Both cars should be able to accelerate from 0-100km/h without going beyond second gear
So the decision was made to adapt T56 across the top-end of the XR range as well. While the development process meant the manual XRs ended up with unique clutch housings, exterior housings and input and output shafts, in ratio terms only first gear is different, while the XR6T shortens its final drive from 3.46:1 to 3.73:1 and the XR8 from 3.23:1 to 3.46:1.
Both gearboxes are closer ratio now despite the extra gear, with a nine per cent reduction in spread for the turbo and 13 per cent for the V8. That means both cars should be able to accelerate from 0-100km/h without going beyond second gear, which Ford estimates will save a few tenths.
Not that it was claiming official acceleration times. Nor is it claiming fuel consumption improvements and only minor cruising speed differences compared to the old boxes.
We can tell you that the weight of the two top-end XRs does climb though, the turbo six by 19kg to 1751kg and the V8 by just two kg to 1797kg.
Compared to Holden’s manual shifters however, there are a variety of different ratios - that the XRs run twin rather than triple synchros on first and second (a feel improvement the blue oval argues) and a direct rather than indirect linkage (ditto).
DRIVE IMPRESSIONS:
WHAT a good car the BA Falcon is! After a couple of years out of the drivers’ seat, it was great to have a steer on last week’s MkII launch.
Considering there was no mechanical change to the base model XT or the Fairmont Ghia luxury model, driving those two literally was a refresher rather than an introduction to anything new.
That combination of Barra 182 inline 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine and BTR sequential shift auto is still a good thing, the chassis still as impressive a combination of ride and handling as ever, the exterior styling conservative but refined and the interior a comfortable place to be for extended periods of time.
It remains a benchmark car and one that we heartily recommend.
So that’s the refresher, what about the two models to which there has actually been some technical changes made?
XR6 Turbo first. The old Tremec T5 wasn’t much of a gearbox, straining at its limits to cope with the Barra 240T engine. At BA launch time we opined that the BTR four-speed auto with sequential shift auto was a better thing.
Now, we can reverse that. With its smooth but nicely mechanical shift combined with a well-chosen spread of ratios and a progressive clutch action, there is no doubt the manual XR6T is now the drivers’ car in the XR line-up.
A quality manual transmission allows you to control the XR6T’s significant power and even more significant torque levels that much more precisely, making it a better vehicle in all but the most serene of cruising modes than the auto.
Whether it be hunting up a mountain pass or going for a quick overtake, this classy engine now has a manual transmission worthy of being attached to it.
That allies with a more than competent chassis that offers high levels of grip, a flat stance and a decent ride. We’d just like a bit more meat in the steering.
Speaking of meat, there’s no doubt the XR8’s front-end now gets its teeth more sharply into the road when cornering. There’s still a feeling of excess weight though - that the front-end is pushing rather sooner than the turbo six.
Despite change in spring rates, we still feel the XR8 is more of a tourer than an outright sportster. And the change to the T56 sic-speed manual? Certainly an improvement but not quite as dramatic as XR6T.
But a worthwhile change for a worthwhile car.
In fact worthwhile is the word that springs to mind for the BA MkII range. Good cars these. For the most part no better, but they were pretty good to start with.