon's dull feel from the front tires with a stronger front subframe, new lower wishbones for the front suspension and a new steering system.

Almost certainly, however, this new car will be the last unique, all-Aussie Falcon. The next-generation platform, due around 2012, will be shared with Ford's rear-drive U.S. models. If we're lucky, Dearborn will have learned a few things from the Aussies by then.

August 17, 2007

Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has released its new limited edition F6 R Spec Typhoon, featuring FPV’s innovative R Spec suspension and handling package.

The F6 R Spec is the first of FPV’s six-cylinder models to feature the R Spec suspension.

The stylish new addition to the FPV stable is identified with distinctive R Spec badging and ‘Dark Argent’ gunmetal accents on the wheels and rear spoiler as standard. With production limited to just 300 units, the new F6 R Spec will come with a unique build certificate of authenticity.

FPV General Manager Rod Barrett said that the positive response to the GT 40th Anniversary limited edition, which was the first FPV to feature the R Spec handling package, led to FPV modifying R Spec for its six-cylinder Typhoon.

“The initial idea behind R Spec was to provide an FPV vehicle for those people who wanted to be more competitive at track days and club sprint events, but who didn’t want to compromise on the comfort of daily driving either,” said Barrett.

“The GT 40th Anniversary succeeded in fitting that brief, and now for the first time our customers can enjoy the same superior level of suspension and handling on our award-winning Typhoon model.”

Barrett said FPV has customised the R Spec package to maximise the handling characteristics of the Typhoon, allowing drivers of the limited edition F6 R Spec to extract the best possible performance out of their vehicle.

“The set-up on the F6 is different to our Boss 290 package to account for the different mass of the Typhoon. The most significant change has been to the front end damper tune.”

"Importantly, we have maintained an impressive level of ride comfort. The R Spec package picks up more road irregularities, however, we have maintained the supple ride that has earned FPV cars an enviable ride and handling reputation."

The cabin of the F6 R Spec includes FPV’s leather seats as standard, while FPV floor mats with ‘F6 R Spec’ logo inlay match the exterior touches.

An iPod®/MP3 audio player connection^ is also fitted as standard and integrates with the FPV audio system.

The F6 R Spec is available in Winter White, Lightning Strike, Vixen, Neo, Ego and Silhouette.

The FPV F6 R Spec limited edition will be available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, with a recommended retail price starting from $63,310*.

After driving the HSV Clubsport R8, what better than to punt it against one of the best from the FPV stables - the F6 Typhoon.

When you look at the power and torque figures these two boast, the match up seems slightly unfair. On one hand there is the bellowing LS2 juggernaut from the lion’s den, whilst on the other hand there is a seemingly quaint inline six-cylinder – from the blue oval – with a blow dryer attached. Surely a whiney, turbocharged taxi is no match for a man’s brute with a dirty big V8?

Well…that’s what I thought – until I set foot in the ‘phoon.

The interior’s nothing to write home about, it looks much like any other Falcon’s interior, only adding a sports steering wheel, gauge pod (with boost and oil pressure) and fancy starter button. The difference lies within the handling and sheer performance characteristics.

Although the Typhoon only produces 270kW of power, it’s good for a staggering 550Nm of torque – identical to the HSV’s 6.0-litre V8. All that torque comes on hard and bloody strong from around 2000RPM, all the way to redline – which isn’t actually marked on the tachometer funnily enough.

One thing’s for certain, you’ve got to be on your best behavior when steering the ‘phoon. It’s got to be one of the liveliest cars on the road. With a set of 245-wide licorice strips at the rear, it constantly grapples for grip. Nail it from a standing start and watch as the traction control light flashes like mad until you back off the throttle. The noise this thing makes under full-throttle acceleration is enough to give any motoring tragic a hard-on. It sounds like a jet fighter gathering all its breath, right before slamming a tidal wave of torque into the driver and passenger’s chests.

The exhaust has been tuned within earshot of perfection and lets out a billowing wail under acceleration. On top of that, the noise from inside the car is just as good, giving the driver that feeling of excitement. The HSV on the other hand doesn’t sound as good from outside in comparison to the ‘phoon, but that’s nothing a new exhaust won’t fix (click to check out the HSV Clubsport R8 review with TOMCAT exhaust).

The regular 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder makes plenty of torque to begin with, adding a turbo is just downright naughty. After getting acquainted with both vehicles, we set off to the hills to see what the HSV Clubsport R8 and FPV F6 Typhoon were all about.

Not long after setting off, it’s obvious that the FPV’s steering is quite heavy in comparison to the HSV. That’s not such a bad thing though, both vehicles have perfectly sculpted steering wheels to allow plenty of grip space, along with room for turning when pegging through bends. In comparison, the HSV’s steering is as light as a feather, the ‘phoon allows the driver to feel the road and know exactly what the tyres are doing.

The brakes are far from an afterthought. The cross-drilled Brembo stoppers used on the Falcon do a phenomenal job of keeping everything in check. During the run through the mountains, they never showed any sides of fade or lack of pedal feel, reiterating the car’s ability throughout braking intensive courses.

A six-speed gearbox is common to both vehicles, but only one stood out in all aspects of driving. Ford’s ZF gearbox (produced by ZF Sachs) did a stellar job of powering the ‘phoon through stop-start city traffic and also through nail biting twists and bends. The seemingly bulletproof gearbox shifted quickly and precisely and always seemed to be in the right gear. During harder driving, the sport mode intelligently chooses the right gear and can even hold gears indefinitely if required. During hard braking, the gearbox actively shifts into a lower gear to aid braking and also allowing maximum power out of corners after the braking effort.

Although the Typhoon has a potent ability to light up the rears, it managed to drill all the power down to the ground when tackling the twisty stint of road, testament to the car’s handling dynamics. Body roll was slightly more prevalent in comparison to the Clubsport, but that’s nothing a firm set of springs wouldn’t fix.

The driving positions are totally different in both vehicles. The HSV has the driver slung low to the ground, whilst the ‘phoon sits the driver high up – very high up in fact. It takes a little while to get used to the FPV as the driving position feels almost unnatural to begin with. After a few clicks it becomes second nature. Neither driving position – in the HSV or FPV – is better nor worse, it’s just something that was quite evident when driving both vehicles back to back.

In terms of straight line performance, the R8 and Typhoon don’t get any closer. Off the line, the Typhoon battles for grip as the turbo force-feeds air into the engine, but once it gets moving, they both unilaterally accelerate to 100 clicks per hour. Through the corners, it’s a similar story. Both of the vehicles grip tight and drill down power without many dramas. The only gripe lies with the ‘phoon’s mild amount of body roll.

At $61,810, the FPV F6 Typhoon undercuts the Clubsport R8 by some $1,000. But, the Typhoon misses out on several features that should be mandatory on this type of vehicle – such as an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and rear parking sensors, which are both standard on the HSV Clubsport R8.

Although we didn’t get a reply from Ford during the production of the article, it’s believed that FPV haven’t fitted DSC to the FPV range due to the extensive engineering and testing requirements that need to take place before such a sophisticated system is prepared. As such, we think that Ford will simply wing it until the 2008 Falcon arrives, which should - if Ford’s thinking clearly - be fitted with DSC as standard equipment throughout the range.

Overall, both of these cars offer brilliant bang for your buck. On one hand you have a deep-throated growling V8; whilst on the other lies an air-snorting turbocharged six. At the end of the day, the only choice you need to make is your brand allegiance, as both of these things will annihilate almost anything off the lights, this side of $80,000.

At the end of the day though, the HSV manages to offer more equipment - both in terms of safety and features - than the FPV. But, only so much can be expected when you consider this series of Falcons has been around for nigh on six years, whilst the E-series HSV range has only been around for about 6-months. If you’re a Ford tragic though, there’s no going past this intoxicating force-fed six. If the noise won’t do it for you, the aggressive looks and potent driving experience is bound to.

It Might Look Like a 1970s Mustang Cobra II, but There's a 405-hp V8 Ready To Rock

By Michael Stahl, Contributor Email
Date posted: 01-21-2008


The 2007 Ford FPV Cobra GT is the flagship of Ford Australia's range of Falcon sedans, more proof that we Aussies know what we're about when it comes to rear-wheel-drive performance.

The Cobra nameplate, the emotive "302" numeral on the hood and the blue-ribbon wrapping are meant to round up all the sacred icons in Ford's heritage, things that have as much meaning Down Under as they do in the States.

Of course, the whole thing also has as much to do with selling snake oil as it does with selling performance, but no one minds when the bottom line is 405 horsepower in a car that fits the whole family.

If Ford is looking for a car to counter the arrival of the Australian-built 2008 Pontiac G8 in the United States, the 2007 FPV Cobra GT wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Bathurst Heritage
The 2007 FPV Cobra GT makes Aussies remember the Ford Falcon XC-series model from 30 years ago, a bold hardtop that was the last of Ford's full-size, two-door performance cars in Australia.

Just 400 of those 1978-issue Falcon GT Cobra hardtops were built. Around half were fitted with a locally produced version of the 302-cubic-inch Cleveland V8, and the other half — including 30 "Option 97" homologation specials meant to certify the Falcon GT for the annual Bathurst 1,000-km endurance race — came with the 351-cubic-inch Windsor V8.

Pricing back in the day ran to a lofty AU$9,000 for the 302 Cobra, around AU$1,600 over a regular GS 4.9 tudor, while the Bathurst 351s went for AU$10,100. Though not the most prized among classic Falcon GTs today, clean examples of this car knock on the door of AU$100,000 (U.S.$88,610).

Snake Oil
Now, it's true that the 1978 Ford XC Cobra was the last true Australian big coupe from Ford, and a souvenir of Ford's Bathurst 1-2 triumph the previous year, its greatest ever.

In more stark terms, however, the Cobra was about flushing out the last few hundred examples of the slow-selling hardtop body shells in the final year of the XC family, soon to be superseded by a car based on the U.S.-designed Ford Fairmont. The Cobra marketing idea came straight from Edsel B. Ford II, then the young assistant managing director at Ford Australia. Shelby stripes were being used to sell the Pinto-based Mustang Cobra II in America, so it wasn't a big stretch.

Thirty years on — by coincidence — the BF II Falcon has also been slow to sell, and is facing replacement by the substantially new Orion later this year. So Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV), the high-performance subsidiary of Ford Australia, has wrapped a white Falcon with a blue ribbon and calls it a Cobra.

Instant Classic?
For modern, well-heeled Ford fans, the FPV GT Cobra is an instant Aussie icon. Just 400 Cobra sedans will be built just like the 1978 Ford Falcon Cobra, and you can specify either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic and pay AU$65,110. A further 100 Cobra utes are being offered at AU$61,200.

To the Ford faithful, the re-clothed Cobra wouldn't even need to be any better than the production, AU$62,100 FPV GT that left us lukewarm last year. But it turns out the Cobra is amazingly better.

Leaves You Breathless
For a start, there's the engine. As with the FPV GT, the Cobra packs a 5.4-liter V8 that's an Aussie-assembled amalgam of a block from the Mustang Cobra R, DOHC cylinder heads from the Lincoln Aviator, and assorted internal and external parts from Australian sources.

For the Cobra, new inlet and exhaust camshaft profiles (with more lift and duration), high-compression pistons and stainless-steel exhaust headers help raise horsepower from the standard GT's 389 hp (290 kW) to 405 hp. (The emotive numerals 302 express the power rating in kilowatts.) The really good news for Ford enthusiasts is that this Boss 302 engine introduced by the Cobra has superseded the old Boss 290 across FPV's range of V8s.

The engine's power maxes at 6,000 rpm, some 500 rpm higher than before, and similarly the richer torque peak of 398 pound-feet (15 lb-ft richer than before) comes at 4,750 rpm, some 250 rpm higher. A limited-slip differential is standard equipment.

The GT Cobra's curb weight doesn't differ from the Falcon GT at 4,090 pounds. Good thing the brakes are up to it, as there are 14.0-inch drilled and slotted brake rotors up front, and four-piston Brembo calipers deliver the braking force. (Six-piston Brembos are optional.)

Though it's a marque dedicated to performance, FPV doesn't publicize performance figures, but local testing has seen the Cobra fail to improve on the previous 389-hp GT's 14.5-second quarter-mile times. But forget the time; keep thinking 6,000 rpm.

Rev-elation
Compared to the previous Falcon V8, the Boss 302 feels like it's sucked up a healthy lung-load of Ventolin. Six grand means peak power, remember. The 405-hp V8 has a free-spinning spirit in the upper rpm range that was utterly absent in the asthmatic 389-hp V8.

Mated to the smooth and intuitive ZF-built six-speed automatic, which also offers a sequential manual gate, the Boss 302 V8 makes the Cobra everything a modern Falcon GT ought to be. There's at last a revvy top end to go with the effortless, relaxed performance at touring speeds.

The only glitch is an annoying exhaust drone at 1,750 rpm in top gear — bang-on Australia's 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit on the motorway.

Damped With Excitement
At last the Cobra also has the makings of a competent chassis beneath it.

Its R-Spec suspension has been jointly developed by FPV and damper supplier Delphi, and it aims to allow car owners to exploit the new engine's usefulness by taking this family sedan to the occasional track outing.

Previous FPV GTs were flubbery in the front end, but the R-Spec package — a finely tuned recipe of valves within the twin-tube dampers — has increased damping response, with immediate benefits to steering feel, turn-in response and front-end stability.

The R-Spec suspension does pick up road ripples more noticeably than the standard GT setup. On a choppy surface, it's the difference, say, between 18- and 19-inch wheels. (The Cobra wears 19-inch wheels with 245/35ZR19 Dunlops.) This slight deterioration in ride quality is more than offset by the vastly improved overall composure of the chassis, though. The Cobra is just a different car from the floating, flopping GT, which has always pitched back and forth at speed.

We wouldn't expect the same sort of improvement in the Cobra ute, as it makes due with a live rear axle to fulfill its load-toting responsibilities, while the sedan features independent rear suspension.

Trim Not Taut, nor Terrific
Of course, an asthmatic engine and iffy chassis composure haven't been our only criticisms of the previous FPV GT.

Delightfully detailed though the Cobra's stripes and white-framed wheels might be, there's still an air of unfinished aftermarket engineering for a car that's asking Mercedes E-Class money.

You see it in things like the subtle flexing of the hood as you drive along, or the gas struts that aren't quite strong enough to support the trunk lid, or the gaping spaces in the trim fits within the interior, and even the trim piece on a door armrest that fell off.

The seats offer spot-on support for all-size examples of the human frame, though the seat cushion is squishy and its electric height adjustment is limited. The rest of the seat's adjustments are, like the steering column's height and reach, strictly do-it-yourself.

The dashboard's checkered aluminum caps strike a gaudy note, along with the silver-lamé inserts in the seats, but there's plenty elsewhere to delight the eye. We especially like the row of auxiliary gauges atop the center stack, and the too-cool blue backlighting for the main instrument cluster. Oh, and the air-con works a treat.

Celebrating 1978
However one might regard the 2007 Ford FPV GT Cobra's 30-year-old retro stripe job, this GT's true appeal lies in its newfound talents in drivability and handling. Maybe it's significant that these gains haven't been achieved by added-on electronics but instead by old-fashioned, 1970s-style tweaks to the engine breathing and suspension dampers.

Sometimes old-fashioned engineering by those Australian colonials can work wonders that the so-called smart guys in the States can't duplicate.

As a 2007 performance sedan, this Cobra has at last earned its stripes.

Ford Australia today unveiled the all-new FG Falcon range, showcasing all-new exterior and interior architectures and designs, an all-new front suspension, new powertrains with more power, more torque and improved fuel economy, and an advanced safety package.

The official debut of the 2008 FG Falcon included the entire new model range, with sedan, Ute and Ford Performance Vehicles line-ups all on show ahead of mainstream sedan models going on sale in May.

The new 'FG' series prefix for the eighth generation Falcon range heralds the arrival of the all-new Falcon line-up, as well as serving as an acknowledgement of the strong heritage of the long-running Fairmont and Ghia nameplates.

The XR8 shares its major equipment specifications with the XR6 Turbo and is differentiated by its engine and signature bonnet power bulge. The exciting Boss 290 5.4-litre four-valve V8 engine moves to the XR8 with the introduction of the FG Falcon and is complemented by a new exhaust system with a Semi Active Muffler (SAM). The new exhaust system produces an unsurpassed, sporty V8 exhaust note, while also delivering a more refined interior environment.