Carscoop: Ford Falcon

Showing posts with label Ford Falcon. Show all posts

2011 Ford Territory: Redesigned Australian Crossover Teased

Ford Motor Corp.'s Australian division has released a teaser illustration of its new-look 2011 Territory, some six months ahead of the crossover's market launch. The current Territory is based on the underpinnings of the local market Falcon sedan and was first introduced in Australia in 2004 having received some subtle updates throughout its production life.

It is believed that the 2011 Territory will continue to make use of current model's platform adding fresh styling inside and out, plus a number of technology highlights, including the introduction of turbo-diesel power.

"The Ford Territory set a new benchmark when it was first released and it is set to achieve this again – and more," said Bob Graziano, President and CEO of Ford Australia. "This is an exceptional SUV. It wears an exciting new look and will boast an extensive list of technical highlights. The Ford Australia team is taking the Territory to an all-new level of performance, refinement and quality, and customers will definitely experience these advancements when they drive it."

Although Ford did not get into any details on the powertrain options in the press release, the company had previously announced that the updated Territory would benefit from the introduction of the Ford and Peugeot-Citroen PSA co-developed 2.7-liter V6 turbo diesel engine.

There's also a strong possibility that Ford may add its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine to the range, as the new powerplant has already been confirmed for the Australian market Falcon.

The company also noted that in the next 18-months, approximately 85 percent of the entire Ford Australia new-model catalog will either be replaced or updated. New models planned for Australia include the latest iteration of the Focus and the Aussie-designed Ranger pickup truck, which was recently revealed at the Sydney Motor Show.

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http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/12/2011-ford-territory-redesigned_14.html

Ford to Unveil All-New Ranger Pickup Truck and FPV Falcon with Supercharged V8 at Sydney Motor Show

This year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, which runs October 15 -24, will see Ford taking the wraps off an all-new generation of its Ranger compact pickup truck. The new Ranger will be joined by Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) first-ever supercharged V8 Falcons, and the Aussie debuts of the current Focus RS and Fiesta Sedan.

The new Ranger, which has been developed in Australia and will go on sale in 180 global markets, is a sister model to the new Mazda BT-50 (also set to make its world premiere in Sydney). Ford said that the new compact pickup truck will be offered with a new family of engines with "impressive gains in power and fuel economy". More intel and photos will be released closer to the Sydney motor show.

Continuing with the rest of Ford's debuts, the 305HP Focus RS will be offered in the country in a limited number of 315 units, while the new Fiesta four-door sedan will be available in both diesel and petrol versions.

As for FPV's Falcon-based performance models, both the GT and GS cars get a new supercharged engine based on the Mustang's 5.0-liter V8 unit kicking out 449HP and 422HP respectively (read more here). According to Ford, albeit the base of the new FPV V8 engine is imported from the USA in component form, each unit is hand-assembled locally by FPV in Melbourne, using Australian-made components.

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/09/ford-to-unveil-all-new-ranger-pickup.html

Burnin' gas and kickin' ass: Ford Australia Supercharges 5.0 V8 for FPV Falcon

The Ford vs. GM war continues to rage in a theater of Kangaroo meat and toilets that flush counter-clockwise. In order to give Holden (aka GM) a kick in the Down Under, Ford Australia recently dropped a load of forced induction all over its delectable Falcon GT. Unfortunately there are no cosmetic updates because all the money was spent on the engine. Rock and roll.

Ford Performance Vehicles, owned by Ford Australia and Prodrive, fell over itself to find a suitably-powered replacement for its retiring 5.4-liter.

After musing about the possibilities of twin-turbos, they decided to add a supercharger to the 5.0 instead; with it come improved cooling/fuel delivery, an active exhaust, and all the other tidbits necessary to make the car production-ready without grenading itself all over the asphalt.

The lighter, imported 5.0-liter V8 now puts down a nasty 335 kW / 449 hp and 570 Nm / 420 lb-ft, 10 kW / 13 hp more than anything HSV (Holden Specialty Vehicles) has on tap.

In a show of pure honesty, FPV says its base Falcon GS models will come with a differently-tuned mill putting down a mere 315 kW / 422 hp and 550 Nm / 406 lb-ft, less than HSV's vehicles. Speaking of honesty, read how Australian execs talk shop about their product and then try not to move south of the equator:

Bryan Mears, Prodrive managing director says: "When we looked at the Coyote as a straight fit into the engine bay it ticked a lot of boxes, but after a lot of deliberation we came to the conclusion that that engine [with no boost] in an 1800kg body was not going to tick the box of meeting FPV customers' performance expectations...The decision to supercharge the engine to give us the output we want is absolutely appropriate and correct for the way we see the company going forward with the product offerings we will have in the future.''
Bernie Quinn, FPV powertrain chief, said: "One thing we didn't want was to invest all that money and have sand kicked in our face by the opposition in any way, shape or form...So we went down the route of looking at forced induction for that engine...Typically you don't get the intake noise, that V8 sound quality, from a supercharged engine. So we knew that in order to make it sound like a V8 we'd have to do something very special. So we convinced the FPV board to spend a significant amount of money on tooling up and paying for an active exhaust system. So it's quiet when you need it to be quiet and it's loud every other time.'

Leave it to the Australians to tell it straight without any BS in the way (although mum's the word regarding speed/acceleration numbers). Whether it's because of the Road Warrior or something much crazier and deeper-rooted (also possibly Mel Gibson), Australian performance cars have been hauling ass for a long time and don't appear to be making any attempt to slow down.

It doesn't matter if it's turbocharged inline-sixes or supercharged V8s; we all now know where to go when the CAFE and the CARB and the hybrids and the hydrogens just get to be too constricting and the urge to melt rubber and destroy our grandchildren's environment gets too strong. Oz, here I come.

P.S. The 6-speed equipped models spend 13.6 L / 100 km (17.3 mpg), while automatics burn 13.7 L / 100 km (17.2 mpg). But really, who cares?

By Phil Alex

Via: Drive

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/09/burnin-gas-and-kickin-ass-ford.html

Ford Australia's Falcon Wagon to Bite the Dust in June, Replaced by Mondeo Wagon

In an ominous sign for the rest of the Falcon range, Ford Australia announced that the Falcon Wagon will be axed in June. Ironically, the announcement comes a few months before the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Australian Falcon that was launched onto the market in June of 1960.

Many Australians had anticipated the demise of the RWD Falcon Wagon after Ford's decision to tweak the older BA/BF version instead of presenting a new model based on the latest FG Falcon series.

"It's time to retire the Falcon wagon," said Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela said. "We have moved on."

And by "moved on", the Ford exec means that the company's Australian / New Zealand division will concentrate on the new FWD Mondeo station wagon.

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/03/ford-australia-falcon-wagon-to-bite.html

Ford Australia Revives Falcon GS Nameplate with Budget 405HP V8 Sedan and Ute Models

Named after the original Aussie model from the late 1960s, the Falcon GS sedan and ute models are the new entry-level products of Ford Performance Vehicles, otherwise known as FPV. Available in limited numbers, the new FPV GS is the budget series of the Falcon GT with both the sedan and ute being powered by a detuned version of the 5.4-liter V8 engine that now produces an output of 405HP (302kW) instead of 423HP (315kW). Peak torque remains the same at 551Nm or 406 lb-ft.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, a six-speed automatic transmission. Ford did not release performance specs for the GS Falcons.

Both Falcon GS models get specific race stripes, a charcoal cloth interior, FPV GT instrumentation, gear knob, starter button and badging while a premium sound system with iPod and Bluetooth integration, and dual zone climate control are also standard.

In addition, the GS sedan features 19-inch Graphite alloy wheels and a choice of six exterior color/stripe combinations, while the GS Ute gets 19-inch Alpine Silver alloys, an FPV soft tonneau and a choice of three exterior color/stripe combinations.

FPV said that production of the GS Series is limited to 250 sedans and 75 Utes, with prices set at $54,950 AUS and $49,950 AUS respectively.

"GS is another iconic badge in Ford's family history in this country," said FPV General Manager, Rod Barrett. "Our aim was to develop a model that provides the performance, prestige and individuality that is a signature of the FPV brand, with its own identifiable model personality, and all at a great price."

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/08/ford-australia-revives-falcon-gs_31.html

Ford Australia to offer Falcon RWD Sedan with 2.0-liter Turbo Four, Territory gets V6 Diesel

The first application of Ford's new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine in a rear-wheel drive vehicle will be on the Australian market Falcon sedan, the U.S.-based automaker announced today. The new powerplant that uses petrol turbocharged direct-injection technology will be available in Australia from 2011. According to the Ford, the new EcoBoost four-pot will "deliver the power and refinement of a six-cylinder" but with 15-20 percent better fuel economy than the firm's 4.0-liter straight-six engine.

The company also announced its plans to introduce the Ford and Peugeot-Citroen PSA co-developed 2.7-liter V6 turbo diesel engine to the Australian market Territory SUV. Ford said that the diesel powerplant will improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases compared to the 4.0-liter 6-cylinder petrol engine.

"Today's announcements put Ford Australia in a strong position for profitable growth in today's auto industry," said Marin Burela, President & CEO of Ford Australia. "We are ensuring our core Falcon and Territory vehicles will have the most advanced, high-tech and cleanest engines possible. At the same time, this represents the biggest environmental transformation in the fifty-year history of Ford Falcon by giving buyers the newest engine in the Ford Motor Company stable."

Aside from the turbocharged V6 diesel and four-cylinder engines, the company said that it will also present a new, more technologically advanced version of its LPG engine for the Falcon sedan.

Source: Ford -Thanks for the tip John.L

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/07/ford-australia-to-offer-falcon-rwd_24.html

Ford Australia to offer Falcon RWD Sedan with 2.0-liter Turbo Four, Territory gets V6 Diesel

Aside from the turbocharged V6 diesel and four-cylinder engines, the company said that it will also present a new, more technologically advanced version of its LPG engine for the Falcon sedan.

Source: Ford -Thanks for the tip John.L

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/07/ford-australia-to-offer-falcon-rwd.html

1971 Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3: Giga 1/8th Scale Die-Cast Model

Being somewhat of die-cast model collectors ourselves, we couldn't bypass the chance to tell you about this giga-sized, 1/8th scale replica of the 1971 Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III from 'Icon Models' that will be produced in a limited run of 1,000 units each priced at a hefty $1,295 AUD - that's about €700 or US$925. For non-Australian readers, the GTHO Phase II Falcon is one of the most iconic muscle cars from the land 'Down Under' reputed at its time to be the fastest production saloon in the world.

The actual '71 Falcon XY GTHO Phase III was powered by a modified 351 Cleveland V8 engine that produced somewhere around 380HP. Mated to a 4 speed manual-gearbox, the rear-wheel drive Falcon was said to reach 60mph (96km/h) in 6.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.2 seconds while its top speed was close to 230km/h (143mph). Only a mere 300 examples of the GTHO Phase III were built and fewer than 100 survive today. The past few years, prices for the much sought after Ford have skyrocketed to as high as AUD$800,000.

As for the die-cast version of the Aussie muscle car, the 60cm or 23.6-in. long 1/8th scale replica looks the part from the photos featuring many realistic details, but we'd like to see one up close before spending a grand on a die-cast model. According to the maker, the Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3 will be available during the thrid quarter of the year.

Link: Icon Models