TriShield

There is a ton of interest in the turbocharged Falcon. I'm doing my best to spread the word about it on all the US auto forums I frequent. Judging from all the interest I'm getting I think the XR6T would be a big hit here, people really pay attention to cars with turbos, especially turbos with a load of potential and good looks.

Well, the HSV Coupes look better than any of the other versions I think. But I can tell you all, if Ford sold the Falcon XR6T here I would buy it over the GTmonarO without hesitation. I hope Ford really sells them here, and SOON.

I think the GTO looks better than the Monaro personally, but that's another discussion. The Falcon wouldn't need any such changes, or a new name, because it already looks like a Ford, and Falcon is a familiar Ford name from the past here. Unless of course someone already trademarked it here in the US.

I too would prefer they simply sell the Falcon XR6T or XR8 here with left hand drive and be done with it. It would make an excellent niche performance vehicle for the brand if marketed correctly. If they just use the structure, the only point would be to save money since they spent it all redoing the F-Series and on their new FWD line of cars. Not terribly exciting really.

Falcon to Fly? Australian division may provide new vehicles for Ford Australia's Ford Falcon: sister of the Ford Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis? By AMY WILSON | Automotive News (08:30 July 27, 2004) Ford Motor Co. is looking to Australia for a plan to replace the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. Ford engineers are considering the rear-drive platform used for the Australian Ford Falcon to replace the Panther platform in North America. The Panther, which dates to 1978, carries the Ford Crown Victoria, the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Lincoln Town Car. Suppliers say Ford may replace the Crown Victoria and the Grand Marquis as early as the 2008 model year with cars based on the next-generation Falcon platform. A Ford source acknowledged the study but said the plan is only in the consideration stage. Ford would have to lock this into the product cycle soon to replace the cars for the 2008 model year. The new vehicles would be slightly smaller than the current Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis, which are popular mainly among gray-haired customers. Crown Victoria police cars have been criticized because fuel tanks have ruptured in rear-end collisions. Ford is not considering a next-generation Town Car based on the Falcon platform, suppliers said. But Lincoln is planning a large flagship sedan that would be built off Ford's Volvo-derived D3 platform. That all-wheel-drive car would be built at Ford's Atlanta assembly plant, possibly for the 2009 model year. Ford could decide to keep the three Panther cars alive for a longer period. The reasoning would be to "keep making money," one Ford insider said. Panther's development costs have long been paid for, making the automaker's large cars a reliable profit center.

The Ford GT is full of tiny "Easter eggs" for those who know where to look, including this "100" in the driver-side headlight that celebrates Ford's Centennial. The GT's swoopy bodywork leaves little room (about 1 cubic foot) for cargo space. Our advice? Pack light! The 5.4-liter aluminum V8 is housed just behind the passenger compartment and features blue valve covers (as opposed to the red valve covers that serve as Ferrari's trademark). Special Goodyear tires that can withstand the GT's 200-plus-mph speeds had to be developed. Our test car was outfitted with the optional forged aluminum BBS wheels. The gauge cluster flows to the right of the driver, similar to its design in the original GT40. The toggle switches look cool, but don't quite live up to their "precision machined" image. Located on the magnesium center console, the GT's climate controls consist of illuminated metal dials and buttons that feel as high-quality as they look. The metallic-looking door pull is made from the same extruded aluminum that cradles the engine, but the interior door release, window switches and door lock/unlock button are standard-issue Ford, direct from the parts bin. The optional McIntosh audio system provides excellent sound quality, but room for only a single CD. Like every cool car these days, the GT uses a "Start" button to fire the engine.

Instant Classic We could claim it's the best-looking car ever created, but such hyperbole is unprofessional. So we'll just keep quiet…. By Karl Brauer Date Posted 07-02-2004 Every summer a few dozen world-class performance cars from bygone eras come together in the California Classic Rallye. The rally starts on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and snakes its way north over some of the most picturesque pavement ever laid down (in a state full of picturesque pavement). Normally, this parade of pearlescent paint and patina-ed leather features the likes of Ferrari 250s, Mercedes-Benz 300s (both soft-top SLs and Gullwings), spoked-wheel Alfa Romeos and even the odd Delahaye. But this year a domestic automobile from the 21st century joined in the California Classic Rallye, yet the traditional rally members didn't seem to mind — probably because the vehicle in question already possesses as much heritage and iconic imagery as a Ferrari GTO or Porsche 917. The vehicle, of course, is Ford's all-new 2005 GT, a model that pays homage to the original GT40 that took on — and beat — the world's top racing cars in the mid- to late 1960s. While the new GT and the original GT40 don't share a single mechanical component or exterior body piece, Ford returned to the philosophy of a powerful midengine V8 bolted to a stiff, lightweight frame and covered with sleek bodywork when creating the 2005 version. If you've been following the gestation of the Ford GT, you already know it first debuted at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show as the GT40 concept car. Within weeks of its debut, Ford announced it would be building the GT as a limited-production car. Three 2004 models were built in time for Ford's Centennial Celebration in June 2003, and we got a close-up look at the accelerated design and production process a few months later. Finally, we got our first seat time in the GT at Gingerman Raceway in Michigan last fall, where we learned that all the hype about this vehicle wasn't just hype. The Ford GT, at least under racetrack conditions, was as capable as any vehicle we'd ever driven. Since that time, Car & Driver has put the GT up against the Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale and Porsche 911 GT3. The car fairly smoked those models, both in straightline acceleration and around the 11-turn, 1.88-mile road course at the Gingerman track. It was clocked at 3.3 seconds in 0-to-60-mph acceleration and 11.6 seconds in the quarter-mile. More recently, the final horsepower and torque numbers for the car have been released: 550 hp at 6,500 rpm and 500 pound-feet of torque at 3,750 rpm. And just weeks ago, the car was tested at the Nardo high-speed test track in Italy, where it achieved a top-speed rating of 205 mph. Ford insiders tell us the car was actually hitting between 208 and 212 mph on multiple runs, but the company feels a conservative 205-mph certification is sufficient. Just for reference, let's review the latest numbers on the current crop of "top" supercars: the Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the Porsche Carrera GT. The Carrera GT is said to be a 3.6-second 0-to-60 car with a top speed of 205 mph. The SLR's numbers are estimated at 3.7 seconds for 0-to-60 and a top speed of 207 mph. The Enzo is supposed to get to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and top out at 218 mph. Of course we could play the numbers game all day, but suffice it to say the $150,000 Ford GT is competitive with cars costing three to four times as much. Obviously that $150,000 price doesn't include dealer gouging, but the same situation exists with the Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche so the MSRP for each model is the only constant we have to go on at this point. Yet far more exciting than the Ford GT's performance potential is the demeanor displayed by this vehicle when not power sliding around a race course or attempting speeds above 200 mph. The route and pacing of the California Classic Rallye is not conducive to redline shifts or high-G turns, so we were content to simply turn up the optional McIntosh audio system and enjoy the scenery (both automotive and natural) as we wove our way north of Sonoma. Thankfully, the GT was happy to oblige. The Ricardo six-speed transmission is topped by a shifter that snicked easily between gears and a clutch pedal that felt only marginally stiffer than what we've experienced in late-model Mustangs. The McIntosh audio system even sounded better than we expected from such a purpose-built performance machine, though the eight-inch subwoofer that's mounted between the seats intruded on personal space while blocking our view of the supercharger located on the other side of the rear glass, just behind the seats. Other than getting in or out of the GT, which can be a real challenge depending on how much space you have to open the doors, the car is easy to live with for an extended time period. The steering column tilts and telescopes, and the carbon-fiber seats have an adjustable seat back angle while offering plenty of legroom (and a dead pedal), even for drivers over six feet tall. A padded section on the back of the magnesium center console serves as an armrest, and illuminated climate controls (also on the center console) have a finely machined feel with illuminated dials for nighttime use. Headroom can be tight, especially if you're over 6 feet 2 and long in the torso, and seat bolstering, particularly in the lower back area, could be more aggressive to offer better lateral support. Probably the biggest issue drivers will face, beyond the tricky entry/exit process, is the poor rear visibility that makes parking lot maneuvers an exercise in faith and/or frustration. Parking sensors and rear cameras have almost become de rigueur on minivans, trucks and SUVs. We'll be happy when they make the leap to sports cars. So it's not easy to get in and out of, the seating could be a little better and rear visibility is subpar. Did we mention this is one of the most capable supercars ever produced? When we tried to actually hold these characteristics against the GT, we felt like the people who buy Hummers and then complain about poor gas mileage (read: losers). It was much easier to focus on the things the GT does better than any benchmark performance car should. Things like ride quality, road noise at highway speeds and the aforementioned audio system quality. The steering manages to provide substantial feedback without feeling overly heavy at low speeds or jittery at highway speeds. It's not quite Ferrari/Porsche caliber, but it's better than the Corvette or Viper. Interior materials are a mixed bag, with compelling elements like the metal door panel trim and extruded aluminum door pulls offset by standard-issue Ford window switches and interior door releases. The metal shift knob feels great when working the gears — it's offset toward the driver, sitting exactly where it should be. The toggle switches just below the gauge cluster look cool, but their feel and operation don't live up to the precision, machined look they convey. We'd be lying if we told you the Ford GT never got a workout during our time on the California Classic route. At one point we broke away from the pack and found a deserted ribbon of asphalt east of St. Helena, Calif. For the next 40 minutes, we utilized the GT as its designers intended and came away feeling more confident than ever that Ford has created an exotic-car slayer. Between the wall of torque provided by the aluminum 5.4-liter V8 and the immense stability offered via the aluminum space frame and double-wishbone suspension, it was difficult to imagine traveling down that stretch of road any faster, and with any greater confidence, in any other car. Previously, we had described the Ford GT as a "Viper-powered NSX" even though it is far more refined than a Viper and the midengine chassis feels even stiffer than that of an NSX. Now we can add a third element to the description — "a Viper-powered NSX with C5 Corvette drivability on a daily basis." You may not think it's "the one" as Ford has dubbed it, but the GT is the closest thing to it we've ever experienced. Rear visibility is compromised by the GT's retro design (not that we would change a thing). Note the lower air extractors beneath the rear bumper that provide downforce and stability above 150 mph. Ups: World-class performance, easy-going nature, drop-dead gorgeous, steeped in heritage, bargain price (before dealer markup). Downs: Entry-exit process circa 1966, seats lack lateral support, some interior materials don't live up to MSRP, rear visibility is about what you'd expect. The Bottom Line: Ford revives the most storied nameplate in American racing and, like the original, this one will force Ferrari and Porsche to re-examine their performance capabilities. MSRP of Test Vehicle: $157,095 (including destination charge)

Similar styling (Ford truck styling), completely different vehicle.

Kill the far too long in the tooth Crown Vic and sell the Fairlane here too. I'm still amazed that you guys in Australia use all these classic Ford names like Falcon, Fairlane, and Boss engines, we haven't seen them in decades here. Now with the Big Three reaching back to shore up the future, it'd be a great time to reintroduce them.

Ford needs the Falcon here NOW. Import the XR6T, the FPV, whatever, they need the hot versions of it to bolster their performance image. Especially with the new Mustang and GT around the corner. They would have all their bases covered (coupe, sedan, supercar) and most importantly, I could buy one.

Ford Futura - Ford flavor of the Mazda 6 Ford Five Hundred - large mass market family car Ford Freestyle - Wagon version of the Five Hundred, the same type of car as the Ford Territory, only FWD based The Mondeo was sold here as the Contour years ago, and discontinued.

Mostly because it performs better in the harsh winter climate most of the country experiences. It's also cheaper to manufacture, uses less fuel, and no driveline hump through the car. Ford has already invested in engineering a new mass market car here called the Five Hundred, it's not out yet but it looks like it will be a nice enough car (very Audi-ish). Chrysler has taken the plunge to see if there really is room for mass market RWD cars with the new 300 (coming to Australia soon) and the Dodge Magnum. If Chrysler can prove hundreds of thousands of people want RWD cars again, then things may change.

Google, I've been lurking around here for awhile. I'm also a big fan of 3rd generation Camaros, I'd certainly like to own one some day. Pony cars like the Camaro and Mustang have always been popular here, especially the Mustang. Hopefully the new Yank head of Ford Australia will see fit to sell a few Ford GTs and the redesigned Mustang there, since it looks like it will really be a very nice car. It's based on the Jaguar S-Type, has a stunning interior, should perform very well, and the price is very reasonable. I also read that the Chrysler 300 will be finding it's way down under soon. There's certainly room for the Falcon here. Not as a mass market family car (because people prefer FWD here), but as a low volume Ford muscle car, it has great potential.

Funny you should say that. Ever since it was announced the Monaro was going to resurrect our GTO here I've been reading about Australian cars and the Australian car scene. I've always marveled at how close it is to ours, and that another country enjoyed muscle cars of all types in the past. Your cherished local muscle cars all seem to be very American, and that's the type of cars our country has been short on for years. It looks like that's changing thank goodness.

I live in South Dakota, out here on the great plains.

To be fair guys, the Marauder is a decade old car painted black with a "hot" V8 and wheels. So it's no wonder the recent BA looks better. It'd be like if Ford was offering a performance version of the Fairlane from ten years ago there. Ford should really sell the Falcon here as a low volume niche vehicle, it would compliment the redesigned Mustang and Ford GT quite well I think. A Yank can dream can't he? :lol:

This is the current, and soon-to-be last muscle sedan Ford has been selling here, Ford is killing it after this year. It failed miserably image and saleswise. Despite having a powerful 222kW V8 it could only muster runs to 100kmph in 7 seconds, no faster than a V6 Honda Accord. Very disappointing. I hope that Ford will consider filling that hole with the Falcon turbo or V8.

We get the Taurus. Mr. and Mrs. Australia get a kick-butt cop cruiser. BY AARON ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON KILEY July 2004 The Ford Motor Company would like you to please turn the page. There’s nothing for American readers here, just some funny business from Australia that doesn’t concern you. Please go about your regularly scheduled Taurus leases and forget everything you’ve seen. Still reading? Okay, but you’re risking total disgust with the current crop of domestic Ford sedans. For American mid-size buyers, Ford excretes the tired, charm-free front-drive Taurus with a Tupperware interior and floppy handling. Meanwhile, Australians get their kicks in a rear-drive bomb with wind-smoothed sheetmetal and a Euro-tune suspension. Where’s the justice? It turns out that we Star Spangled singers have been getting the shaft for years. Ford introduced the Melbourne-built Falcon to Australia in 1960, and it never stopped evolving. Redesigned for 2003, today’s Falcon has independent suspensions at both ends and overhead-cam engines across the line. It’s an entire Ford dealership packed into one model, with various versions sold as taxis, cop cars, family wagons, executive limos, even pickup trucks. Haul a steer to town with the “one-tonne” Falcon Ute flatbed, and then have the town over for steaks with the “BBQ Ute” edition, a Falcon fitted with a broiler and companion esky (a beer cooler) housed in an aluminum cylinder the size of God’s own septic tank. The Falcon XR6 and XR8 are the swaggering road burners of the family. For a base price of U.S. $37,859, an XR8 driver sits behind Ford’s 5.4-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, outracing a kookaburra’s call with 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of steamship torque. Ford calls the engine the “Boss 260,” but to Australians it’s a hallowed “vee-bloody-eight.” Antipodean fuel is pricey, however, so Ford has developed the new $36,065 XR6 Turbo, which is just a well-aimed spit from the XR8 in performance. It gets—now follow this closely—a 4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve inline-six with an electronic throttle and variable valve timing on both cams. A Garrett GT40 ball-bearing turbo spins a humongous 3.2-inch-diameter compressor wheel, blowing 5.8 psi of air and allowing the so-called Barra 240T to drop 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque into your choice of a four-speed automatic or, if you’d rather stir with a stick, a five-speed manual. Thanks to Garrett, we were able to peel off a few quarter-miles in Detroit with an XR6 manual. Once your left hand learns to shift, it’s a 14.3-second ride with a trap speed of 98 mph while 60 mph passes in 5.9 seconds, the Barra roaring nicely to its 5900-rpm redline and the turbo whooshing hard. The power flows in a silky wave from the naturally balanced six, a gentle push at first that quickly grows into a linebacker’s shove once the big turbo gets its wind up. Minus the driver, there are 3849 pounds to stop, and the ABS disc brakes bring the Falcon down from 70 mph in a commendable 169 feet. The XR6 has familiar domestic-sedan dimensions and might pass unnoticed in Detroit but for the body-color aero add-ons, gaping nose ducts, and 17-inch five-spoke wheels inside 235/45 Dunlops. Once a native looks down the sides, it’s only seconds before he or she discovers the misplaced steering wheel and invariably asks, “What is that?” It’s a proper interior, for one thing, lined with squishable matte-finish moldings and sharp-acting buttons, and simple dials read with a quick glance. The XR6 trim treatment is subtle, just a few silver-painted swaths. Nothing feels penny-pinched or flimsy, especially the deeply bolstered bucket seats. Were this a cop car, the folding back seat would be a perp’s paradise. Despite the high driveshaft tunnel, there are scads of head- and legroom between the large taxi-duty doors. The deep trunk will swallow a full bullet-proof ensemble. What the marketers call the Falcon’s new “Control Blade IRS,” we call one big trailing link, two lateral links, and a toe-control link. It’s all mounted to a drop-in subframe because the Falcon wagon still rides on a live axle and leaf springs. Compared with Ford’s main Australian rival, the Expensive Daewoo Commodore (the basis for the Pontiac GTO) with its semi-trailing-arm rear suspension, the Control Blade is space-age stuff. Brutally rough roads can unsettle the mechanism, the body skittering sideways with repeated hammer blows from the pavement. Otherwise, the stiff structure dissipates much of what the suspension doesn’t soak up. Screw the wheel, and the XR6 responds fervently, the nose tucking into corners and the rear end staying planted. Safety still reigns: With the power turned on, the rear end barely twitches and the front rubber plows more readily when the corner speeds get warm. The mediocre 0.82-g skidpad run was performed with the front tires turned at agonizingly high angles. Serve it just medium spicy, and this bird tastes much better. Enquiring minds want to know why Ford thinks you’d rather drive a Taurus, especially now that American streets are prowled by Hemi-powered Chrysler 300Cs. Ford has an answer, mostly with front drive and all-wheel drive. It has the 2005 Five Hundred and then the Mazda 6–based sedan known until recently as the Futura (oddly, Pep Boys owns the rights to the former Ford name). The Falcon missed its window for the U.S. market years ago, the millions already spent by people paid to make other plans. Unless you plan a move to Australia, better just turn the page and forget everything you’ve seen here. Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan Price as tested: $38,850 (base price: $36,065) Engine type: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 243 cu in, 3983cc Power (SAE net): 322 bhp @ 5250 rpm Torque (SAE net): 332 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Wheelbase: 111.4 in Length/width/height: 193.5/73.4/56.9 in Curb weight: 3849 lb Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 sec Zero to 100 mph: 15.1 sec Zero to 120 mph: 21.8 sec Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.2 sec Standing 1/4-mile: 14.3 sec @ 98 mph Top speed (governor limited): 143 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g Fuel economy, city driving: 19 mpg C/D-observed fuel economy: 12 mpg *Base price includes all performance-enhancing options.

It's just a design study, thank goodness. :lol:

That is the Ford Freestyle, it's the station wagon version of the upcoming Five Hundred sedan. Neither share any engineering with the Territory. It will only be offered with a 200HP V6, in front or all-wheel-drive, with an optional continuously variable transmission (no gears, infinite ratios, better fuel economy). It'll be in the same class as the Subaru Outback, or Forester and shares styling cues with the new F-150.