July 11, 2007
Orion's race look revealed.
Ford's new Falcon model is being slated for its race debut halfway through the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship -- and today's edition of Auto Action magazine has computer-generated images of what it will look like.
It will be "tougher, tauter and meaner than the BA/BF generation" Falcons, writes Auto Action editor-at-large, Mark Fogarty.
"Like the VE Holden Commodore, next year's Falcon will follow the latest 'techno-tough' look with a slab-sided appearance and a fastback-style roof line leading to a higher rear deck," Fogarty says.
He adds that the Orion, as the new Falcon has been dubbed while the official model designation is kept secret, "also has pronounced fender flares, although they're not quite as prominent as the VE's bulging front guards".
"The next-gen Falcon takes many of the styling cues of the latest mid-size Mondeo, which will be launched here later this year," Fogarty says.
"Broadmeadows designers have interpreted Ford's new global look with some significant adaptations, including inverting the headlights.
"Ford Racing Austalia is following the same path that Holden took with the VE racer by optimizing the Project Blueprint rules to design a more efficient race bodyshell that is easier and cheaper to build, and also a lot less costly to repair."
Ford motorsport manager Ray Price confirmed to Auto Action that final specifications still haven't been submitted to the Touring Car Entrants Group for approval, but that the aim is to have the new car ready for homologation on July 1, 2008.
"We're still in the design phase, but we have a design direction," Price tells the magazine.
But Price would not confirm that the racing version of the Orion's bodyshell will have to be "cut and shut" as the VE Commodore was.
Two Ford engineers are working on the Orion race car design with input from Ford Performance Racing, Triple Eight Race Engineering (Team Vodafone) and Stone Brothers Racing.
FPR is expected to begin building the test version of the Orion racer in October or November, with Triple Eight to handle the official testing and development.
Fogarty says that although Orion retains the basic architecture of the BF model it will look all-new thanks to a completely new "skin".
He says it will continue with the XR8 performance model's signature styling cues -- bonnet "power bulge" and quad headlamps.
Full Version: Orion's Race Look Revealed.
Wolf do you have a link to this article
Can't wait to see pics 
Looks dam good to me.
Thanks for the link Dags
Thanks for the link Dags
its also on the front cover of auto action magazine! just so ya know!
The second pic at the links is the front cover of Auto Action.
QUOTE
Ford and FPR have confirmed this week that the Orion racer wont officially hit the track until the start of the 09' season.
It was also reported this week that FPR are currently working on the prototype Orion racer in a secret section of their Melbourne facility, however it is in it's early stages and wont hit the track until some time in May next year with homologation and aero testing against the VE planned for July 08'.
It was also reported this week that FPR are currently working on the prototype Orion racer in a secret section of their Melbourne facility, however it is in it's early stages and wont hit the track until some time in May next year with homologation and aero testing against the VE planned for July 08'.
wow could they have made it look more like an XT with 17s?
QUOTE
Ford and FPR have confirmed this week that the Orion racer wont officially hit the track until the start of the 09' season.
Idiots.....
Lets introduce a new model....and lets be marketing genius's and release the race version that will 'help' sell it a year after it goes on sale....
QUOTE(seventytwo @ Jul 12 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]554356[/snapback]
Looks dam good to me.
Thanks for the link Dags
Thanks for the link Dags
THAT LOOKS TUFF....
That looks fargin tuff!!
i think its time for the V8's cars to go to a 19' wheel... even the holdens look sh*t with the small wheels
i think its time for the V8's cars to go to a 19' wheel... even the holdens look sh*t with the small wheels
little bit more information has come out about this since the update on Oct 31 2007 a few posts back:
Source: http://www.fpvtickfordclubwa.com.au/forums...ic=2765&hl=
QUOTE
THE next-generation Ford Falcon could be banging door panels with the VE Commodore on the race track by midway through the V8 Supercar season.
Brisbane-based Triple Eight Race Engineering has been working on parts and panels from the Falcon, codenamed Orion, for the past year and hopes to have a full shell available for testing some time after April.
Falcon's powertrain and running gear will be unveiled to the Australian media on February 6. The vehicle is "on target" for a public unveiling at the Melbourne Motor Show in March and it is tipped to be on sale as early as March.
How soon it lines up on the V8 Supercar grid will be largely the responsibility of Triple Eight which has been chosen by the Ford teams as their representative to homologate the car for racing.
According to Triple Eight team principal Roland Dane that means hours and hours of work.
"But there shouldn't be any dramas," he said. "We've had bits and pieces for a long time now. We've done wind tunnel tests on some parts, but we don't work with the hard panels so much as the design. It's mainly done on computer. I don't think it will be a difficult task, but it will be time consuming."
He would not reveal the cost or the number of hours it would take.
"But it's not particularly cheap because it is so time consuming," he said.
V8 Supercars requires the Falcon and Commodore race car bodies to have equal aerodynamics before they can be accepted for racing.
"We have to do back-to-back tests for parity," Dane said. Only the body shells from the road-going cars are used on the race cars. "Everything else is bespoke racing parts," he said.
Triple Eight has been the Ford homologation team for a couple of years, while the Commodore is done by the HRT team.
"They might look fairly different cars but they are both basically four-door sedans," Dane said. "We might have to chip something off here and add something on there, but the basic (Orion Falcon) shape will remain the same."
There are also some parts from the current cars that will not be changed.
"The under side of the front splitter will be the same as the current Commodore and Falcon shells," he said. "There will be a few carry-over parts. The rear wing also will be very similar."
However, the basic integrity of the Orion shape, which includes a more muscular rear end, narrow headlights, a rising waist-line, large intakes, swooping roof line, flared guards and a sleeker front, will be integrated into the V8 Supercar styling.
The Orion is expected to reflect Ford's new "kinetic styling" approach, first seen in Australia in the Mondeo.
So what does Dane think of the new Orion, which he has seen in its complete form.
"I think it looks good. They have done a very good job," he said.
Dane could not say where or when the new car would be tested. Last year the aero testing was at Woomera in South Australia.
"There are two homologation dates in the season. One at the start of the year and one in the middle of the year," he said. "Clearly it won't be ready for the start of this season, but it could be ready midway through or at the start of 2009. I'd love to be racing it this year but the rules specify any new model must be available to any Ford team so there are logistical issues to take into account."
The Bathurst-winning Triple Eight partnership of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup returns this year, hoping to go one better in the championship after second spots in the past two seasons.
Brisbane-based Triple Eight Race Engineering has been working on parts and panels from the Falcon, codenamed Orion, for the past year and hopes to have a full shell available for testing some time after April.
Falcon's powertrain and running gear will be unveiled to the Australian media on February 6. The vehicle is "on target" for a public unveiling at the Melbourne Motor Show in March and it is tipped to be on sale as early as March.
How soon it lines up on the V8 Supercar grid will be largely the responsibility of Triple Eight which has been chosen by the Ford teams as their representative to homologate the car for racing.
According to Triple Eight team principal Roland Dane that means hours and hours of work.
"But there shouldn't be any dramas," he said. "We've had bits and pieces for a long time now. We've done wind tunnel tests on some parts, but we don't work with the hard panels so much as the design. It's mainly done on computer. I don't think it will be a difficult task, but it will be time consuming."
He would not reveal the cost or the number of hours it would take.
"But it's not particularly cheap because it is so time consuming," he said.
V8 Supercars requires the Falcon and Commodore race car bodies to have equal aerodynamics before they can be accepted for racing.
"We have to do back-to-back tests for parity," Dane said. Only the body shells from the road-going cars are used on the race cars. "Everything else is bespoke racing parts," he said.
Triple Eight has been the Ford homologation team for a couple of years, while the Commodore is done by the HRT team.
"They might look fairly different cars but they are both basically four-door sedans," Dane said. "We might have to chip something off here and add something on there, but the basic (Orion Falcon) shape will remain the same."
There are also some parts from the current cars that will not be changed.
"The under side of the front splitter will be the same as the current Commodore and Falcon shells," he said. "There will be a few carry-over parts. The rear wing also will be very similar."
However, the basic integrity of the Orion shape, which includes a more muscular rear end, narrow headlights, a rising waist-line, large intakes, swooping roof line, flared guards and a sleeker front, will be integrated into the V8 Supercar styling.
The Orion is expected to reflect Ford's new "kinetic styling" approach, first seen in Australia in the Mondeo.
So what does Dane think of the new Orion, which he has seen in its complete form.
"I think it looks good. They have done a very good job," he said.
Dane could not say where or when the new car would be tested. Last year the aero testing was at Woomera in South Australia.
"There are two homologation dates in the season. One at the start of the year and one in the middle of the year," he said. "Clearly it won't be ready for the start of this season, but it could be ready midway through or at the start of 2009. I'd love to be racing it this year but the rules specify any new model must be available to any Ford team so there are logistical issues to take into account."
The Bathurst-winning Triple Eight partnership of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup returns this year, hoping to go one better in the championship after second spots in the past two seasons.
Source: http://www.fpvtickfordclubwa.com.au/forums...ic=2765&hl=
QUOTE(ThundaBird @ Jan 23 2008, 02:44 PM) [snapback]624171[/snapback]
little bit more information has come out about this since the update on Oct 31 2007 a few posts back:
Source: http://www.fpvtickfordclubwa.com.au/forums...ic=2765&hl=
Source: http://www.fpvtickfordclubwa.com.au/forums...ic=2765&hl=
Ford have know about the new car for some time. It should have been ready for the start of the season. Holden got their sh#t together in time for the new saeson last year. Just another example of Ford sitting on their arse playing tiddly winks.
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