FPV F6 Typhoon Road Test
July 7, 2007 by Paul Maric
After driving the HSV Clubsport R8, what better than to punt it against one of the best from the FPV stables – the F6 Typhoon.
When you look at the power and torque figures these two boast, the match up seems slightly unfair. On one hand there is the bellowing LS2 juggernaut from the lion’s den, whilst on the other hand there is a seemingly quaint inline six-cylinder – from the blue oval – with a blow dryer attached. Surely a whiney, turbocharged taxi is no match for a man’s brute with a dirty big V8?
Well…that’s what I thought – until I set foot in the ‘phoon.
The interior’s nothing to write home about, it looks much like any other Falcon’s interior, only adding a sports steering wheel, gauge pod (with boost and oil pressure) and fancy starter button. The difference lies within the handling and sheer performance characteristics.
Although the Typhoon only produces 270kW of power, it’s good for a staggering 550Nm of torque – identical to the HSV’s 6.0-litre V8. All that torque comes on hard and bloody strong from around 2000RPM, all the way to redline – which isn’t actually marked on the tachometer funnily enough.
One thing’s for certain, you’ve got to be on your best behavior when steering the ‘phoon. It’s got to be one of the liveliest cars on the road. With a set of 245-wide licorice strips at the rear, it constantly grapples for grip. Nail it from a standing start and watch as the traction control light flashes like mad until you back off the throttle. The noise this thing makes under full-throttle acceleration is enough to give any motoring tragic a hard-on. It sounds like a jet fighter gathering all its breath, right before slamming a tidal wave of torque into the driver and passenger’s chests.
The exhaust has been tuned within earshot of perfection and lets out a billowing wail under acceleration. On top of that, the noise from inside the car is just as good, giving the driver that feeling of excitement. The HSV on the other hand doesn’t sound as good from outside in comparison to the ‘phoon, but that’s nothing a new exhaust won’t fix (click to check out the HSV Clubsport R8 review with TOMCAT exhaust).
The regular 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder makes plenty of torque to begin with, adding a turbo is just downright naughty. After getting acquainted with both vehicles, we set off to the hills to see what the HSV Clubsport R8 and FPV F6 Typhoon were all about.
Not long after setting off, it’s obvious that the FPV’s steering is quite heavy in comparison to the HSV. That’s not such a bad thing though, both vehicles have perfectly sculpted steering wheels to allow plenty of grip space, along with room for turning when pegging through bends. In comparison, the HSV’s steering is as light as a feather, the ‘phoon allows the driver to feel the road and know exactly what the tyres are doing.
The brakes are far from an afterthought. The cross-drilled Brembo stoppers used on the Falcon do a phenomenal job of keeping everything in check. During the run through the mountains, they never showed any sides of fade or lack of pedal feel, reiterating the car’s ability throughout braking intensive courses.
A six-speed gearbox is common to both vehicles, but only one stood out in all aspects of driving. Ford’s ZF gearbox (produced by ZF Sachs) did a stellar job of powering the ‘phoon through stop-start city traffic and also through nail biting twists and bends. The seemingly bulletproof gearbox shifted quickly and precisely and always seemed to be in the right gear. During harder driving, the sport mode intelligently chooses the right gear and can even hold gears indefinitely if required. During hard braking, the gearbox actively shifts into a lower gear to aid braking and also allowing maximum power out of corners after the braking effort.
Although the Typhoon has a potent ability to light up the rears, it managed to drill all the power down to the ground when tackling the twisty stint of road, testament to the car’s handling dynamics. Body roll was slightly more prevalent in comparison to the Clubsport, but that’s nothing a firm set of springs wouldn’t fix.
The driving positions are totally different in both vehicles. The HSV has the driver slung low to the ground, whilst the ‘phoon sits the driver high up – very high up in fact. It takes a little while to get used to the FPV as the driving position feels almost unnatural to begin with. After a few clicks it becomes second nature. Neither driving position – in the HSV or FPV – is better nor worse, it’s just something that was quite evident when driving both vehicles back to back.
In terms of straight line performance, the R8 and Typhoon don’t get any closer. Off the line, the Typhoon battles for grip as the turbo force-feeds air into the engine, but once it gets moving, they both unilaterally accelerate to 100 clicks per hour. Through the corners, it’s a similar story. Both of the vehicles grip tight and drill down power without many dramas. The only gripe lies with the ‘phoon’s mild amount of body roll.
At $61,810, the FPV F6 Typhoon undercuts the Clubsport R8 by some $1,000. But, the Typhoon misses out on several features that should be mandatory on this type of vehicle – such as an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and rear parking sensors, which are both standard on the HSV Clubsport R8.
Although we didn’t get a reply from Ford during the production of the article, it’s believed that FPV haven’t fitted DSC to the FPV range due to the extensive engineering and testing requirements that need to take place before such a sophisticated system is prepared. As such, we think that Ford will simply wing it until the 2008 Falcon arrives, which should – if Ford’s thinking clearly – be fitted with DSC as standard equipment throughout the range.
Click for larger version
Overall, both of these cars offer brilliant bang for your buck. On one hand you have a deep-throated growling V8; whilst on the other lies an air-snorting turbocharged six. At the end of the day, the only choice you need to make is your brand allegiance, as both of these things will annihilate almost anything off the lights, this side of $80,000.
At the end of the day though, the HSV manages to offer more equipment – both in terms of safety and features – than the FPV. But, only so much can be expected when you consider this series of Falcons has been around for nigh on six years, whilst the E-series HSV range has only been around for about 6-months. If you’re a Ford tragic though, there’s no going past this intoxicating force-fed six. If the noise won’t do it for you, the aggressive looks and potent driving experience is bound to.
CarAdvice rating (out of 5): 
- by Anthony Crawford and Paul Maric
Print it: 
0 
0 
Goog is a liar he never owned a Ford his hand is stuck on his rod, daddy wouldn\’t allow this to happen anyway, the only reason his saying that is to put Ford down, but he fully knows Holdenwoo has the worse record for warranty claims and quality problems…
oi greg u fuckhead and ud no everything dont u.. yes i no holden have more claims but hey if u knew something that theres so many more holdens on the road then ford ayy.. and you ford fags why use say holdenwoo its sounds so damn gay.. and yes we did have a xr8 because did liked the look of the ba-bf over the vy and he wanted a change 2 see how ford are these days.. but we aint going back.. so yeah just maybe we did have bad luck but we had a xr8 ute
Goog, sorry I find it hard to believe that a new Falcon required a new engine after 450kms due to electrical problems.
I’ve lost count how many Falcon taxi’s have clocked well over half a million kms (and are still in reasonable condition).
Anyway goog is too young to drive, he admitted he’s 16.
I allways knew he was making up the part about his daddy’s Ford braking down brand new, if he’s such a Holden fan, why did he even buy a Ford in the first place? Thats why I asked him If hes a Holden fan, why did he even buy a Ford?
Goog. I’d watch my self if I where you, making up dark lies isn’t good for you.
guys i am being dead serious.. we got it because it looked nice and we were ready for a change. trust me people do it not just all holden all there life.. just like my uncle has a xr6 ute now and ordered a ssv ute. he having a change and see how the holdens are.. alot of people do it guys. and yes only 450 ks, it did get flogged a bit but still how come it wouldnt go after not even 500ks it beats me. so we got it towed back to melbourne and got given a new engine and wiring loom and the rest of it.. but i being serious this did happen we did get it because heard the bf was a good car like the ba so we thought wwe would give it a go..
Im very confused u can buy a fpv typhoon F6 and it is cheaper than a fpv GT but the typhoon F6 is still faster (tyhpoon o-100 km is 5.9 secs for an Auto and GT is 0-100km is 6.3 secs for an Auto).
yeah because the gt is a more refined and it does hold that gt badge. and it has bigger brakes and does have the big v8 in it. alot of more upper spec stuff is it the gt
i wonder what price they’ll sell the current model in the runout before the 08 model?
Rod Barrett has stated that FPV aren’t about discounts. His strategy atm while waiting for Orion is to release special editions. ie. 40th Anniversary GT, GT Cobra, R-Spec Typhoon. But he doesn’t want FPV to be known as a “Special Edition” company either. Those tactics are purely to tide them through till Orion is released (and it seems to be working, the Cobra sold like hot cakes).
So I can’t see discounts happening except possibly on the very last run out models. If I weren’t so dead-set on an Orion ‘phoon I would consider saving some money with a run out FPV.
stripes are for girls, thats why ford leads the way in that domain. what ive found with my ford is that it keeps bloody breaking down. very unreliable car and absolutely not worth the money and attention. i traded the piece of shit in for a 2007 hsv gts.
You traded your piece of s..t 2007 gts in for a Phoon.Good move!!haha
Stripes are for girls….gee I hope your not in a room with 400 Cobra owners ever mate!
the correct times 0-100 for the Typhoon is 5.2sec \ which is only 0.2 behind ur 2007 GTS……(0-100KM isnt about KW its about torque) which the GTS and Typhoon have 550Nm
Goog the only holden with orange \ red Dash is the SS-V
HSV / Holden doesnt offer it on anything else…. the SS-V does 0-100 in 5.7 secs which is the same time as a 2007 Ford XR6 Turbo (Auto – ZF) the only HSV/Holden to beat Typhoon to 100 is the GTS which is like 70-80k and the typhoon only 55-60k…..
the tyhoon is cheaper because its all about Speed.. the GT is more expensive as its got more in it standard thats all and its not just about speed, its about the GT badge and the mean look…..
When it comes down to Holden / Ford and how long they last…. its the way its treated i have a 2004 BA XR6 with 65,000 on the clock…no problems at all!!!!! if i remeber correctly you would have been told when u picked up ur new XR8 they would of told u to take it easy for the 1st 750km and then go crazy for the next 750km to run the engine in so these issues dont arise!!!!!
typhoon is a great car… in my eyes the Best Australian built Car….. not the best in the world by far… when the best cars in the world are like 300K+ and the best cars is worth 2million!!!!
saying all this i cant wait ti see the 300Kw+ / 575Nm 2008 typhoon line up againest the GTS…. then we will see….
Some great points Chopstar……not to mention the price difference…….Im sure if you ask FPV to bolt on some after market headers at a cost of $1200…you would pick that .2 of a second up easily and still have enough to spare on a cheap run around around to boot! Or just blow the rest on it and really nail its arse!!!!!
QUOTE Hotdog=”stripes are for girls, thats why ford leads the way in that domain. what ive found with my ford is that it keeps bloody breaking down. very unreliable car and absolutely not worth the money and attention. i traded the piece of shit in for a 2007 hsv gts.”
I very much doubt you’ve ever had a Ford because you come across as a simple hater.
Didn’t `70s Monaro’s have stripes? Don’t some of the hotter VE’s have stripes?
the aceleration times arent necessarily testament to power and torque. Its the gearing, final drive, how torque and power are delivered. example being in either wheels or motor, they tested a Ford GTX-1 (supercharged GT40) with a Saleen S7. Saleen S7 was lighter and had more power and torque. and you know what? in-gear acceleration Ford won each time except in the highest gear. I recon Turbo 6 cylinder has all the chances of beating a naturally aspirated V8. FPV F6 Typhoon won against its contemporary counterweight VY/VZ R8 in every comparison (wheels/motor mags). Orion will fight the E-Series HSV. It will be quiet a battle…
Thats what I thought too Watto!
Hi BM. Have a good xmas? I didn’t get my ‘phoon :-( , maybe Santa will bring it late (mid-yearish?) lol.
Also, didn’t some HDT Brock Commodores have stripes? I wouldn’t call those pansy cars (I don’t see why gender should factor into it).
hay lets admit it the typhoon and the ve gts are both 2 very nice cars ………….
personly i think the phoon is better cause its just different its always been about v8 v8 v8 v8 and if its not v8 it cant compete with the top dogs and when u always talk to a holden fan all they can come up with is that the holden is better because its a 6L v8 compared to fords 5.4 well lets see who will be hapier when they r at the pertol station hehe i think turbo more ausrtailan instead of us just being more americanised and going for v8s only. nothin wrong with turbo 6
as said above it doesnt take much to go faster different diff ratios are the best way makes big difference
fpv superior to holden !!!!!
Hay I have just got a F6 bf2 R Spec build No 190,only done 320ks in it so I have not opened it up yet.
Can anybody tall me how meany came to New Zealand ? also what it will do 0-100 0-180 In the owners maual it is ltd to 250
HEY MARK CONGRATS,MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO GUTTERS NEARBY WHEN YOU OPEN HER UP!IVE HAD MY F6 FOON FOR 2 YEARS AND I STILL SHIT MYSELF
Haha I’m not suprised Autolec. Great cars guys.
Lucky pair of buggers ;-)
i bought my ba mk 11 f6 second hand , all the work was done from the previous owner he quotes around 7k he spent it currnetly has 353rwkw. i keep trying to kill it but so far it seems bullet proof , i’ve had it for nearly 10 000km and the only real downfall is the heat these things are pigs on a stinking hot australian day. i love the fact that everytime i drive this car it has something different but on the otherside of the coin is very unpredictable based on the temp/humidity etc. and for the oval vs lion idiots … stop turning every open forum into a childish game i was enjoying reading the feed back on this article until that junk started. i have been in quick holdens and fords they are both amazing. but nothing beats the sound of forced induction
tututualk to you later bring on factory blown fpv gt
oh PS there is a vid of me f6 60-160 on youtube its the really poor quality video type f6 or fpv or something, my usename is gunXR .. (used to have the XR8 ) also a lovely machine but doesnt have the same shock value of taking someone for a joyride in the F6 lol.
I’m just going to say one thing here, and it’s what everyone’s thinking.
“Goddamn fanboys”.
Seriously, if you need to have a go at people and get shirty because of their choice of car, all it means is that YOU are insecure about YOUR choice of car. If you really, clearly knew it was the best, you wouldn’t be getting so defensive.
Don’t be such a dick.
Yes, I’m looking at you Hotdog, FordFutureDriven, Goog, Adrian, Mike,
And Ross, stop being a spelling nazi. All it does is highlight that your argument is so weak you have to attack the presentation, because you can’t put a scratch on the idea.
Ross. You harp on about BA falcon winning Wheels Car of The Year. Don’t forget the Holden Camira, VN Commodore and (Heaven Forbid) Leyland P76 won this fabulous award. Wheels would’nt know sh*t from butter as far as I’m concerned. I take what they say and do the exact opposite. Has worked so far for the last 20 years so why change a winning formula!
^The same with The VT Commodore? OR VE?
Holden sucks. Typhoon kicks ass.Cant wait for the 310kw version to come out damm its gonna hammer holdens ass hard
^Not the GT or GT-P! HSV R8 and GTS are way better than the GT/GT-P!
Yeah but as F6 says the New Typhoon is an awesome car with enough potential power n performance to put the V8s from both Ford/FPV & Holden/HSV to shame.. particularly as Holden don’t have a direct rival for the Typhoon…. ATM.
However; that is likely to change when the new Direct Injection Twin Turbo Optimised [DITTO] V6; which similar to the one in the Torana is released in a couple of years with the new VF Commodore
Wheelnut,
yes at that time they will have a direct competitor,
but it will still be no match for the I6 Turbo.
it will be a sad day when the I6 Turbo production stops.
it will be a well sought after engine i reckon.
apparently the new TT V6 ford will get is a pretty good engine, but we will wait and see.
it still wont match the effortless grunt of the I6 though
In october NZ Autocar they test the F6 and it does 0-100 k.p.h. in 4.82 seconds and 80-120 in a remarkable 2.64 seconds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A few issues back in a comparo between GTP and R8 (the GTP is $1k cheaper in NZ)they also got 80-120 in 2.95s for the GTP. Heres what they had to say:
“It scored a G6ET equalling 5.28 (0-100)…the best figure we’ve achieved from a production Aussie V8 to date…..80-120 in 2.95s…anything that gets into the 2s is wickedly quick” .”Get it to 3500rpm and it explodes into action”
“[The R8 doesn't have] the emphatic boost of bravado the Boss displays when its on cam” R8 0-100 in 5.30 & 80-120 in 3.17. …R8 felt slower”
“GTP 15.1L/100k v R8 18plusL/100k”
“LS3 is starting to show its age”
“THE VERDICT…If forced to choose, it would be the FPV for its superior powertrain, but you’d be mad not to drive the F6 before deciding”
NZ Autocar do the performance testing properly, by using a Vbox and 98RON fuel.
I good to see that guys are so passionate about cars.
As a bystander who likes & hates both ford and holden.
I think the F6 and the HSV and good/bad points but I think that the Aussie cars need to get the inside of cars up todate. We spend most of our time inside and yet a ford is big dials and plastic and the holdens arent too far behind. The European and some Jap cars are far more superior. Yes I want Aussie cars to stay but get with the picture and start upgrading the comfort levels and factory standards. As a performance car driver I think if you are paying extra for the power you shouldnt get a car that looks like the base model inside.
Typhoon is really cool, i actually have a stock XT with a complete running gear from a Typhoon including brakes and suspension, looks like a normal car on the outside, but once you peek at the 20″ wheels you’ll see the braking package and once you look at the back you’ll see a chrome tip exhaust and once u hear it, its like a Typhoon F6, though i am running 502kW/970Nm at the fly-wheel on a stock motor and internals with larger inter-cooler, all tuned up, full exhaust 3.0″ all the way. I am happy with 3.7s 0-100km/h time.
HSV all the way. And to some idiot before stripes dont make you go any quicker and the way they are painted on the f6 actually make the car look worse than better. Kinda like the peugeot bonnet scoop, tiny little thing on drivers side only lol.
Sorry, this is a PS – I forgot to mention how dumb it is to release the new F6 and drop the “Typhoon” model name. Who’s great idea was that? – All it has achieved is to further reduce values for previous BA/BF F6’s!!!
Thanks fellas, as I said before, FPV seems intent on being a one off customer attraction. Inidently, it proved also very useful for Ford to drop Fordfinance, further discouraging a repeat visit. Great cars, but the Ford management is ‘dumb as dogs..t! See Ya.
Ford should have brought this model 3 years ago…… The shape and interior look and feels old.
Love that straight 6 Turbo Engine….ashamed about the quality finished..you would think they would have learn something from their Focus!
i own a 5.4L manual XT barra220 and its quick! can’t go wrong with that set up 5 speed + 5.4 with loads of torque.