Ford Performance Vehicles' new range of Ford FG Falcon-derived super sedans and utes is mind-bendingly appealing. Big turbocharged or NA power, bright colors, and that menacing Alice Cooper eye makeup in front make for an entire farmer's market of forbidden fruit. Sure, on this side of the world, Ford's SVT performance division gives us the Shelby GT500 and the even more monstrous Shelby GT500KR -- but seriously, as hot as the factory super-Stangs are, the lineup of FPV rides you see above is hot enough to turn that desert sand into glass. Only, they can't -- because everything you see there is virtual. Both the backdrop and the cars are CGI. The photo-realistic vehicle models were created using the real cars' CAD data for a brand new FPV TV spot that premieres in Australia this Sunday. If you don't live in Oz, no worries -- FPV sent us a copy of the spot, which is now embedded after the jump for your enjoyment. And you will enjoy it. Right now, there's a void in our lives shaped like an all-black FPV F6, and this commercial's as close as we're going to come to filling it.
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FPV's seemingly endless rollout of its new FG Falcon-based lineup has finally culminated in the actual launch of the cars (how novel), which we've already touched upon. To that end, we'll keep this brief and turn you loose on the multiple new photo galleries now available (check out the rest after the jump). The FPV range encompasses both Falcon sedan and Ute bodystyles, and power comes from either the turbocharged F6 inline-six or the 5.4L Boss 315 V8. The six delivers 415 horsepower and a tire-humbling 416 lb-ft of torque. The eight's no slouch either, pumping out 422 horses (315 kW, hence the engine's name) and 406 lb-ft. A Tremec TR6060 6-speed stick is available across the full range of cars.
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Ford is getting ready for a battle in Australia for the hearts and minds of performance enthusiasts. Its new FPV Falcons will go head to head with what HSV offers from Holden, and today the Blue Oval from Down Under released officials specs for its souped up, gnarly-looking rear-wheel-drive sedans. First we have the F6, which is powered by the familiar turbocharged 4.0L straight-six engine now producing 416 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at just 1,950 rpm. That's a 54-horsepower increase over the prior straight six, and matches up surprisingly well with Ford's other engine offering, the 5.4L Boss V8 producing 422 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque at a loftier 4,750 rpm. The Boss motor can be had in the GT E, GT-P and GT sedans, as well as the Super Pursuit and Pursuit Ute. The exceptional straight-six meanwhile, is only offered in the F6 sedan and ute.
Let's compare what Ford revealed today with the offerings from Holden's HSV. Currently the Clubsport R8 is HSV's most high-performance sedan, and it's powered by an LS3 6.2L V8 producing 425 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Ford has pretty much matched HSV in the motor department then, and the new Falcon looks like it might weigh less to boot. But HSV dropped a bomb at the Melbourne Motor Show named the HSV W427, which is a version of the Clubsport R8 powered by GM's LS7 V8 producing 496 horses and 472 pound feet of torque. Hopefully Ford Australia has an answer for that up its sleeves, too.
Despite how it might seem, all the action at the Melbourne motor show is not happening over at the Holden and HSV stands. Dearborn's Australian outpost put on its brass knuckles too and is teasing Melbourne showgoers with Ford Performance Vehcie's latest, greatest muscle. The arrival of the new FG Falcon means that a full lineup of FPV variants follows, and the new F6, GT and Super Pursuit ute are all on display. Like HSV, which hasn't announced power numbers for its W427, FPV is keeping the stats for its new machinery under wraps for now.
We're confident that the numbers will match the cars' gloriously extroverted looks. Colors out of a gumball machine, matte black accents, and stripe packages give the cars a vintage musclecar vibe. Big wheels, big brakes and all the requisite badges and bulges complete the look. The F6 (above) is particularly evil, with its black wheels, "eye black," and visible intercooler. The interiors of all the cars appear to be very well-detailed, with snazzy instrumentation, sharp looking accessories (look at the shift knob), and very inviting seats.
As with the higher-end standard FG Falcons, power comes from either a turbo inline-six or a beefy Boss V8. FPV takes those already-impressive engines and makes them even more imposing. We know we have the Mustang and its impressive Shelby-badged factory specials, but man, what we wouldn't give for some of this Aussie muscle. We'll be eagerly awaiting the official June launches.
FPV will tease everyone with its new lineup of FG Falcon-based sedans and Utes at the Melbourne show, but the tech specs will remain under wraps until sometime closer to June, when the tire-shredders are scheduled to launch. We do know some things, though. As before, power will come from turbo inline-sixes or brawny V8s stuffed under the decaled, domed hood (at least in the case of the wicked FPV GT, above, which has a Boss V8 lurking under there).
Gone are all the Ford badges, too. In their place are oval FPV insignias, which make it crystal clear that these are not mere Falcons. The front fascia on the GT is menacing, with "eye black" under the G-Series-style headlamps (hence the Alice Cooper reference), and a pronounced honeycomb lower bumper insert. The offset GT grille badge carries over from past models. Additional matte black decals can be found on the sides of the car, and beefy (probably 19") 5-spoke wheels hide Brembo stopping power. The new FPV roster lets buyers choose manual or automatic transmissions at no additional cost. Hey Alan Mulally, CAFE-schmafe -- move the steering wheel over and send this to America so we can have the big, bad V8 Interceptor we all want. As for Australia, those GM guys at HSV better prepare for some stiff, new competition.
Introduced at last year's Sydney Motor Show, the Ford territory-based FPV F6X has launched Down Under. It's just another in the string of Oztacular FPV products exclusive to the island continent, and it is the first FPV machine that isn't based on the Falcon sedan or ute. With looks that are reminiscent of the Freestyle/Taurus X, the all-wheel-drive F6X won't ever be confused for either thanks to its turbocharged 362 hp (270 kw), 405 lb-ft (550 nm) inline six and the performance it brings. The suspension is ret-uned for sport duty and the 18-inch rims hide upgraded brakes, featuring 6-pot Brembos in front, which heel the beast when necessary. Inside, a spiffy two-tone leather motif is standard, and outside, exclusive badging and optional striping are all part of the appearance package. Overall, it's pretty cool. The same can't be said for its price: $75,990 AUD is the starting number -- no small amount of cabbage for our Australian friends. Note to Ford: See? If you offered more cool stuff like this in the US, the brass wouldn't be reduced to making Homer Simpson jokes about the current product. TwinForce EcoBoost Taurus X SHO... do it already.
