FPV and Falcon GT being axed ahead of factory close

[Jag530G]

Wouldn't surprise me! Would have been nice to see an intercooled, beefed up GT. The potential is clearly evident from all the after market upgrades and tuning shops getting easy power. It's a shame FPV didn't do it 'right' straight from the start!

What did FPV do so wrong? There is nothing that FPV can do about a chassis that isn't strong enough, that goes back to the basic engineering of the car, Ford were designing a family car not a super car. HSV have been better served by the VE/VF being stronger cars to begin with and therefore can credible handle 430KW and 740Nm from the factory.

As for the aftermarket tuners and their customers, they don't care whether the chassis can handle more power, let alone be ADR/Emission compliant, they just want more power.

Cheers, Matthew

[JimmyXR6T04]

What did FPV do so wrong? There is nothing that FPV can do about a chassis that isn't strong enough, that goes back to the basic engineering of the car, Ford were designing a family car not a super car. HSV have been better served by the VE/VF being stronger cars to begin with and therefore can credible handle 430KW and 740Nm from the factory.

As for the aftermarket tuners and their customers, they don't care whether the chassis can handle more power, let alone be ADR/Emission compliant, they just want more power.

Cheers, Matthew

I'm simply saying that the GT 335 should have been what the current R-Spec is right from the get go, proper suspension, wider tyres and maybe some more features... Not blaming them for any chassis problems. In the real world, i doubt that people running bigger power/torque would see any firewall problems as found by FPV during their testing when they upped the power.

Their testing would have been so much more vigorous than any street driving, so perhaps only the people who are constantly at the drags loading it up with drag tyres will have any issues.

Edit: As we all know, the GT puts out about 375kw from the factory anyway... Badging it as such probably would have done a fair bit for the marketing and promotion... Especially if it was spec'd like the R-Spec from the start.

[Pickles]

Hey Pickles any links or pics of said prototype? Would love to see what Prodrive would have created.

No, nothing like that, I wouldn't think anyone would.
I heard it from someone who was involved on an executive level at the time.
Cheers, Pickles.

[calais190]

Edit: As we all know, the GT puts out about 375kw from the factory anyway... Badging it as such probably would have done a fair bit for the marketing and promotion... Especially if it was spec'd like the R-Spec from the start.

It seems as though ford threw in the towel years ago when it comes to marketing. Badging their GT with a 335 sticker was like getting an excavator out to dig your own grave. I have no idea what the rationale behind that was, but I believe it was outright stupid. HSV come out with the GTS, tell the world about its 430kw output and people fell of their chairs. There hasn't been this much hype behind a GTS since the VX with the 300kw C4B (at the time, a sedan with power to rival the best).

It's a shame that Ford are in the situation they are, but in my opinion, they've never tried to help themselves crawl out of the grave they dug. It's sad especially when the FPV range is the best they ever had. The die hard ford fans are hanging for this new model and are talking about it like Fors have reinvented the wheel. But why would a company with no money, that has a car which will no longer exist after 2016, which only sell 500 units per month, dump every last cent they have into the falcon, a car nobody wants?

As discussed, the commodore is not far behind. But we are very lucky holden decided to follow many of the clever euro trends when building a performance car and gave us cars that truly perform (and not just in a straight line).

RIP FPV and the Falcon. It was nice while it lasted.

[JimmyXR6T04]

Yep, agreed... If FPV badged their GT at 375kw, it would have created a lot more hype for the brand. Maybe 375kw was too politically incorrect in 2010!! Who knows. The hype about the GTS is so big because to the general public it looks like a near 100kw leap, when we all know it's no where near that in the real world.

Having said that, the GTS is now the pinnacle i believe. The GT is awesome for a family car that goes like stink, the GTS takes it up another few levels on the track.

My plan is to park my GT 335 in the shed after 5 years and use it as a weekend thrill, keeping it for kids... My new car will probably be a GTS, but having said that i'd also like a 'last of' XR8... won't seem like much point if it has the same engine as my GT though..

It seems as though ford threw in the towel years ago when it comes to marketing. Badging their GT with a 335 sticker was like getting an excavator out to dig your own grave. I have no idea what the rationale behind that was, but I believe it was outright stupid. HSV come out with the GTS, tell the world about its 430kw output and people fell of their chairs. There hasn't been this much hype behind a GTS since the VX with the 300kw C4B (at the time, a sedan with power to rival the best).

It's a shame that Ford are in the situation they are, but in my opinion, they've never tried to help themselves crawl out of the grave they dug. It's sad especially when the FPV range is the best they ever had. The die hard ford fans are hanging for this new model and are talking about it like Fors have reinvented the wheel. But why would a company with no money, that has a car which will no longer exist after 2016, which only sell 500 units per month, dump every last cent they have into the falcon, a car nobody wants?

As discussed, the commodore is not far behind. But we are very lucky holden decided to follow many of the clever euro trends when building a performance car and gave us cars that truly perform (and not just in a straight line).

RIP FPV and the Falcon. It was nice while it lasted.

[185iboy]

I can still see Ford managing to bring out a FH GT. No point killing the FG GT market now by telling them there will be a last one because of course there will be. A car like that just doesn't go out like it is now. I was assured there would be a next GT from someone I can trust so that's what I'm going to wait for. Even if it's a sticker special XR8 with brembos and 350kw. If that fails it will have to be a G6ET with bi-xenons.

[JimmyXR6T04]

I too think they'll bring out an FH GT. It just won't be an FPV GT... If that does happen, i just hope i'll get a decent change over on my 2013 GT!! On the same token, i don't know that ford will really want to make new body kits, and everything else that makes the GT unique... It would make a lot more financial sense to simply stick with the XR brand.

Part of me hopes that the GT ends with the FG FPV, and it's simply the XR8 from here on in...