Fg Fpv Power Figures Officially Released

[senna_T]

2MUCHKW - can you remember what the next engine is that ford are using? Stick around until 2010 and you might get your wish, everything has its lifespan - the 4.0L has just about run its course

[Fat-Tony]

2MUCHKW it's not just Ford who are guilty of being behind the times. Expensive Daewoo finally got of their arses and designed a motor, although it's a torqueless wonder but consider the fact that Toyota have been using alloy engine blocks in such motors as teh 1uzfe (4l quad cam v8 with 6 BOLT MAINS) since the early 90s, it shows you who is following the trends and who is setting them. Lets face it Australian car manufactures are more interested in profit than actually doing something ground breaking, and I doubt that will ever change.

[2MUCHKW]

What's "bauxite in the ground" got to do with it? Most of it's sent OS before it gets to the smelting stage because it's too expensive to produce here with our electricity prices.

You should be a Politician bloke ... :laughrolling:

1/ Australian bauxite deposits are reknown as the highest quality in the world!!!

2/ "Australian electricity prices are almost the lowest in the world. Residential prices are 36% of those in Japan and a little over half of those in most of Europe. Industrial prices are 30% of Japan's and 60% of most European prices."

Any further reasons Tab for Ford to keep producing old school heavy cast iron engine blocks and steel car body panels in the year 2008 please let me know

[tab]

And which country produces the most aluminium? Where do they sit on your magic little graph?

The point I was trying to get at (albeit unsuccessfully) is that “bauxite in the ground” has got nothing to do with it. They’ll move to an alloy block in a few years to keep up with emissions compliance, in the mean time I’m content that they’ll keep producing a tried and proven product that has the added benefit of being produced locally.

[2MUCHKW]

And which country produces the most aluminium? Where do they sit on your magic little graph?

The point I was trying to get at (albeit unsuccessfully) is that “bauxite in the ground†has got nothing to do with it. They’ll move to an alloy block in a few years to keep up with emissions compliance, in the mean time I’m content that they’ll keep producing a tried and proven product that has the added benefit of being produced locally.

Ok so you wish to compare China's heavily government subsided production costs of electricity Yeah its nowhere on the graph for the actual true cost is unmeasurable and hence best left out of the comparison.

"In China, the State Power Corporation (SPC) was the dominant producer and supplier of electric power. Our price estimation results conclude capital costs of generation and transmission assets owned by the SPC were ignored in the process. Our studies indicate that electricity prices in China were highly subsidized and below the average total costs of generation and transmission".

The point I was trying to get at (albeit definitely unsuccessfully) is that Australia has sh*tloads of lightweight metal ores which could drastically reduce the weight of the Falcon if utilised! :titwave: Sure you may be content driving an 1800kg steel bodied car with a cast iron block but Falcons dwindling sales numbers depict Australians are buying LIGHTER & smaller more fuel efficent cars! Can you see the weight/fuel economy correlation to sales numbers which needs to be addressed not ignored?

Edited 18/04/08 03:34 PM by 2MUCHKW

[Evil F6]

not sure on power robbo, apparently it is a new gen engine - Venom XR6 would know a little bit more than me - I think it is a 6L

Personally I think manufacturers are in a spot of bother considering the amount of power they are already putting in current engines. The EB XR8 (I know it was weak) made 165kw, now the XR8 has 290! We really are getting towards the limits of what a manufacturer can produce a car with, and expect people not to kill themselves. that's my two cents anyway

So why is the road toll falling (and no it's nothing to do with speed cameras). Cars are more powerful than ever.

[Evil F6]

Agree 100% Zap

Australia has the largest deposit of Bauxite in the world yet Ford is too stupid to dig some up and make much lighter cars from it.

Ohhh I tell a lie ... Ford decide to manufacture the FG front wishbone assembly from aluminium and discovered they saved 22kg over the BF/BA :titwave:

Another 5 yrs and Ford may have aluminium bonnets and front guards even

Seriously Ford and Expensive Daewoo aren't even trying to reduce the weight of these cars. Am sure only a very small proportion of the FG development budget was allocated to weight reduction!!!

Dont hold your breath waiting for a lightweight Falcon from Ford

Friggin Mondeo weighs over 1600kg, only about 200kg more than the other cars in it's class. It's pretty papthetic knowing all the sh*t Expensive Daewoo got over the weight increase on the VE and the pathetic sales figures of big heavy gas guzzlers, that ford despite actually cutting weight in the engine bay by 32kg, managed to still make it 10kg heavier.

[TurboDewd]

What's "bauxite in the ground" got to do with it? Most of it's sent OS before it gets to the smelting stage because it's too expensive to produce here with our electricity prices.

My guess is that the big percentage of bauxite is smelted in Asia coz the aluminium is produced nearby for the local requirements.

Anyway, the reason Ford wont make the 4.0L have an aluminium block is because everything in the car industry worldwide is headed towards HUGE economies of scale where things like gearboxes are shared across dozens of models and several makes (such as the ZF 6-spd). This spreads fixed costs across millions of units and makes them cheaper.

So basically we get the V6 aluminium duratec because its being used in loads of Ford and Mazda models and maybe in other brands too.

Edited 18/04/08 10:13 PM by TurboDewd

[tab]

Preaching to the converted here Turbodewd.

The biggest aluminium producer is actually the USA, that mustn’t have shown up in the 2muchkw's google search that only resulted in a graph from eight years ago

[senna_T]

So why is the road toll falling (and no it's nothing to do with speed cameras). Cars are more powerful than ever.

Its a good point, but cars are getting safer and safer all the time - the reason why cars are heavier and more powerful. Also, not everyone drives a 350rwkw car everyday, performance enthusiasts are still the minority of road users on a day to day basis