Ford Falcon Spyshots Overview
July 6, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Here is an overview of all the Falcon spy shots and videos that have appeared on CarAdvice to date.
Listed from newest to oldest.
Computer Generated Images (CGI):
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion and FPV Orion Ute – 27th December
- Ford Falcon Orion XR8 CGI Images – 10th October
- Ford Falcon Orion CGI Images – 31st August
- Herald Sun Releases CGI Falcon pictures – 13th of July
Spy shots:
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion – Futura – 27th December
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion Ute – FPV – 27th December
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion Ute – Base Model – 27th December
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion – XR6 Turbo – 27th December
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion details – 12th December
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion spy photos – 10th November
- New 2008 Ford Falcon Orion Computer Generated Images – 13th of July
- 2008 Ford Falcon Orion Ute Interior Spied – 4th of July
- 2008 Ford Falcon GT Spied – 15th of June
- 2008 Ford Falcon Ute & XR6 – 8th of June
- 2008 Ford Falcon Spyshots 5th June
- 2008 Ford Falcon towing 4th of June
- 2008 Ford Falcon Rear Spyshots – 30th of May
- 2008 Ford Falcon Testing on Highway – 3rd of May
- 2008 Ford Falcon First Spyshots – 1st of May – the one that started it all!
Videos:
- Ford Falcon Ute Video – 21st of June – Must watch, great laugh
- Falcon Spy Video – 7th of May
I mean yes its inspierd by European design, but that doesnt mean it has to look like a European car aka Mondeo. And ive seen the interior which looks like the inside of the V6 Honda Accord! I really hope this car isn’t as bad as i think it is, all i want to say is…
Well done Ford Australia for making a bigger Mondeo, now wheres that new Falcon you promised us…..
were is the video of the GT????????
check out this article from the Adelaide Advertiser… mmmm
http://www.news.com.au/adelaid.....10,00.html
Thanks for the article,mmmm interesting look at the front !
1/2 the money spent on the VE and bet it will be twice the car !! As always !
It has cost F**d half the money because its built on the same old chasis you dumbass. Yeah its going to be such a better car, how long before the interior will fall to pieces. We all know the F**d build quality is shit.
Anyone else get a letter from Tom Gorman today ?
Not signed of course,mail merged !
All to do with the changes made of the last few weeks.
Got a fax Alborz and I send you a copy !
I didn’t know the Focus will be made here in 2011 another 300 jobs for us.
yeah missile,
i got one too outlining how defamitory the news headlines had been (well thats what it was getting at)
I cannot believe that Ford would use the word ‘Orion’ for their new model, when the single biggest threat to its future is already using almost identical wording ‘Aurion’ (sure, the pronunciation is slightly different, but how many punters can tell), I guess its just a pre-release name?!?
kristo,
yep orion is just a pre-release name or if you read it is a codename if you like to call it that
“1/2 the money spent on the VE and bet it will be twice the car !! As always ! ”
Well this will be an interesting comparison. According to Channel 9’s show “Billion dollar baby”. Half the VE budget went on re-tooling and manufacturing modernisation. So technically the VE is also a 1/2 bil car.
Cheers Dave, very useful post. I don’t remember Holden or should I say Daewoo winning best build quality of year award either.
i love you ford and i wanna have your baby fords
The ford ORION is actually the name that superceeded the ford granada many years ago in the UK. cant Ford OZ come up with something different as they spend millions on R&D. look at the focus xr4 in the UK, xr3 escort in the UK, waken up ford Austrlia
The reason that they call the fiesta XR4 ans XR5 turbo is to keep in the line with the XR6 and XR8. There is nothing wrong with using the Orion name, seeing that it was never seen over here is doen’t matter.
Ford Oz could learn a thing or two from their European counterparts that built the Mondeo. In terms of build quality, the Mondeo is way better than anything produced by Ford in Australia. How I’d love for their new Falcon to be “a bigger Mondeo” with the build quality of its European namesake.
Ford sucks balls.
Looks the same as the last model, with a few more trimmings.
The Holden ve wins again hands down. Holden raised the bar, ford was still learning how to jump.
WHOO! What an argument by Butthead! NOT! How about some actual facts to back up this moronic acusation?
yeah exactlly butthead,
ill sit at the bus stop with azza waiting for the facts to come in that just wont come
that butthead guy must be a real dickhead to say that it looks the same as the BA and BF it looks toataly different, wat drugs u on or are u just a typical tosser who dosnt like it when ford can make a car that looks better and has more power than the billion dollar lemon of holden (that VE peice of shit)but in other relations the new shape looks sweat as, cant wait to it comes out because i get to check them out everyday at work
At least the new falcon hasnt got those ugly looking weel arches like the ve shit box i think they stand out all right ,because they are so f**king ugly
the f6 has 300kw it will eat you holden grubs for breaky even if you have a club sport or gts try outs are on again next year holden
The Orion will be a good car, so holden watch out, and
butthead did you ever go to school.
Well butthead as Aussie queried did you ever go to school? I think we all know butthead spent his school days in the playground playing with himself and like his mates at holden he still can’t raise the bar! The GT is a total performance/handling/comfort package unlike the holden with it’s non-functional wheel arches, out of proportion rear end and silly 307 badges. Still, I guess when you are second best you have to try something.
Who the hell are you “ButtHead”?
Fords are better than the Holdens and it won’t the same
as the old ones. The VE shape is so ****ing ugly they needed to copy the Shelby Cobra (that was a Ford with the vents on the front mud guard and the ****ing wide wheel arch.
H olden O wners L oose D ick E very N ight
Ford does NOT suck balls “ButHead”!
Why don’t you guys lose the language and come up with some facts. Like Ford has to import engines for the next generation after the Orion comes out and then both cars will have a more even engine match. The V8 are only a luxury the 6 is the main seller.
Is that a Holden supporter telling the Ford supporters (the only ones that can come up with some actual facts) to back up the acusations with some evidence?
Ok, how’s this, Ford Falcon’s are the only Australian built car left. The I6 engine is the only engine designed, produced and assembled in Australia. The V8 is a max performance high revving engine while the Holden V8 will overheat at 6000rpm.
Your making it seem that Holden don’t import their engines… they’ve been doing it since at least the 1980’s. But hey, “Holden means a great deal to Australia…”
And where do I begin with Daewoo… Whoo, somehow Holden have turned a $10,000 car into a $14,500 car simply by changing the badges… God damn thats some good marketing there (SARCASM!)… They’re all a pack of stooges! Just like the supporters.
HSV really stands for Herpes Simplex Virus… Don’t believe me, type in HSV in wikipedia… See for yourself.
Go Azza!!
I parked next to a Captiva the other day, took the opportunity to have a brief look at it. Confirms everything I’ve read about it being a little cheap and tacky. If I was in the market for that type of vehicle, I’d be waiting to diesel Territory or E-Gas Territory.
Holden got rid of their 6 cyclinder for VL. That’s what? About 20 years ago?
Ford’s inline six is still a smoother engine (doesn’t have to rev it’s tits off) with better torque and fuel economy than the V6’s (Canadian engine?) from Holden. Especially now the heavier VE has gone with playdoh-tec V6.
The only reason it’ll be phased out is the sheer money required to bring it up to EuroIV emissions standards. Australia is a small market compared to US and Europe. It just makes better financial sense to get a Ford V6 already meeting those requirements. BMW still uses an inline 6, but they have buckets of money compared to Ford Oz.
Holden realised this years ago, but Ford Australia is the last holdout, preferring to keep refining their already great (Australian) engine, making it better and better. Look at what FPV have done with the F6 Typhoon? And private tuners are getting much more out of it while retaining reliability. Who needs a V8?
I’m gonna miss it.
VT Man, at least Ford will sill make their engines until 2010.
Holden don’t make their V8s and their weak s***V6 is not an Australian icon like they. The falcon’s smooth I6 and V8 made here, so what the f*** is wrong with you? All the Holden fans that I know have some kind of mental illness! Azza and watto_cobra are right, so don’t come back and say something that is bulsh*t!
Holden then turn there simpleton approach over to the HSV Astra with ground breaking input – simple stickers stuck on car and too lazy and useless to remove dash and replace with bright coloured displays like in OTHER HRT MODELS. Even then Holden could not work out that seating in this HRT car is opposite to others with no HRT logo to match other HRT’s and the joke is the morons forgot to remove the OPEL writing on bottom of dash which speaks volumes of Holden who stupid they are! They must take Aussies as being stupid and dumb. HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO AUSTRALIA??? Yeah bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God, the way Holden calls those Opels ‘Holdens’ makes people think they Australian and proud of it. When I tell people that they not made here they say ‘bull****’ to me.
If Holden is more australian than Ford (as they say), why do they use Opals as Holdens!
Holden build and export both 4 and 6 cylinder engines for the world. The Falcon motor after 50 years of development is almost at it’s use by date only because it is now unable to be upgraded at a reasonable cost I never said it was no good. I had 2 XF wagons a few years ago and had so much trouble with oil leaks and door handles breaking off that I haven’t bought a ford since although I have friends who love them. I had 2 lemons and I haven’t had anywhere the same amount of problems with my last couple of Holden Commodores, but maybe this is just luck.
By the way where is Ford getting the engines from the Focus from? Anybody Know?
Oh trying to make ford look like a fool? because Focus is
German after I said the way the Astra is imported?
Any way the focus will be made Here from 2011
Holden’s door handles will fall off too and leak oil if you treat the car like ****!
I had a ZL Fairlane thats the same as the XF took good care of it and I did’t have those problems.
Next time VT man, treat your cars good and don’t blame Ford because you brought a car left under the sea!!!!!!!!
If I treated the Fords badly I tried twice remember than that shows the problem they had because I treat the Holdens the same way and they don’t fail in these basic areas. I also replaced the engine in one of the Falcons and it leaked oil to. Anyway I think the newer Fords are much better cars than the older ones anyway.
You misunderstood about the Focus, what I was asking was when production moves from South Africa to Australia where will the engines come from I am not looking for an argument I just want to know who is making the engines?
current Focus engine I think is made in mexico, but so what! One of the 6.0L V8s used in the Holden is made in Mexico too. So Holden uses mexican stuff and does well, there should be nothing wrong with the focus even though its engines are made in a country that has a history of lemon cars like the old Chev pickup.
Take Opel and Vauxhall out of the equation and what is Holden… BUGGER ALL. But new generation Daewoo dished up entree mistaken for main course (gotta love the Epica Commodore look on front with trademark grille, similar on Barina, etc).
Breaking door handles on XD to XF models is a standard feature. Cortinas had the same handles. I’ve had a few Cortinas and XE/XF’s, broke a few handles. It was just a crap design.
I put up with it because I liked everything else about those cars and had very little in the way of other problems. Handles were cheap at a wrecker.
Current Focus is designed by Ford of Germany and built in South Africa, until operations move to Oz in 2011.
The exception is the XR5Turbo. Built completely in Germany as far as I know, partly because the turbo 5-cylinder is Volvo. In Europe it’s called Focus RS I think. Renamed to XR5Turbo here to keep in with the whole XR4, XR6, XR8 theme of performance cars offered by Ford Oz.
The majority of Fords range outside of Falcon/Territory is German made or at least German designed. There is NO WAY I would choose a Daewoo (rebadged or otherwise) over a German car.
I agree with you guys where components are made doesn’t matter. As for most of GM small cars I agree they are crap and wouldn’t buy them either. I had a bad experience with Ford so what I had an even worse experience with a TN Magna. Since then I have had a Nissan Pulsar Sport, a VT Executive and now have a VTs which I bought because it had ABS 4 airbags and cruise as well as power options. Both cars were are 5 speed manuals as GM auto’s are not the greatest.
Agree. I’ve seen good and bad Commodores too, tho haven’t owned one.
I bought a 2.0L EFI Camira once out of neccessity. It ended up costing more in repairs than the purchase. That’s just fixing the blown engine twice, not the stuff like faulty speedy/instruments, intermittent fuel pump, on/off clutch, etc. Don’t know where the Camira was made but I’m glad it wasn’t Oz.
I couldn’t imagine a Commodore (besides VN) having the sheer number of problems that car did.
Nearly all my Fords have been good to me, so that’s where I’m staying. Just personal choice, like VT Man.
Actually Camira was made in Australia. My Pulsar Sport had a 1.8l version of the same engine, sold it to a friend of mine 5 years ago and it still runs trouble free with 220,000km on the clock and has just had the original clutch replaced.
Really? Didn’t know that. Was the whole series, start to finish, made in Oz?
I didn’t look into it but I honestly thought it must’ve been a cheap import because this one was such a lemon.
Have to agree with you Cobra on the Camira,the guys in our workshop would have to draw straws to work on one. They were the BIGGEST PIECES OF CRAP ever! I think they had something like 40 water hoses on them so good fun replacing them all when the time came.
Did it car of the year too from memory? How I don’t know !
Sure Camira did get “Car of the Year”. They handled OK and were comfy, problematic with breakdowns and knew people who had them and always fixing things. Was Camira based on an Opel or Vauxhall car as certain it was based on one of those! Agree with watto_cobra at 11.10pm.
It’s straining the old memory but I think you’re right about it winning Wheels COTY Missile.
Second time the engine blew I think it was because of a heater hose tucked up under the inlet manifold where it’s nearly impossible to get at.
Yeah tis right most hassles around hoses as stupid nightmare! Who cares as based on OPEL Iam certain, and as Holden it like most was CRAP!
Great to see Ford win in touring car race.
Am I alone or would other of you guys like to see a series of races with production car that only have safety mods so people can get a real idea of which cars are reliable as well as fast and what is likely to fail in cars we can buy?
VT MAN There was such a race around Mt Panorama during the 90’s.Durability was the criteria.
Probably timely to resurrect the idea as the touring cars used are so removed from the reality of what is on the showroom floor.
Fit them up to be compliant with CAMS safety rules,suspension mods OK but stock standard drivelines.
4,5&6 cylinder,V6 & V8.
Which one will take the hammering all day?
Isn’t the Bathurst 24 hour we already have similar though ?
I was musing today about the trusty old 6I motor that will cease prodution in 2010.
What if Ford were to re-sleeve the cylinders to 3 litre and make it into a turbo-diesel motor. They already have the plumbing for the turbo, intercooler etc. Maybe we can make our own diesel motors. I can’t see a major cost in tooling.
What if eh?
Hahaha,trust you Tony to come with a way of not letting go of the I6 .Mate they would be BIG sleeves though dont you think…..I like the way you think very outside the box!
Why 3 litres a 4 litre diesel with a turbo would give awesom torque figures. If you really wanted 3 litres wouldn’t a shorter stroke be a better way to go?
I read that GM USA have built a 4.6 litre V8 turbo diesel with 230kw and 700nm torque also 25% better fuel usage than petrol engines.
Just to watto_cobra, the Focus XR5T over in Europe is called the Focus ST… I’m not sure if anyone else corrected that, as i am too lazy to read the rest of the comments…
The Focus RS was just some little project Ford did to continue on with the Rally makes. ie, Ford Escort and Sierra Cosworth RS… etc.
But on a good note, hopefully the RS Focus makes it to Australia in the 2009!!!
Thanks Azza. I knew it had an “S” in it ;-)
VT man, you mentioned there should production cars with safety (rollcage, etc) for a racing series.
Isn’t this what the Saloon car series is? I catch them rarely on SBS Speedweek but always good to watch.
From my understanding they starting off as EB and the Commodore equivalent, but are now AU vs VT. Cheap form of racing. Cars are six-pots, VERY minor engine mods, brakes. I saw an article on them in a Street Fords mag. Will have to find it.
Anyway, to gain parity they just add ballast to the make that is winning the most often. This could tell you which production car is essentially a better race car (in NA 6’s at least).
If memory serves me, the AU wins most often with Bruce Hienrich taking the championship last year or two? And I think the AU has already had the ballast added.
Hopefully someone with a LOT more info (or better memory) than me can correct me and/or elaborate.
I know what you mean about the saloon car series, but what I had in mind was going back to the original Bathurist formula that is showroom cars with original breakes clutch tyres etc. Only safety item allowed ie better pads on brakes but original rotors, Roll cage and side curtain and not much else. If a car is not up to scratch then it will show up the manufacturer and it will force them to “fix it” or lose sales. Also cars must have a minimum build number to stop XU1/GTHO type specials and then we will see real cars and how they perform.
VT Man said: I know what you’re saying but the only problem with that is Ford and Holden and Toyota and Nissan etc, wouldn’t be a party to it. Why? because people would discover the true limitations of our cars.
I give you the example of the crash tests that are being done at the moment. Holden does not want to be a part to it because of the bad publicity they might get in the press. As I understand it, much of the crash testing done now is computer generated not actual.
So why would you race the current Commodores, Falcons, Aurions, 380’s etc, just to see them break at Bathurst. Don’t get me wrong, I love watching true production racing (I think the Bathurst 12 hour at Easter is the closest thing to that).
One of the biggest flaws in V8 Supercars is the roll cage. Why? because the limitations of the chassis is compensated by the roll cage. When you watch these guys race you hear the commentator tell you how the drivers are stiffening the chassis as they drive. The roll cage should be there to provide saftey for the driver not to be used to improve the design faults of a car.
When the driver adjusts the chassis as they drive he is altering the swaybars not the roll cage. The bodies on the V8 Supercars are completly stripped down and welded along all the seams and are much more rigid than a standard shell even before the roll cage goes in. The only comparison between these and road cars is the basic shape. They don’t even use IRS. They are also about 300kg lighter.
When I first started watching The Bathurst 500 all the cars were supposed to be standard and Conrod Straight was straight. Now the cars are better but unless more manufacturers get in on the act it may bore itself out of existence. I used to love watching motor racing but lately I find myself switching off and watching the highlights on TV news.
VT Man. Understand what you mean about a production series now.
I dunno about original tyres tho, probably a control tyre would be better. Why? Because whatever tyres a car is released with, the owner can choose whatever tyres they like after the first set wears out (or before). It’s up to the owner then, how much .ie. how good the next set of tyres they put on is.
I agree with Tony.M that the manufacturers wouldn’t be a party to it. Besides I could predict the majority of results already (all drivers being equal).
6 pot – Ford wins majority of the time.
8 pot – Holden wins majority of the time.
FPV vs HSV – FPV majority of the time (typhoon).
Don’t forget BMW and Mercedes not to mention Toyota Nissan, Mazda etc. have some quick cars as well and would give the local cars a run for their money.
Sorry, I was under the impression you meant Aussie production cars.
If you want to see which cars are best you have to make all cars that are available in Australia eligable. The only limit I would put is cars have to have 4 doors and sell a minimum number in Australia otherwise Ferrari Porsche etc would walk away with every race.
stock standard racing was dying and doesnt get the ratings.
there are plenty of stock saloon car races still going but they are not as big because people do not like the formula.
people like what has become of the category as it is very competitive and professional
The trouble with our V8 Supercar series is that they imply there are 2 brands, Holden and Ford. If they really want to have a V8 series that represents what people are really buying, and since this type of racing is a silloette class, then let other makes be a party to it. Toyotos, Mitsubishi, Nissan etc. As long as the cars racing are 4 doors and represent a large portion of the cars sold. I think that the V8 used could be from each of the brands parts bin. All that is needed is that 7000rpm be the maximum rev limit. All cars would be rear wheel drive. Even if the cars are sold as front wheel drive.
I could go on and on. But I do believe it is time for a change.
Tony M – your idea about changing V8 superars to resemble what people are buying now would mean a racetrack full of Landcruisers; Territories and Klugers.
Imagine a Landcruiser heading down conrod straight at approx 160Km/h – that is if it was able to make it through the esses and the dipper at speed; Hits caltex chase and rolls several times. It would be fun to watch [initially] but overtime would become rather boring.
V8 Supercars has evolved over the years to a point where it attracts more fans every year because of the close competition.
It is also the most high profile sport in the country as far as commercial sponsorship is concerned.
Tony M – the thing with the ANCAP tests is that the manufacturers supply the vehicles for the tests. They use one car for each test. Thing is there is no limit on the number of cars a manufacturer can provide for the tests.
Therefore; if for example a Toyota Aurion fails a particular test; Toyota can [if they wish] provide another car for that test.. again and again until it passes the test so the Aurion will receive a 5 star rating.
If ANCAP were serious about their tests they would limit it to 5 cars one for each test/star
However; the tests ANCAP do aren’t what you could call real world.. I mean who would deliberatley drive at 60 Km/h into the back of a truck without taking some kind of evasive action such as braking or swerving. If you want to see how well a real car performs in a crash look at photos of recent crashes on our roads
Tony M – in relation to your comment about the Roll Cages in V8 supecars being there to help stiffen the chassis rather than protect the driver.
I suggest you look at photos or footage of Craig Lowndes roll at calder.
Weeks after the incident I visited the HRT shop in Richmond VIC where the car was on display.
what I saw was a car with bits of masking tape over it with numbers on it. When asked what they were for the Guy said it’s how many millimetres the body/car had moved.. He also said that after inspecting the car the HRT engineers only found 2 minor stress fractures on the car and given the impact etc the chassis was still relatively straight.
Now when craig left the track he was travelling at 180Kmh so for him to end up with just a fractured dislocated kneecap proves how well the cars are built..
There are very few limitations of the chassis given that these are purpose built race cars. The reason the drivers adjust the roll bar and brake bias is to allow for fuel load and tyre wear inorder to maintain balance and control as a car producing 620Bhp with a 75:25 weight ditribution can be hard to handle when youre hitting 240Kmh+ – then braking hard
I agree wheelnut with V8 supercars. anyway it will spoil it, but I wish HRT and Toll HSV will stop rigging the race to stop Ford from winning.
But it does not matter what happens in V8 Supercars, they
are not the same cars as whats on the road, thats what
alot of people don’t know.
Hey Tony M you will pleased to know your beloved I6 is about to be exported into the UK. NIZPRO are purchasing new Phoons redeveloping a more potent but reliable F6 engine that’s putting out …….wait for it 400rwkws.Yep rear wheel kws. They are selling them with other upgrades including new leather interior for…….. 55,000 pounds and selling them against the M5 {that sell for 60,000 pounds from memory} Why I don’t know cause a M5 ain’t going to keep up with that hey! Go Aussie’s!!!
Hey Alborz I know you have done a little blog with Walkingsticks products for the VE ,but have you done anything before on the BF mods you can get out there? Maybe something from NIZPRO on the work they do would be an interesting read for those that dont get the bogan mags I also read.
GO THE PHOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never heard of NIZPRO before so I went to Google and found this!
Eleven hundred and sixty three horsepower, yes you heard right! Nizpro Turbocharging has upped the ante with their latest effort in researching and developing Ford’s highly popular XR6 6-cylinder turbo engine. Located in Melbourne’s South Eastern suburb of Bayswater, Nizpro is a well-established and highly respected company when it comes to high-end turbocharged performance.
I think I made my point then, would be good to hear more on these guys the DVD I just watched that came free with the mag had a little section on the boys at NIZPRO,your right VT Man a very respected group indeed .
I would think they have started to stock pile those I6 for when they cease making them 2010.
Me – The past couple of rounds have been won by Fords
The reason Toll are leading the championship [1-2] is because Tander and Kelly are more consistent than the other [Ford] drivers.. at most races one of them if not both] have managed to finish on the podium.
- they will be in the same car at Bathurst
The funny thing is even with Lowndes’ win at Sandown the championship ladder remains the same and Skaife is still 6th yet he didn’t even race due to an appendicitis.
NO WAY 1163HP!!!!!!!!
thats awesome maybe the world will see that and ford will decide to keep the I6 but sadly i doubt it. maybe they should put that motor in the final I6 phoon and limit sales to like 250 and then we will see what they are worth in 10 years time.
wheel nut, the thing with holden in racing terms is there is only 2 teams that would realisticly win it. with ford there is 4 teams that could realisticly win it. holden focuses on it major team too much for my liking and if they had have been kicked out for the year (luck for them they cheated and paid their way out of it) then it would have been rare to see a holden in the top 10 for the entire year.
i dont hate holdens just the pathetic win at all cost attitude they have on the sport.
if it was an all holden race i would be cheering LPR all the way as it is one of few holden teams that still treats it as a fair sport. maybe it is because it is one of the few commercial holden teams
Yer way Andrew, they had to take some of the mid range torque out to send obviously to the Uk in that configuration as it was still braking SERVE traction at 220 clicks on the Dyno,no lie.
Wheel Nut GRRRRRRRRR, I agree TOTALY with Andrew. Hold me back………..I am now composed…. I guess we shall see how it goes at Bathurst then for Holden again. Maybe they should keep Skaiffe out of the car or at lest let Glen start to save the Clutch this time! lol
Amazing HP on that engine!
I hope the V6 that will be used in the falcon won’t be a ****ing cam belt, it should be a DOHC with a timing chain. The SOHC I6 that was last used in the AU was alot better than the Holden V6 (with no supercharger)at that time because in the saloon car champion ship the Fords are beating the holdens alot of the time.
HAHAHA!!!
It would suck for holden if the cluch brakes down for Mark again and gets hit from behind by a jack daniel’s car on the first lap!!!
Me …I hear what your saying but timing chains have their down fall also,stretching…….
Sucks to be Skaiffe………… 2 weeks and counting!
no what would be funnier is if RK hit MS when he broke down. i dont mind larrys boys as they still have some morals about them i was actually wanting to see how the youngsters went if they got a fair go at it. jack and shane were starting to carve up in the development series before they came to the “real game”
if there is a holden that has to make it to the podium it is one of larrys that i would like to see do it.
anyway bathurst will be interesting now that RK and GT are together. if one goes they are both stuffed. maybe RK can punt Skaife off and put himself and GT down a lap.
and from memory if that happens (they stuff up) it is possible for craig and jamie to both leap frog them in the championship so very interesting
My point about the V8 supercars is proven by the comments in this forum. I drive a Holden but I still like to watch a close race regardless of who wins I just wish there were more types of car to give a bit of verity. At the moment only a Ford or Holden can win if you are interested in say WRX or Lexus would you bother watching?
VT man it is that formula that has made v8s so popular. there are still categories that race wrxs etc but one must stop and ask why they havent rated aswell.
and also id say the next most popular category would be the carrera cup. yep and thats only a one make series.
if they were all mixed we would go back to viewers decifering group A cars from B, C, D etc. it is harder to follow and no where as competitive
I hope next years Bathurst 12 hour will not have as many class B rally cars in it. How come there was only one Commodore and no FPV GT only one F6 Typhoon? There was a TE50 in there some where, but was over taken by small cars even though it was a 302 Winsor, it must of been bad drivers in it to try and not loose by useing a fast car or something.
Agree. It seems like you have two Holden teams (one team, depending on how you look at it) then a bunch of Fords then the rest of the Holdens and a few Fords bringing up the rear. If I was any of the other Holden teams I would be pissed off at the current situation.
I concur with the cheating comment. Swapping four drivers between two teams was bulls&%t. I was glad to see Tander and Skaife pay for it. And pRick Kelly won the 2006 season by cheating (maybe not intentional) but the facts remain. No matter how Holden fans try to justify it, they accept the win of course, but know deep down in their gut it was a hollow victory, and that Lowndes was the rightful champion.
Murphy’s hot lap in 2003 was something special. Any Ford fan has to admit that (somewhat jealously). He was a deserving ‘03 Bathurst champ, unlike pRick Kelly who was along for the ride (ANYone could’ve filled his shoes).
2004 Murphy was VERY lucky to win, especially since there were 6 Fords on his butt.
At the end of the day tho, like “ME!” said, V8Supercars are nothing like our road cars. Holden doesn’t use heaps of Ford bits in their road cars.
Sorry about that rant. I like to think I can see both sides of an argument, normally.
But that pRick Kelly did not legitimately win the championship in my books. Most Ford fans, and even a few Holden fans I know, agree.
Bravo……..Watto!
Murph was great in 2003 for that lap……….but he is such a handbag now!Plus I don’t forgive him for that crash on the mountain with God/Ambrose.
It seems if he cant finish in the top 15 for points he pulls out and is always coming up with excuses for not getting in the top 10 none of which are his fault.
I wish the Enforcer would return ,come on Russ stop being sooooooo polite and keep them off the black stuff!! Good enough for the dark side .
I for one don’t wish to see TOOL RACING win ! Go Jamie !
Not many sleeps now………..Im excited!!!!!!!!
Not wrong Missile. Ambrose got a better run on him coming off the safety car but Murph was having none of it.
Spat the dummy one year for 5 minute penalty, next year superb hot lap & race, following year LUCKY to win. Year after that he decides to take Ambrose out with him.
Agree fully about Rick Kelly last years PATHETIC TOURING CAR CHAMPION. How the hell could CAMS rule him to be champion defies common bloody sense. He cheated in my book and Lowndes was the champion. MURPH IS A OLD HANDBAG HAS BEEN ME THINKS AS PROBABLY TOO BIG A HEAD, HE LOOKS PEDESTRIAN AT BEST!
yeah the books might show rick as the winner but i think even he knows himself that he should not be. for starters a true champion would have at least done a massive burn out and a bonnet stomp!!!!
take a look at russel ingall in 2005 thats how its done.
i still dont know how he reached the pedals when he had the thing lit up.
i reckon the best hot lap in a while at bathurst would actually have to go to Mark Larkham. i forget the year but with out looking im guessing 2000ish. it was good to see an underrated competitor come out and blitz em all with a record time
Rick Relly said “at least we upset the ford fans” after holden backed him and was found not giluty.
I have got one thing to say…
GET A LIFE F*** HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Russ didn’t have his foot on the brake when he was doing his burnout Andrew….I guess thats why he could hang out the car car,unlike Crash Bandicott who obviously thought he couldn’t match Russell’s effort.
ME… Mate you Holden lovers of a paltry 1 (ONE) CAR MANUFACTURED DOWNUNDER need to get out of your time warp as the once iconic Aussie maker has deserted you guys bigtime and yet you carry on like a pork chop. Time and time again you guys go on with absolute crap and it is only the depth that varies!
A bit of historical trivia but true as I heard this personally.
Back in the days when John Goss was racing his GTHO Falcon one of his mechanics was a member of a car club I was in. He was asked why Gossies Falcon blew it’s engine during the race and this is what he told a group of us.
While the car was on the dyno it showed 390HP and somebody said lets advance the timing and see what we can get out of her. The HP went to 410HP and the mechanics were happy but said if we run it here it won’t go the distance and if we drop it back it won’t win the race, so it was decided, I don’t know by who, to leave it there and get good sponsorship cover for as long as the engine lasted. I can’t remember for sure but I think it went about half distance, not a bad effort considering.
Oh sh*t!!! I said “Rick Relly”, I ment Rick Kelly and I don’t go for Holdens on race day.
hahaha,I think we knew what you meant anyway ME. I thought you spoke Chinese and you spelt how you spoke!Lol …..OOOOOOHH I don rike RICK RELLY eda !
LOL….Gee pooor olde Rik Relly is copin a reel bagin.
I hate to say this but I think Toll/HSV might win Bathurst this year. At a guess I would say Holden is going to throw as much money as they can at this years race. I hope I’m wrong. If you look at this years racing, only Toll/HSV have been competative.
Can you imagine the imbarisment at Holden if their one billion dollar car doesn’t win this year?
I hope that by you saying that Tony it puts the mockers on TOOL RACING!
I have ordered from 888 my TOLL RACING VODOO DOLLS.One of CRASH BANDICOTT the other GT. Now where are those pins……….?
Embarrassment from Holden from their Billion Dollar Bomb ? I thought that had been happening all year anyway.lol
Bavarian Missile & Andrew M – I agree that there are more Ford teams with a more realistic chance of winning races than the 2 main Holden teams.
Yet; inorder to finish first – first you must finish.. I mean there have been more “racing incidents” where a Ford driver has taken out a fellow ford driver and in some cases his team mate.. and very few Holden-Holden incidents
The other reason could be that the VE is more flexible so the Holden teams can adopt a intermediate; set up which means they have to make very few if any adjustments/changes over the weekend should it be cold and wet or scorching hot. Remember how well the VEs went in Adelaide – “straight out of the box”
Whereas [in the past] Fords tend to go from one extreme to the other.. as a result they spend so much time in the pits trying to find the right set up that it reduces the amount of time they spend on the track in practise/qualifying.
However; It appears that Ford are just starting to get on top of it with the BF which is unfortunate given that they will be racing the new falcon next year and have to start from scratch
How wrong you are Wheelnut as an avid V8 watcher for years I seen the Holdens struggle against the BA when first released, remember Marcos won the Championship in 2003 and 2004 then 2005 Russell. It wasn’t till 2006 Holden started to catchup so it isn’t Ford struggling as much as Holden have finally caught up.Also remember the VE is a slipperier car than the old BF shape now,it has been said that is where Ford is struggling against Holden ,aero dynamics!So lookout when the new Orion is released cause it too will be a rocket out of a box that Holden again will have to try meeting.Oh and it seems the Holdens are crap in the rain too not to mention Kelly isn’t anywhere as good in the wet as the master Craig !Bring on the rain at Bathurst!
Andrew M – RK and GT may be in the same car. So are Lowndes and Whincup so if they crash fail to finish there goes their chances of a championship win.
Skaife and Kelly will [most likely] be together.
I wonder what the chances of all 6 drivers failing to finish is?
Bavarian – I wasn’t talking about which car won the most championships. I was talking about which car has won or has more chances of winning the most races [Holden].. as I said Ford would most likely win more races if their drivers didn’t have the uncanny knack of taking eachother out.
Mind you moste people have no problem remembering Bathurst winners from a particular year but can’t remember who the Championship winners were..
How quick all forget when CAMS ruled to give wing tips on front of Commodore but not on Falcon to close the gap! How wrong is that. It should be more to normal setup allowed fully on both to keep it closer to production as CAMS comes up with bloody stupid rules! Get it real and keep it the same level playing field rules fully across the board!
Look at the front of the VE from the side, then look at the front of a Ford BA/BF car. The Holden looks like a
NASCAR at the front but the Falcon is almost the same as
a road car.
Why can’t the falcon’s front wing stick out a little more
to make the car more aerrodynamic just like the Holdens? Holden spent alot of money on the VE to make sure it won’t fail at any thing and has won alot of races this year.
Something sounds a little rigged there.
Wheelnut I understand that you weren’t mentioning the Championships but you did mention that
QUOTE
However; It appears that Ford are just starting to get on top of it with the BF which is unfortunate given that they will be racing the new falcon next year and have to start from scratch
My answer to you was that Ford aren’t just starting to get the BF sorted its been sorted since the BA shape was first released in 2003 and it Holden that’s now catching up .The reference to Championship winners was simply to show you that was the case .
In regard to Ford drivers taking out their own drivers,well I guess it just goes to show there is more competition amongst the Fords compared to the 2 Holden teams ha!
In regard to who will finish,I guess we will all just have to wait and see.
wheel nut,
well i must say you have to be one of the better holden fans.
i agree the holden drivers seem to let each other through a bit better and not interrupt if a faster holden is coming through. what that proves is that ford teams treat each other car on the track as a competitor whether it be red or blue backing. it amazes me how easily other holdens let each other through when a faster one is coming through yet a fine example of lowndes trying to pass murph the other weekend shows all holden drivers/teams operate as one big team.
also the holdens are quite often allowed to run hybrid setups comprising of only running the new specs when they are ready. say when they brought in the new motor for holdens or the new suspension they were allowed to run part of this and part of that until they were on top of it.
my thoughts are if they are given new specs at the start of the year then they should have to run entirely with them at the start aswell.
fords have to learn the new setups after they start racing so holdens should have to aswell
oh yeah and missile’s point too is totally right. the BF is the same as the BA. some teams are still running last years BA’s yet they call them BF’s anyway??????
Merchandiser sues Team Kiwi
Team Kiwi has a new problem. Clothing manufacturer Apparel by Design has begun legal action against it claiming it is owned “a significant amount of money”.
We hear the amount in dispute is about $150,000.
Apparel by Design says it did not want to initiate court action but got fed up waiting for payment.
The matter has been set for an NZ High Court hearing in February, but the clothing company hopes it can be brought forward to December.
Larkham joins safety institute
Mark Larkham — former open-wheeler and V8 Supercar racer and foundation member of AVESCO (now V8 Supercars Australia) and the Touring Car Entrants Group Australia (TEGA) — has joined the board of the Australian Institute for Motor Sport Safety (AIMSS).
This body is chaired by Dr Michael Henderson and the other board members are Allan Moffat, Colin Osborne, Bob Glindemann and Andrew Papadopoulos.
Larkham’s first duty will be to chair two sessions at the AIMSS ‘Safety — First’ seminar in Melbourne on October 12.
WHEELNUT, mate your armchair bizarre comment defies gravity just reinforces your Holdenwoo love. HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO THE NUTTER should be the new ad. The Missile again states the bleeding obvious and you are looking at the matter through a kaleidoscope buddy boy and Missile is crystal clear looking at it for what it is!
ME… mate I understand and sympathise with you. Common sense goes out the door hey! CAMS must contract that man with the baby smile KEVIN RUDD as it wreaks of HAVE NOT GOT A FREAKING CLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!They added the wing tips to Opel Kombidore to even the competition up as fact was Ford was winning for years if you remember and the idiots THUS DO NOT GIVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD TO THE FORD MOB! 2ND AD SHOULD FOLLOW AFTER NUTTERS – HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO CAMS.
Colonel Klink said: You forgot to mention when for years Skaife was complaining about the power of the Fords. Always saying how fast they were down conrod straight. So what did TEGA do, let Holden do some changes to their engines which was suppose to level the playing field, WRONG. All of a sudden the Holdens were the fastest down conrod (watch this year how quick they’ll be because of their slippery shape.
Someone said a while ago that the new Orion nose is to long, but is does work well when you put a flat plate under it because of its size. But then wait, we’ll have the Holden boys complaining that the Fords have an advantage and again Ford will be handycaped.
It’s always the same. Ford designs and builds the better racing car then Holden screams foul then TEGA hammers Ford.
That’s why I say the more brands of cars racing the better it is. TEGA would really have a headache.
TONY M…. Aargh yes I was going to comment on that one, wasn’t Mark Skaife outspoken. Used to laugh when last year they complained of Russell Ingall – Holdenwoo are unreal and backed up by penalties to make it more even! Even when Ford have done no wrong! Like I said earlier about Rick Kelly, if they allow that crap he did last year to claim Touring Car Championship… Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
This constant complaining about the rules is why I find the V8 supercars needs to update to remain interisting. If you insist on a 2 horse race why not disallow all body modifications and use only the aero kits that come with the car and have an annual cut off date where manufacturers can make running updates to any model. Have this apply to engines as well. We will most likeley end up with Ford and Holden Batmobile clones but at least the complaints should stop.
VT Man said: You might be right regarding the Bat mobile approach by Holden and Ford. But if TEGA approached the “wing designs” as is used in the British Super car series, you will note that all the cars seem to have the same rear wing and front spoiler. It’s a minimal approach. John Bowe said several seasons ago that TEGA should stipulate how high the front spoiler is and how big the rear spoiler is and how high up the boot it can be. What he was pushing for was for Ford and Holden to have minimal wings front and back and possibly no side skirts. This means you can tailgate the cars you are racing like they do in formula ford.
One thing I would like to see is a greater range of car brands racing with a limitation on the number of litres of fuel each car gets.
Bavarian Missile – when you put it like that; I understand and agree with you about the BA-BF.
However; given that in 03-04 the BA Falcon was the car
to beat [Ambrose] you’ve got to wonder what have they done in relation to the subtle changes to the BF to make the Falcon less competitive [Apart from 888].
I mean with the VE being a completely new car the Ford teams should have been able to use the “set-up” data from the BA-BF to improve the car and win more races than they have because HRT [and co] couldn’t use the data from the VZs.. [Yet the VE won the opening round - Clipsal 500 - on debut straight out of the truck]
Which is why I said Ford are struggling.. what went wrong?
Andrew M – I agree that once the new model comes out and AVESCO set the specifications for that car; teams that have decided to step up and race the new model should be forced to use them. Otherwise use the old model until all the bugs etc have been ironed out.. afterall isn’t that what test days are for.
wheel nut,
what im getting at is holden are sometimes allowed to run old specs under the new shell.
Tony M
yep even the AU falcon made its mark at bathurst as the first year it appeared there courtesy or DJR it absolutely passed cars like they were standing still. it literally rounded up cars that had a 100m headstart, it was one of the most remarkable speed differences you would ever see down conrod straight now that the modern day restrictions that apply.
also the AU was prob one of a few road cars ever tested in a wind tunnel during designing. correct me if im wrong but it may also be the only holden or ford that ever has been designed with such great emphasis. it obviously explains the body lines
Hey Wheelnut,good to see we agree on something. Russell himself said last year that it wasn’t the fact he was slower it was that everyone else had started to become more competitive and were catching up to Stone Bros {Holdens included} bench mark they had set over the previous 3 years. I guess that most of the top Fords now either have Stone Bros engines or 888 set ups that stands to reason. Plus poor old Russell was the guinea pig for Stone Bros new engine up grade tester for last year. From memory I think they were trying some different heads than previous years,I am sure Andrew will correct me though if I am wrong.
I agree with someone else’s post earlier, Holden do run all their vehicles as one big protective unit against the Fords,the Ford drivers are more interested in winning for their teams I think anyway! No idea why we call them Holdens anyway,aren’t they Chevs ?
Andrew M, I absolutely agree with you about the speed differential the AU had down Conrod. I remember seeing Radisich pass people literally like they were doing 30km/h slower. I didn’t have to draft even.
Wasn’t that the year he had it all sewn up when an engine prob put him out, then we saw footage of him petting a horse in the paddock next door?
watto,
mate dont remind me ahhhhhh
yep it was 1999 and ford would have had it back to back.
it actuallly started when radisich picked up a flat and he was absolutely blitzing them. the flat caused him to run off and he dug the front of the thing in to the ground and damage to the splitter ruined the intake of the motor. he limped back to the pits and they just changed the wheel meaning he went out for another couple of laps and due to the damage he cooked the motor.
and yep it was that famous footage of the Rat patting/feeding the horse. i think it was about 15 laps to go aswell absolute heart break. the only one with a worse story than that is glen seton who came with in 9 laps (i think)
GO DJR!!!!!!
Missile yes SBR were definately the bench mark for a few years there. personally i doubt they will lay dormant for long before they are well up there again. and yes i agree it isnt that they have gone bad, its that the others have caught up.
i saw a great interview not too long ago with john bowe and brad jones and well im not going to tell the word for word but what they were commenting on in relation to theirs and other teams like theirs performance was as you walk down pit lane there was an increasing number of engineers now in volved in teams. now gone are the days where the driver makes the call in terms of set up or whats wrong with the car. hell Toll/HSV even paid some rich kid to fly around and check on the rain during the last round
i totally agree there should be more reward for driver effort rather than teams that expend great money on data interpreters.
another spin off is wheel nuts. im sure it was gibson who first started using a wheel nut system where the nut was held in the wheel. their system got banned because others felt it to be unfair. and not long after HRT started using the same idea and now every one is allowed to use that idea
i hope that last bit made sence i was starting to think faster than i could type
Yep, Seton missing out by 9 laps sticks in my mind. If my recollection serves me he had a half lap lead with 9 to go??
Also the year he cracked the 300km/h down Conrod. I still hope he gets his Maiden win, but NOT in a Holden :-(
Have just read this from the NZ Herald.
Ford Not Happy!!!
Have cut and pasted for you to read.
Ford wants $2m road safety TV ad written off
The Ford motor company has hit the roof over the latest anti-speeding television ads, in which a late-model Ford Falcon loses control on a rural road and somersaults into a ditch.
The company wants the $2 million ad to be removed from air immediately and has called in its lawyers, who may seek a possible High Court injunction.
The ad, which started screening last Sunday, shows a middle-aged man at the wheel of a Ford Falcon. It is designed to initially seem like an ad for a car – until the spectacular wipe-out. Ford says the ad has similarities to its own campaign for the Falcon XR6 three years ago.
But LTNZ is defending the new ad and has told Ford it won’t be pulled. “We are on hugely solid ground,” said LTNZ advertising manager Paul Graham.
LTNZ says speed kills 120 people a year and injures another 2600.
Although the car’s Ford badge and other insignia have been removed from the vehicle in the advertisement, Ford says the car is clearly identifiable as a Falcon.
“We do have concerns which we are raising with LTNZ and we are looking at our marketing, legal and PR options,” said Ford spokeswoman Clare Ponton. “We take customer safety very seriously … the new XR6 will have dynamic stability control, the new Mondeo has knee bags … that’s why we are so concerned about this.”
Ponton said feedback about the ad from Ford customers and even the odd Holden driver had been negative. One longtime Ford fan said she was “horrified to see the ad” and had questioned how a car had gone off a dry road, on a clear day, with no other traffic around and travelling at what seemed like a reasonable, legal speed.
Ponton said the ad breached a longstanding agreement between the Motor Industry Association and LTNZ – that manufacturers and models of cars used in road safety ads were not identified.
MIA chief executive Perry Kerr said the ad was particularly disturbing when LTNZ was asking manufacturers to include stability control on all new vehicles – for which there had already been a huge pickup by manufacturers.
“That’s the next big initiative to save lives … and here they are potentially picking on a model that has got it. We’re not happy. We’re disappointed.”
But Paul Graham of LTNZ said the ad had been extensively researched in audience tests – both before and during its production – and there had been no issues.
“We set it out to make it look like a car ad – yes. We’re obviously trying to make it fit in that same space, but there was never any intention to emulate their ad; just to be generic.
“Car ads are all very similar, in showing the driver enjoying the moment, the curving road ahead of them…
“We are after an audience that likes a performance car, enjoys the moment of driving, considers themselves a superior sort of driver – it’s the area we want to be.”
Graham expected the ad would be on screen for the next 12-18 months.
He said he was “not absolutely certain” of the agreement between LTNZ and the MIA. “Perhaps it’s a gentleman’s agreement… we made all efforts to make them non-identifiable, in general.”
I will put the You tube vid for you to see under this post,if the moderator allows it I guess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTJgTYWEnsE
Hey guys just flicking through the new Performance Ford Mag with the 40 th ed on the front,and in the back in the for sales is Jason Brights & Allan Gurrs 2007 v8 super cars up for sale.POA of course and available Novemeber.
Interesting ha…selling both .Is that telling us they will have Orions when they start next year ? Bit weird to sell both unless your getting new cars or Brightys pulling the pin.
my guess is he will get a couple of newer FPR cars. Orion cannot be raced till july 1 at the earliest
It is not uncommon for cars to be sold on the terms the team buys the car after a set time
yes my guess to is they have some EX FPR or 888 cars lined up to buy. it is not uncommon to see supercars for sale in those magazines. i think brighty is stayin put. he seems committed to building a team that can really muscle with the big guys
Yer……..I am suprised! Especially when all the teams I thought this year had to have the BFs {BAs only allowed in the development series} ,that would have included Brightys cars. So to think he is buying FPVs or 888s old cars from this year and only for another 12 months must be saying to him I guess that what they have now isn’t going to do it for them next year. A huge expense for him I guess but obviously is frustrated from his year so far!
Oh also just found out Mark Winterbottom and Steve Richards are teaming up for next weeks Great Race .
That’s right Bavarian Missile, they will be in the number 6 car. There is that and a countdown for every race on http://www.fpr.com.au/home.aspx
Thanks for that ME, Owen Kelly must be from the Kelly Freight Dynasty in Tas surely! I remember when his Dad Chas stacked his new F40 Ferrari in the the Targa ,hope Owen is a better wheeler!
Ok Andrew have heard this………FPR are begining production of the new Orion V8 Supercar end of this month!
I found it on F/Forums .Will try sending the link below this post,lets see if the links are loading anyfaster yet!
Ok one of the Sponsers who owns a dealership in Melbourne has said this on the Ford Forum,sorry I have to read another Forum at the moment but I cant handle all this bickering going on here.
This is what he said about the launch of the new Orion.
The Melbourne Motor Show is held in March, Around the Labour Day long week end. The New Falcon Will be launched then, there wont be a “slow Release” teaser campain as Ford have done in the past!
The on sale date will be late March, FPV’s will follow a month or so later but will be at the show!
Good. But I wanted the orion to come out sooner than March, I wonder will they relese it at the Brisbane motor show or somthing?
I also hope the FPV V8 will still be 320kw, I herd about something that FPV are struggling with the power goal.
They should fix that problem anyway.
Hey Me, I would think they will leave to Melbourne ,as its a big show .
True about the current 5.4 litre QC , this is why they are looking at the 5.0 litre thats going in the next Jag XF next year.
The current 5.4 has a long stroke and they speculate that forced induction would have to be used if they want to extract much more from it. The 5.0 litre will already be supercharged for the Jag giving it 350 kws.
Starting orion supercar at end of month hey? thats interesting missile.
oh and lowndes will drive a brand new car for bathurst too. the new car wasnt planned to be ready so soon but apparently it went well so he will debut it at bathurst.
is the orion to start the new racing season?
If FPR are building an Orion V8 Supercar it could be to assist in the tests that AVESCO are planning to do inorder to make sure that the Orion has the same power performance handling and aerodynamics etc as the VE.
The tests will take place during the off season – probably at Phillip Island just after the Grand Finale.. its the fastest race circuit in Oz afterall.
I would then expect Ford to Show a prototype of the Orion at Clipsal [right in Holdens Heartland] with a couple of Demo Laps. as they did with the BA at Bathurst years ago
Yet there are reports that Orion probably won’t hit the track until June/July by which time all level 1 ford teams should have at least one Orion ready. They are also saying expect a very “different” bodykit as compared to the BF
i think ford can play a really smart game here with the V8 if they want.
whilst holden keeps upping the cubes with questionable reliability id love to see ford offer a mildly boosted top quality V8. im sure it would dent the holden V8 image in the same way ford has killed the holden V6.
it would be good to see a 5L/5.4L V8 from ford with a super or turbo dialed up to be real smooth and it would kill the holden V8s with the tiniest of boost
I am surprised at Lowndes getting a New Car so close to the Orion next year,I guess my link hasn’t come up yet on the site so Ill send you the link via email.
Did you read where I said Richo and Winterbottom are also teaming up? Seems like the teams if possible are teaming all their top drivers this year.
I think Lowndes will do it again if his car is reliable .
Wheelnut,
mate im sure the rules use to state that manufacturers had to have a new model available by a certain cut off prior to the commencement of the season otherwise they could not race that model for that season.
does this still apply?
in other words a manufacturer can not enter a new model half way through a season.
maybe thats why 888 are building one now so that it can be put on the entrants list for next year
yes i thought it was a bit strange that they planned a new car for lowndes a few races out from the end of the season.
maybe this means that lowndes wont get an orion till halfway through next year
i heard lowndesy talking about it today (getting the new car)
On another note ,the grand final being on this weekend {I am such a fan……not}I guess we have to go with Geelong as their sponsored by Ford?
Really don’t give a toss,long weekend here so that means I get Monday off and then only have to work till Thursday next week whooo,hooo! I hope 7s coverage is up to scratch . I haven’t got an email from Russ yet to let me know TV times,you got any Andrew for Friday ? Or are you going?
missile,
here are the telecast times at this link
http://www.v8supercar.com.au/c.....channel_7/
these are perth times
friday…..1 – 4:30
saturday…12- 5:30
sunday…..5 – 4:30
unlucky for you you have to get up 2 hours earlier than me on sunday
brissy times are the same fri, sat but sunday starts at 7am till 6pm
I just can’t wait for the Orion V8 supercar and I hope it will have flat aerrodynamic front bumperbar not like the current BF bumper.
Who ever said it is allright to have those bumpers on the ‘Holdrolet’ and the Ford bumpers no more aerodynamic than the dunnydore must of had his****ing head red and an areshole to!
i can fill you in, there is two entry points for a new model into v8 supercar, the orion wont be ready for the first one, so ford teams will have to run with BA till july 1 of next year, by this time all teams will have at least one ready.
FPR has to build the first one and then pass it on to triple eight for testing, that is how it has to be done. AS ford has the contract with FPR but triple 8 is the ford team approved with testing the car offically with v8 supercar australia.
So my guess is we will see a Orion V8 supercar at clipsal for a few demo laps but it could be later.
Maybe at the first Orion could be at Philip Island next year, the first Race before Bathurst 1000 because there will be no Sanddown 500 next year.
thanks tonyn,
i wasnt aware that there was a mid year entry point aswell. is that only recent. previously manufacturers would release a car around august/september so that they could get it in for the season
this has been in since 1997, when holden launched the VT race car mid year.
I have a pretty good source that FPR has an orion race car in build at present, apparently to be finished later in the year? i could be totally wrong on this too…
the VT was released in august 97 from memory so i thought they would have had it on the entrants list from the start of the year
if you do remember it was raced mid season, no team had a Vt at the start of the 1997 season, but there is a july 1 entry point for homologation.
ah yes i see what you mean. they had it approved before it was released for sale aswell
Andrew M – I remember reading in a recent/previous issue of Motor that HSV are working on a V8 Sedan using an enhanced 4.8-5.0 litre V8 for those who can’t afford to run or don’t want to pay for a 6.0-6.2 Litre.
They expect the car will produce in between 260-320Kw so it will sit in between the SS-V and the Clubbie and probably become the cheapest HSV sedan you can buy
FPV are apparently looking at something similar as in 2010 they’re expected to change over to a Pushrod V8
Mind you it’s about time because if BMW can extract 400+Kw from a 4.0 litre V8 why can’t anyone else?
Ah Wheelnut . A question that is always brought up in my house a lot, by me ! BMW are the epitome of engine builders and have been for 30 years .
However I think Ford are at least a step a head of GM, they may not be able to match BMW s ability to make a 100 horse power for every litre but Fords current 5.4 litre with 400 horsepower against GMs 6.0 litre with the same horsepower makes Ford more advanced.
As far as what Ford will be using in 2010 ,I read that their expected to use the engine from the XF-R .Its expected to use a new 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that will come close to matching the 373kW of the V10-powered BMW M5. That same engine in the Jag is meant to propel it from 0-100 in less that 5 secs ,so that indeed would be great news for FPV .
Oh and apparently the new XF-R to be released in 2009 will
Will rival BMW M5, Audi RS6 and Mercedes E63 AMG in 2009.That’s quiet a car then,don’t you think?
Andrew Said “yep the brock falcons had a big “bubble” type body kit on them ”
There ugly as………..blah….
wheelnut,
i think holden have to be carefull there. they dont want just anybody owning a HSV or it will let the image of the brand down.
how do you think the people who actually pay $70K for a HSV because it is a HSV will like people getting the HSV image/badge for say $50K.
i think it will let the image down a bit if HSV becomes a little less exclusive.
i think ford has proved that a selection of V8’s is a waste of time. they used to offer a mild V8 aswell but people just went right over its head to the real deal. and besides with ford they have a kick arse 6cyl so i doubt you would get people buy a V8 that gets smashed by by an awesome 6cyl.
the main difference between fords and holdens image with performance is holden concentrates on V8’s only yet ford does both 8’s and 6’s and have proven you dont have to have 8 cylinders under the hood to get some respect on the roads
Me. Says:
September 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
God, the way Holden calls those Opels ‘Holdens’ makes people think they Australian and proud of it. When I tell people that they not made here they say ‘bull****’ to me.
If Holden is more australian than Ford (as they say), why do they use Opals as Holdens!
To Me, I know your comment is 2 weeks ago but thought I would remind you that Opel is part of GM factory and always has just like Ford Europe is part of the Ford empire.
Personally the Commodore has more content made in Australia than Falcon and as a result of its export worth to Australia makes it a car more important to Australia
“Am I alone or would other of you guys like to see a series of races with production car that only have safety mods so people can get a real idea of which cars are reliable as well as fast and what is likely to fail in cars we can buy?”
“VT MAN There was such a race around Mt Panorama during the 90’s.Durability was the criteria.Probably timely to resurrect the idea as the touring cars used are so removed from the reality of what is on the showroom floor. Fit them up to be compliant with CAMS safety rules,suspension mods OK but stock standard drivelines. 4,5&6 cylinder,V6 & V8.
Which one will take the hammering all day?”
“Isn’t the Bathurst 24 hour we already have similar though ?”
Firstly there IS exactly such an event already running, it is called the Bathurst 12 hour showroom challenge and happens at Easter. Admittedly this year was the first time it was held so you can be forgiven for not knowing about it. FYI The event was cleaned up by the BMW 335i. Look up the event in google to get the full results for all categories.
Bavarian Missile the 24hr hasn’t been run since 2004, there were sadly only two of them and I went to both. Holden fans won’t like me saying this but Holden ruined the event by becoming the name sponsor so they could force a rule change to allow a 7 Litre Monaro (NOT a production version obviously) to run and basically use the whole thing as a promo for the Monaro in place of V8 Supercars which it wasn’t allowed to enter.
The 7 Litre engine came direct from a Le Mans Sportscar spec C6 Corvette in the US. IE Holden cheated :) And sadly, very sadly dragged Peter Brock’s name into the mud by getting him to drive it.
On another note, I do think Holden deserves some respect for being good enough to become the go-to guys when their US parent needs new muscle cars. The Pontiac GTO (Monaro) and next year the awesome new Camaro. I’d love me one of those Camaro’s!!
Frosty, why is the Commodore more Australian then the Falcon, the Falcons six is the last engine that’s fully developed in Australia and V8 is asembled in Australia. Then over at GMH their V6 may be asembled in Australia but not Australian developed and their 6.0L V8s are fully imported.
Under the Bonnet of a commodore you see stuf that says made in Canada on it.
I know that Falcon won’t have an Australian engine after 2010 but what i’m saying that the Falcon and Territory will be the last car that’s around 95% Australian when the Commodore is only 66%.
I know that Holdenwoo is part Genral motors, but that’s what people don’t realise. They think because the name is Australian they think it’s “our own car” then they say that Ford is fully from USA. They say good stuf about the way the Monaro was exported, (now the Commodore) then they seem so proud that Australia is exported cars and don’t relise that it’s because Holdenwoo is part of a GM portfolio.
Its funny how it always ends up holden vs ford. The new VE was a good advance in “family” boring cars. The levels offered on the car is more than adequate for the average sales rep and family that drive them.
The thing that is worrying is that my 2001 VW Bora has the same tech that the “new” VE has. My Bora has flaired arches( full sick ), ESP, 6sp Manual, AWD ( Touque sensing diff ), Front and side curtain air bags ( holden had a heap of trouble with the side bags ), Fuel efficient V6 ( average 9litres/ 100km ), 0-100km/hr in 7.2sec so performance is ok, leather seats, front seat warmers, sunroof etc etc. I think they need to catch up a little… I just hope Ford take some initiative and invent something new. Maybe they should look at lighter weigh saving ideas to help performance and fuel economy.
VT Man= dickhead….enough said :P
what kind of a name is hatman!! is it the man of the hat or the hat of the man :P
Hatman, what do you have against other people?
Hello Me i have been trying to catch you on here What do you drive?
How did this get on this forum
“what kind of a name is hatman!! is it the man of the hat or the hat of the man” under my name, I didn’t send it. I try not to get personal as it kills any real debate.
I would love to see a production series where Falcons (Orion), Commodores, Mitsubishi 380’s, Toyota Aurions and any other car race. But as I have said before, there is no way known any car producer in this country will race one of their home grown vehicles. Why? because they will not last. Can you image the hoo har if the new VE or Orion bombed out.
The V8 Super series is a nice way of racing without losing face.
Commodores race on our roads every day of the week. If you are being tail gated or cutoff you can bet on it being a wanker in a Commodore. Falcon drivers by and large are more considerate and law abiding from my experience and I drive approx 60,000klms a year in my Falcon. Many of my friends also encounter Commodore wankers in their daily travels. When ever there is a news feature on a serious accident involving a single vehicle and a pole or other unmovable object you have probably noticed that these incidents are the specialty of vs/vr commodores with a splattering of later models.
Commodores definitely attract more than their fair share of wankers. Falcons and Commodores are crap i.e only cars you can buy new and leak oil from day one, but cheap parts and comfort/safety make them a viable proposition.
Sorry Thustmaster 5000, I have a KA Laser… bit old, but I have a Cobra replia and an F-Truck. Hoping to get a new Orion Falcon next year.
# Lazybones Says:
August 8th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
“1/2 the money spent on the VE and bet it will be twice the car !! As always ! ”
Well this will be an interesting comparison. According to Channel 9’s show “Billion dollar baby”. Half the VE budget went on re-tooling and manufacturing modernisation. So technically the VE is also a 1/2 bil car.
Cheers Dave, very useful post. I don’t remember Holden or should I say Daewoo winning best build quality of year award either.
Now son you are wrong, The cost out laid into the BA-BF Series since half or more is carry over including full drive-train and suspension, What you are seeing here is a AU-BA in skin and interior. This is no clean sheet car my friend, That will come at a later date with the new V6, No wonder it’s half the price of the VE it’s half the car made, Think about it.
And it didn’t matter what VY-VZ made when against the BA-BF, As soon as they stuck the V8 under the hood it made ground and was always competitive, Even if not as good it was very hard to stop in V8 form, And that is Fords Trump Car Engine and Auto package in 6 form.
# Me. Says:
September 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
God, the way Holden calls those Opels ‘Holdens’ makes people think they Australian and proud of it. When I tell people that they not made here they say ‘bull****’ to me.
If Holden is more Australian than Ford (as they say), why do they use Opals as Holden!
You Really are an idiot!, Do you think all Falcons are a clean sheet? Parts start from somewhere blade control IRS from Focus???.. But I’d give you $10,000 if you can make a single panel suspension part interior part brake fit from an opel car to a VR onwards.
You wouldn’t know that the Opel Omega was only ratted max 240hp.. Wonder how it would go with a LS2 in it?? For starters it might not fit to nice, Might also have trouble driving it after the chassis twists and snaps.
# Me. Says:
September 19th, 2007 at 8:26 am
VT Man, at least Ford will sill make their engines until 2010.
Holden don’t make their V8s and their weak s***V6 is not an Australian icon like they. The falcon’s smooth I6 and V8 made here, so what the f*** is wrong with you? All the Holden fans that I know have some kind of mental illness! Azza and watto_cobra are right, so don’t come back and say something that is bulsh*t!
You mean one is built and designed here, The other is imported and assembled here..
80% of Holden Commodores sold are the V6’s.
And don’t worry Ford will have a V6 of there own soon enough lol.
# Me. Says:
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:40 am
Frosty, why is the Commodore more Australian then the Falcon, the Falcons six is the last engine that’s fully developed in Australia and V8 is asembled in Australia. Then over at GMH their V6 may be asembled in Australia but not Australian developed and their 6.0L V8s are fully imported.
Under the Bonnet of a commodore you see stuf that says made in Canada on it.
I know that Falcon won’t have an Australian engine after 2010 but what i’m saying that the Falcon and Territory will be the last car that’s around 95% Australian when the Commodore is only 66%.
Why Why Why.. Falcon is and was never 95% Australian.. Easy short story keep up.. Holden a man from the uk. Came to OZ. Bla bla bla, Formed with Body builders bla bla bla they built coaches together and then bodys for most overseas company’s.. Bla bla bla Then GM liked them got in fast bla bla bla GM was GMA GM Australia.. Merged with Holden and the body builders bla bla bla become GMH.. bla bla bla down the road over the years GM bought more of Holden until they owned them fully somewhere in the 80-90’s maybe.
Ford Motor Company rocks in to OZ And plants base, Import cars such as the Falcon.. Life goes on history as it is no part of Ford ever crossed hands with Australian hands there for no part was ever bought out of Australian hands..
Also the Govs never helped Ford to become more Australian in the start, they did Holden maybe because Holden was locally owned before GM, Holden is a man not a car company, It was him and the body builders that started something, If they didn’t assemble body’s better then anyone in the world they might never have taken off, On the other hand they could have merged with ford now what name would we have for them then?
Now in all Honest truth the VE is the first clean sheet base this country has seen.. Reason: There was no base to start from in GM this time they had to do it alone.
There is no 70% Australian content cars out there anymore and there never will be again, So there’s no use in saying this has more in it when it sells almost half as less so in the long run it’s selling less local content, But that’s just talking penis sizes.
Harry said – “You mean one is built and designed here, The other is imported and assembled here..”
At least one Ford engine is, Holden’s V6 is not developed here and atleast The boss V8 used in Falcons is assembled here, not like Holden, having to import the engines from overseas.
Harry, you can’t do anything but dig up the past, can’t you! :)
“You Really are an idiot!, Do you think all Falcons are a clean sheet? Parts start from somewhere blade control IRS from Focus???.. But I’d give you $10,000 if you can make a single panel suspension part interior part brake fit from an opel car to a VR onwards.”
Whats making parts got to do with anything?
Holden fans can’t take any facts, then they loose the plot so they use the smalest reason that makes Holden look abit better and go on saying “FORD SUCKS” because of it when there is alot of stuff that makes Ford better anyway.
Dont bother Me .same old argument! Dont you feel like cutting and pasting previous answers to the same Holden comments! Whos Harry anyway? Another 1 post wonder!
Harry Potter = Holden fan,hey? Hope it goes away and never comes back! One post wonder… I sure hope so LOL!
I’m don’t mean making fun of you going ford. Yes, I am an idiot for saying that!
Just getting back to the spyshots, I just recently seen pictures of the new cobra and I find that some of the spyshots look similar to it. So maybe (please correct me if I’m wrong) we have’nt seen any of the new falcons.
Can’t Wait, this is a whole new car at the top here. As you can see there the door handles are different to the BF.
Going Ford, Is The Going Thing, I’m sorry I’m not to mechanically minded but I still think it could be a BF with a few minor changes for camoflauge. They could be testing out the new engines for eg. faults or reliablity and so on. So until the final product is released I’m going to keep an open mind about it.
Please don’t think I’m against anything I love fords (I own a BA Fairmont and enjoy driving it) it’s just that I see quite a few similarities to the BA BF series.
There is one thing I’m sure of, that is the new falcon will be great if not the greatest falcon ever.
Yes, this will be the best Falcon ever I hope. It’s too hard to say if it will have the same floor plan. Any way, It doesn’t matter if this is just a re-skined BA-BF, but it will have better things about the car than the current one like the FPV.
It’s been rumoured it will look a hell of a lot different, But still be in some ways BF under it, Territory front steering, But one thing we know that will not change is the strength of the car, Even with a higher waistline it wont be a stiffer body or be any better in crash testing, So it will keep up BF standards there which is still good..
The next change i’m sure for the new V6 will bring a new body with again pretty much the same suspension set up hugely modified maybe a longer wheelbase?.
How come the link to “2008 Ford Falcon Orion Spy Photos:” is no here?
Is the new falcon on the same chassis as the current one
i loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeee FORDS
Still Not Sure wrote: “Even with a higher waistline it wont be a stiffer body or be any better in crash testing”
Completely wrong. I can’t go into detail, but rest assured, Orion is significantly different from a structural point of view which has in turn changed its crash characteristics, for the better, of course.
Hatman= dickhead….enough said :P
What kind of name is VT Man!!Is it the man or the VT Commodore :P
For nearly the past 50 years every time a new model Ford Falcon is produced it has always been better than these copy cat car manufacturers like Holden (Oldhen), Toyota ,Nissan etc etc etc…
We are all gonna know that when the new 2008 Falcon comes out it will be better than the rest. Its gonna have much superior qualities than what other cars will have. The 1 billion so called VE commodore is allready old and out dated and will need to spend probably another billion on it to make it as good as the new Falcon. The new Falcon as always will be a class above the rest. Looks like nobody is gonna have an answer to the new Ford Falcon cause its just gonna be the best car out. (Ford 20 championship wins Holden only 14) hahahaha
Holden
Owners
Lick
Dick
Every
Night
My
Aunties
Zebra’a
Dirty
Ass
Anton Gabriel Jordan Vlahos isa gay
Hairy
Old
Little
Dints
Eagles
Nits
It has been very interesting looking at these spy photos over the last 6 months or so.
One thing bothers me though,I think that for some reason they are way off the mark,Ford has in the past had a real problem with spy photos and pre-production renderings appearing in publications sometimes on covers up to 12 months prior to production,look at the EA,EF nd AU models.
Discarded design pics found at the tip?,what a load of crap.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all the test mules spotted are wearing Mondeo fake panels,or if indeed are China spec examples undergoing climate testing,Mondeo being a ‘world car’ Ford have been a bit lax in the past on camoflage for these models.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the nose has Taurus or Fusion US styling influences,remember,Ford with no Fairlane and LTD now have to make a semi-luxury variant of this Falcon,the Mondeo nose pannel looks way to soft.
Anyhow,congrats to Ford,your body camo and new car testing secrets have been well executed,I’m not fooled though.
When you have a new Fairlane/LTD available I will return as a customer.
I have new Photos of the Ford range testing in the NT and footage.. Some one please tell me where i can post this!!
lloydwashere@gmail.com
I have sent your email on to Alborz…..the CARAVICE DIRECTOR, not sure if any of the other guys are on today.
I am sure he will get back to you soon
GOOD JOB !!!
BM, did you see the Cobra review on carpoint website? Gets a pretty good write-up.
Lloyd, you got a video! I said to people living in the out back to have their cameras. Hope we see it.
Yep I thought so too JBOT,,better than the Motor one!
The bonnet does shake too,first thing we noticed!
Off Carpoint…
What we liked…
Wild looks
Engine and suspension upgrades
Such fun
Not so much
Not so wild interior
No DSC (Ford’s ESP)
Tyre roar on some surfaces
The story…
“Those lucky enough to get their name on one of the 400 FPV Cobra limited edition sedans have really got something to look forward to. It is by no means the best current Aussie muscle car but it is certainly the most entertaining.
After at least 3000km in HSV’s current E-Series range and that much again in every FPV GT from BA to BF Mk II, it doesn’t take a really long drive to establish exactly where the Cobra sits in the pecking order. It is the best high performance local Ford ever, this side of a GT-HO Phase III. If public reaction is any indication, it also might be the most standout local muscle car since the Walkinshaw VL Group A arrived in 1988.
Despite that, the Cobra is no match for the stiff body structure, polished suspension behaviour, refined and frugal V8, extra performance and chassis balance of the current HSV E-Series ClubSport R8/GTS. By any objective criteria, it’s almost pointless to make the comparison, but HSV’s current range can be like the class goody two-shoes or head prefect. It does everything so well, it risks becoming boring at anything under warp speed.
In contrast, the FPV Cobra is like the prize fighter well past his prime but patched-up for one last bout — a fight it knows it has no chance of winning but remains committed to delivering a huge spectacle and a heck of a stoush anyway. This is even before it throws a punch.
From its dated cabin to its thunderclap looks, the Cobra carries a sense of occasion missing from a current HSV. The Boss 302 upgrade and R-Spec suspension then add a mongrel side not often seen in today’s car.
Even from behind the wheel, the bonnet bulge takes on giant proportions thanks to massive dark blue stripes edged in light blue. The firmer R-Spec suspension makes sure that the bonnet is constantly quivering and shaking over anything other than the smoothest roads — almost as much as the ’shaker’ poking through the bonnet of an XY Falcon GT once did.
In anything else, it would be dismissed as a fault but here it’s a sign of life.
FPV’s Boss engine doesn’t deliver its best until it has at least 10,000km under its belt hence FPV’s one and only Cobra test car with 5500km up was probably far livelier during our drive than those who got to it first.
It is quicker than the Boss 290, and feels it.
The Boss 290 doesn’t deliver real thunder until its quad cams and extra valves do their thing and can be a little docile up to that point. While these fundamentals don’t change, the Boss 302 definitely moves off the line with extra urgency and when it hits around 4000rpm all hell breaks loose. HSV’s seamless power delivery might be superior against the stopwatch but it’s the Boss 302 that invites the driver to participate in getting the best out of it.
As for the R-Spec suspension, it’s about as tight as it needs to be for a muscle car of this performance, compared to the standard GT which is a little softer than expected. The ride is certainly lumpier but not uncomfortable.
The reduced tendency to move the weight onto the outside front wheel during hard cornering is a welcome one. For the first time, this is an FPV GT that feels smaller than it is. The only drawback was a tendency to transmit more tyre noise than we remember on coarse sealed surfaces. In a car like this, it’s just as likely to be the result of a previous tester frying the tyres at a racetrack
Otherwise, the rest of the Cobra is all GT, which is a shame. The original Cobra hardtop featured blue trim inserts which brought the theme inside. Because today’s external Cobra striping and decals can be replicated by any competent graphics company, the blue trim panels would have added some depth to the package.
Instead, the Cobra makes do with an off-the-shelf GT cabin with the Cobra graphic embedded in the trim. Ford already offers blue leather steering wheels and other blue details in certain XR models so the blue is already in the system.
The standard FPV reply is that blue trim highlights would have been too over the top for today’s buyers — the red and orange dash options in the sporty Commodores would suggest not!
It’s a let down when the exterior is arguably wilder than the original. Ford fans accuse Ford of forgetting they are the blue team and they have a point.
And that’s where the speculators could be disappointed. That the Cobra Boss 302 is the best of all FPV GTs, is beyond doubt. Yet it can never match the original 1978 Cobra Hardtop in longterm appeal. That car was the last Falcon Hardtop Ford is ever likely to build and most of its special features were not stick-ons.
No, the FPV GT Cobra Boss 302’s biggest achievement might be that it is a reminder for Ford… A reminder that as soon as the company reconnects with its heartland, there is a risk buyers will actually rush to the showrooms and pay its asking price (or more).
To comment on this article click here”
im with MRZJ.
i agree ford are laughing at us and we dont know half of what it looks like. ive said it many times and im agreeing with you again.
on the record……….CGI pictures are well off
Why bother it looks the same as the BA,dated and boring.
If it looked like Mondeo, I think it would be a winner, but as shown, it’s dead before release.
william you have only seen the car in disguise… ill give you one hint…. think mondeo!
Tonyn
Thank you for the reply re the new Falcon. But if Wheels have it right,Ford has got it wrong. But then again what was “Wheels” car of the year VE Commode, well I drove several variants and they drive like billy-carts, sound like trucks and were apparently desigined by visually impaired “stylists”. Let us hope Ford does not follow!
Cheers
Still doesnt look as good as the COMMODORE! And it never will! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA! HA!
How can you tell……..duck duck goose!!
You right Duck, you realy are a duck. If you don’t know what you talking about… don’t bother!
….Just another school age Holdenwoo fan that can’t tell sh*t from clay!
Just leave it ME……..I asked you a question last night but I have forgotten what it was…….Oh are you going to the Melbourne car show!
Got to go………hubbys birthday off for tea back latter……oh it was the final of Chasers last night!!
Do you two hate HOLDEN
Ive seen the new ford pics and i don’t think they are original, like the Holden Commodore FOR EXAMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey dave i like your attitude about ford
I think the new Falcon is going to be the best car in the world… better then Lambos, Porsches, Ferrari’s or any of those other cars. Typhoon all the way!!!!
We don’t realy want to hate Holden, but when people make biased comments about Ford, they need to lern.
You can’t say that like Amdrew said to me I said yhe Commodore Wagon will be the best in the world but it is not because of the european competitors,so the typhoon can’t be better than ferrais, lambos and porsches
But what do you like better ford or holden overall
Me.
what car brand do you prefer
I prefer Ford, BUT I don’t like wanting to bag off Holden just because I prefer Ford.
How do you do that!
That Brett C, bloke goes over the top!
Brett, for god’s sake, what the hell do you like?
is brett being stupid
Me.,
I agree he doesnt like any car companie
Hey! Lloyd has a video of the Orions, what’s happening with it?
Hey WILL
where do you think holden got these names from
commodore? senator? from OPEL, thats right…. from older european cars.
and LUMINA ?? from an old chevy
so what if ford borrowed the Orion name?
Hey Brett…. heres a few more
Horrible
Old
Lump
Does
Excite
Neanderthals
Hope
Our
Luck
Doesnt
End
Now
Hideous
Oil
Leaks,
Dents,
Engine
Noises
:p
Troy, I know something too about what Holden stands for…
H=Horrible
O=Old
L=Lemmon
D=Dung
E=Exepting
N=Niglect
H olden
O wners
L oose
D ick
E very
N ight.
Drivers
Return
On
Foot
Orion sounds too similar to Aurion (a better car) so who gives a crap!
Troy its not about the name its about the car!
orion is only the code name for it, so why compare it to aurion, when the car is released it will be the bg or something desginated falcon. So who cares if its orion!!!
“Aurion” and “Orion” are said differently…
“Aurion” is a Japanese word.
“Orion” is the stars in the sky at night. Have you herd of “Orion’s belt”? That’s what it is.
Look what I found….
http://i4.photobucket.com/albu.....lcon25.jpg A CGI of the Orion Fairmont, Looks good but they need more deatail around where the spot light.
Will SAID…”The ford ORION is actually the name that superceeded the ford granada many years ago in the UK. cant Ford OZ come up with something different as they spend millions on R&D. look at the focus xr4 in the UK, xr3 escort in the UK, waken up ford Austrlia”
What a stupid person! If Ford UK is Related to Ford AUS, can’t see why theres anything wrong with that.
If Holden can use “LUMINA”, there is no problem with Ford Aus using something from Ford UK and the name will be droped when it comes out.
Didn’t NASA name some space ship THE ORION …….something too do with MARS??? Of course the name will be dropped….what was the name they were using for the BA”s?The Bara!
As far as I know Aurion is pronounced “or – ree – an” and Orion is “o – ryan”. Besides, as already noted, it is merely a codename, like previous Falcons were codenamed “Barra”, etc.
Duck, how can you assume Aurion is a better car when no one has even seen or driven the Orion? I would put money on Orion being the better car. Like most other cars, Falcons keep getting better and better.
You beat me to the codename bit BM ;-)
you will see several ‘Australian’ firsts with Orion. Will be worth the wait.
Did anyone see an LPG article the the Herald-Sun Cars Guide a while ago? (Nov.16)
It showed a bloke (Guy Obren) holding up a new design of LPG tank. It is made of aluminium, and can be made almost rectangular (and other shapes) to save room. He says it can take the place of a cars fuel tank with almost the same capacity, instead of the current steel cylinders that take half your boot room or your spare tyre spot.
The interesting thing was, in the background of the photo was an E-gas Falcon. Maybe this new tank will be standard equipment on E-gas Orion???
Other rumors suggest E-gas Orion may have Direct Injection.
Put these two things together and you’d have an even cheaper 4L Falcon to run without the usual gas compromises. It would be just as good (if not better) than the petrol variant.
Any hints on these “firsts” JPMaster?
spot on Watto! some think Orion is the same as Aurion.
Barra the code name? So thats what the I6 is named after.
Barra was the codename for the BA and also for the updated twin-cam engine.
I think after the Orion is the Huntsman.
The big question should be, is the engine in the Orion going to look the same?
Something that just came to me… ‘Orion’ could be a name used for a model. Base model anyone?
Orion V Omega, sounds good!
Does anybody know if the base falcon will be still called the XT?
I will not give away the game away. Ford need as much competetive advantage as they can get. Orion will be nice, very nice, particularly the new Ghia!
Just look to mondeo and its technology and safety, and you’ll get an idea as to what they had to achieve.
If the Mondeo has it. The Fairmont Ghia next year will have Leather seat warmers, automatic wipers etc.
i think everyone will be blown away by what ford offers in both styling of the new falcon and the equipment it has in it.
ya neva no, the ghia may not get the seat warmers. the astra has seat warmers on a model but even the ve’s dont have them. may have 2 wait and see
seat warmers are a crock in my opinion anyway.
Only reason astra would have them is because of how cold europe gets!
Yep I agree its like heated wiper blades in this country….My car has heated side mirrors,now thats a wank option! There are so many stupid options on cars these days….that would make a good blog.Tell us you favorite options and the dumbest options on a car!
Don’t forget the diesel Territory…
The rain sensing wipers should be a good option for the up-market Orion models.
….But then again, with all that crap means it’ll have a use-by date and out in the outback in summer can affect all the high-tec junk.
I agree it seems to take a long time for Aussie built cars to get options some Euro cars have had for 10 years or more….even speed sensing wipers have been around for over 15 years on BMWs!!
You do have a point there Me……..the more options you have the more to go wrong with something!! I would hate to be an Auto electrician on some of the old Euro stuff……wiring harnesses would look very daunting!!!!!!
I know most Auto electricians hate european cars for having high-tec stuf. Even I’ve had experiences with those cars that have turned into lemons,
HERE IS ONE CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY.. Holden[Opel]Calibra – Total lemon.
Euro cars are difficult to work on compared to Aussie stuff.
I have to con my hubby into doing anything on my car..took 6 months for him to change the coolant cause its a prick to jack up unless you have a hoist,then you have to take all the wind deflecting panels off underneath the front of it.
He pulls a face every time I ask him to service it, and the swearing that goes on down stairs from just jacking it up cause its so low! He does panic working on it cause it pretty much in concourse condition and he knows if he gets a scratch on it hes dead meat! Never mind I guess I’m lucky in the fact that even though its almost 10 years old now it doesn’t need much except for servicing! The day will come though when the electrics do start dying!!
Does any body know that the base line falcon ute will be still called the XL and the base line sedan the XT?
its going to be too easy. 300kw+ turbo inline six tourque monster typhoon with all wheel drive. ever wondered why they are using the vitrual pivot suspension setup, with a 50 mm wider front track off the territory? Look out GTR commies and skylines, the horseman of the apocalypse rides, and only ruin lies in his wake.
hahaha…..you have finally called your self by your own name ME………….Well done!
HAhA BM!!! It’s not me! HA HA! :P
Bit immbarist BM? You have to admit that was a funny accident you had!
hahaha……yeah right! What accident?Or should I say which one?
Nathan, so you think the Orion Phoon is going to be on a Territory AWD platform??? I highly doubt it!
Thats how it would be if I changed it.
But, i’d rather have it like this …For now!
hahaha.you know ME the first sign of madness is talking to yourself! The second………answering yourself!hehehe
Oh Yeah BM!LOL
But what Nathan said was interesting, maybe they should have an F6-HO with a Territory AWD Platform. They’d need flared guards if it’s from an SUV, but that would make it handle better and be atleast 400kw.
Does anybody know if the next falcon baseline ute will still be called the XL and the sedan the XT?
Nahh Duck, it’s still top sercret what the Orion range will be. Hopefully by Feb ‘08 Ford will finaly show it off!!
duck,
im still looking back to the first rumours so im still betting that the XT will become the “G6″ and the LPG models “G6E”
wow i missed a bit of this chat it took me a while to catch up.
we definately need a way of posting a response to a particular person like in a forum.
it would just seem from no mans land if i started talking about stuff that was posted ages ago
ME,
the ghia CGI shot looks quite good. well havent CGI’s impressions changed? i always said they were nowhere near the money. i still think they are a little too mondeo but much closer than their first efforts. just square it up a slight bit more towards the BF and its bang on it i reckon. but only slightly
Also don’t forget the R6. What ever that’s going to be??
Wow its so BA, why bother?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wow thats a biased holden fan why bother??
Remember WoW that BA won COTY. BA is still a great platform. Commodores changes weren’t wholesale from VT to VZ either.
There will be so many differences in this car it will only “slightly resemble” a BA. This is evident despite the great camo on all the spyshots.
Oh and I can keep my heap of crap Pontiac up with a ferrari F348 so I must be not a bad driver and My flatmate cause he drive a Ford Mondeo. You know the one thaey put behind a jet p;ane to see if they could blow it off of the road.
^WTF, what’s your point?^
You’re spending a lot of time on here during the school holidays Me. Coincidence?
Jbot, whats with you personal attacks? Do you even know how old I am, who do you think you are? Then you say “Coincidence” how is that got to do with you?
How dare you tell me I still go to school…. Grow up!
Whoops… looks like I need to bring back…
__________
JBOT IS THE NEW TOYOTA PAUL!
foolish jbot got slamed again like always…. Goes quiet.
__________
THERE SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE SO YOU CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT JBOT’S POSTS!
^
^
More spam!
Thanks ME………..
With over a million cars sold again this year, and a shrinking large car segment, i certainly hope the new Falcon comes with the same ol’ torque we’re used to , but an even better reault in fuel consumption. Funny, you know – I think it is wheels mag, they just threw TURD Aurion, Subaru Liberty and XR6T against each other, and guess which one came out on top? The 3 y/old designed XR6T!! Whoohoo.
Go the Super Rooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I saw that in Wheels Mag, It’s got an exotic Subaru and new TuRD….and here is an old car, but the oldest was the best.
Haven’t bought a Wheels magazine for months because lately it has usually been VE on the cover. So the all Aussie I6 beats them out? XR6T too, not FPV up against TRD.
I finally saw a TRD the other day on the road. It is a nice looking car, not overly-aggressive bodykit, but I would never buy one. Why? FWD and 200+kw don’t go together.
The only trd ive seen was at a dealership. Yes it’s stupid the way it’s been Holdens on the Wheels Mag after the Leaked pics of the Orion were put on.
But the latest one has a nissan GT-R on it – First time for ages it wasn’t a Holden.
Jbot, me and oz are the same bored lil turd leave the posts to mum ok,hows the school holidays the spam is sam. hehehe.
Oh whateva man,talking like a grown up now hey csv cock suckin vehicles.hehehe
This is news about the Orion from FPV.com.au :”FPV will, closer to the new Orion launch, hold a BBQ and preview day of the entire FPV range at its Campbellfield facility for all to view before it goes on public sale. At this time we hope to display an example of every car ever produced at the current FPV production plant. More details to follow with a firm date to be announced in the New Year.”
“Kind Regards, Rod Barrett”
FPV General Manager…
Thanks for that tip off Oz.
Just looked at www . fpv . com . au
They will be very busy with Orion launch and trying not to have the open day clash with other major events.
Never been to Melbourne, but I’ll have to make an exception in this case ;-)
Year, I have half a mind to go there to see the Orion before it goes on sale!!! Although I haven’t been to VIC sice 1992.
Hey sighted yesterdays Courier Mail paper and looks like the front end is different from images sighted as you can make out on front end bottom sides of grille which are upcurved more which suggests a much more sportier stance against headlights. It has a higher wasteline rising as it gets towards back and looks great!
I saw that in the Courier Mail, you can see the racoon eyes and it explained the props in the background.
well wouldnt we see it at the motor shows first before the FPV factory showing.
does anyone know if the orion will feature at the Brizzy motor show? they say orion details will be released in Feb so does that mean it might catch the Brizzy show?
OZ……Ford are playing tricks on us from Tonyn has told me……..don’t be surprised if it doesn’t look like the previous so called leaked pics !!
Na Melbourne is its unveiling……then end May FPV !
Yeah BM…..It may look nothing like the pics we have seen. But I wish they showed the Orion at the Brisbane show.
BM your saying that because you live in WA and if it was unveiling in Brizzy, you would miss out!!!! :P
Na………I know because Ive been told Melbourne!
Pffttt …..Brisbane you guys are slower than us so maybe you will get end of 2008 hehehe
LOL! C’MON I NEED TO SEE IT!!! :(
I could not resist it, 300th post!
AS I said, I have 1/2 a mind to go to VIC to see it at the show or at Broadmeadows before the launch.
Why do Australian designed Fords always look 10 years old 6 months after their release?
When I see a 3 month old BA series II on the road, it looks like a BA series I from 2002 and that looks another 5 years older too. The “improvements” were just fixes to what was a poor quality vehicle. No wonder Toyota outsell every other manufacturer here. Toyotas are ugly dog slow cars… but they do know about quality and longevity. If Ford could finally put their balls on the line and design something great and back it up with great quality they would have Holden (and other) buyers switching camp straight away. They came close with the Territory but went limp when it came to market and overpriced it and let it loose with quality issues.
Ford needs a massive overhaul on their people machine… marketing, design, quality assurance, manufacturing, key customer relations and sales. If the product is not good enough and the rest of those people things are terrible… then you have a problem… only die-hard Ford fans to TRY and sell cars to. If the product is not good enough then you may as well shut up shop and let the Euro’s & Americans take over. It is really that simple. I volunteer to execute a new strategy for Ford in Australia… stop making taxis and let that go to the Hybrids…. do you have a Hybrid Ford? Naaah… didn’t think so… too busy doing something else… whatevers… dreaming… importing crap… designing crap. I sure am going to laugh when fuel hits $2 a litre and Ford and Holden are still trying to flog V8 rubbish with poor quality along for the ride.
Settle down Tez! What do you mean by “poor quality” and look 10 years old ?
Holden/Ford V8s are all about passion Tez, with the Ford/Holden rivaly. Toyota = Nothing to do with it.
How many Hybrid minds are there?
Where the hell is the group of elephants tonight?
On their way no doubt.
Tez is right about the $2 fuel bit. I fail to understand the marketing gurus at Holden/Ford pushing large capacity cars when the average person does not want them. Surely an Australian designed and built smaller capacity car would go down bundles.
I hate those shite Hybrids, and sure Toyota can’t bring anything powerful enough to our market to conquer Ford or Holden…. but they make quality cars.
Every Falcon I ever get into has a broken electric passenger window, a clunky diff, a dodgy sounding stereo and a whole lot of missing power. Usually it is one of the above, but last week I was in a mates XR8 and it is 2 years old and all of the above. It doesn’t even have a V8 growl, it didn’t push me back in the seat. I was very disappointed. The week before that I was in a friends Sportivo and it was the opposite, it was faultless, the standard stereo was solid, the power felt like a whole lot more than the XR8 V8 and even had a nice exhaust note. Maybe it would have been different if I was driving, but as a paasenger all I can do is comment on what that felt like. Ford need help!
TEZ so a 200Kw fwd toyota pushed u back in ur seat and not a 260Kw V8???? are you crazy… i take it he wasnt even trying as my 04 Xr6 can push ya back in ya seat…. WTF???
HAVING JUST SPENT THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS READING EVERY FORD VS HOLDEN DEBATE/ARGUMENT!THE BEST WAY,MIND YOU IT,S ONLY MY UNBIASED “FORD LOVER” ONE EYED OPINION THOUGH!JUST LOOK AT THE PRICES [RESALE VALUES] OF ‘old’GT FALCONS EVEN THE GOD FORBID ‘REPLICAS’! THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO GOOD OLD HENRY FORD THE TRUE PIONEER OF MASS PRODUCTION!BY THE WAY WHAT YEAR DID HOLDEN WIN LE MANS[24hr]RACE?I AM OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHEN “FORD” BRAINED THEM! AND IT WAS MORE THAN ONCE!
I like fords (US) way of getting hybrid economy from there new engines. Ad a turbocharger!!! You get more performance, better fuel economy n only a little bit more wait insted of 300kgs more (rough wait guess). Ford US, I like the way u think. There cars r going to be 100 time better now that the r going to share the falcon platform with the Mustang. Pontiacs r gonna suffer big time. we all no what that means for the Commodores LOL. Go ford n fpv.
Americans r so stupid. i was just on one of there car blogging site which is similar to this n they talked about how the american mustang will share the same platform as the new falcon. Then the publisher at the end says one thing about the Ford interceptor concept and they go on about that for the next 30 od comments. Wake up american ford fans!!!! Our fords have a hole better suspension platform then anything that the whole american fomoco can offer. Your rear end is live axel (1970’s) our rear end is a control blade rear end (2002) one of the best rear end set-ups in the world n it has taken Ford america 5 years to realise that they should be using our platform. Hate to say it, but it seems like the whole GM product has got brains n the new Pontiac G8 n the new Camaro are gonna kill your Mustangs in the bends. Ford is finally starting to get it right though. Send Ford australia all you new engines for our next falcon line up. No iron block, all alloy.
^
What site was that?
hi so to all the ford fans here is another one no 1 holden fan can argue the old 71 xy gtho phase 111 and even the phase four with only 3 left so cop that holdens anyhow the new falconlooks awsome its still got the tuff falcon look with some more modern design features like the head lights and grills and all that jazz but what im lookin foward to is the fuel consumption against the holden if ford done better than the ve see who sells more huh when fuel goes over $2.00pr litre but the blue oval is the mac truck in large family and sports cars and i’ve been in a ve yeah not to bad but me eb 111 is still more comfy to travel and dive in so boo hoo sucks to you ve fritz
i think its goin to be a great battle for the market with the new ford comin out i mean the ve has been out for a while and the bf is still selling and i think est thing was kept the same floorpan as the au which was ugly but a great tuff car and the best part the ford should’nt lose any of that roomey feel to it like the 360 and ve the same floorpan means the same widenes and lenght to the car the only thing i really hate is that they dont build wagons anymore so where the happy medium between a sedan and a fuel suckin 4wd wagons are the best people movers especially the old fords roomey as drop those back seats and whalla a inside trailer
The best Australian car is a Ford Falcon.
back in june 2007 we drove to adelaide , in my cousins XR8 2005 BF falcon.
we came close to the base model ORION to have a look , the driver was so dumb and he tried to avoid us and didnt let us get close to him …
since my cousins XR8 is not stock it makes 456.6-RWKW , we played with the stock ORION as he tried to accelerate away my cousins XR8 just played with him up and down like cat with the mouse
till we got the driver so mad that he parked a car somewhere , at the time we didnt even bother to go back and say hello to him
he tried to get away from us as i said … but had no chance lmao
what an idiot … hes trying to drag a car with 500kW at the flywheel LMAO!!
with only 200kW in his Orion thinking that he can get away. LMAO!!
cheers
^Should of taken a video camera with you!
I had a customer here yesterday, He said he drove the XR8 & SS ute and liked the XR8 more but bought the SS cause of the badge even though the XR8 drove better ?
HUH I agree what is wrong with these people ?
I have driven both the SS and the XR8 around Queensland raceway and also on public roads, The XR8 is a far more comfortable car to drive on the road and at high speed ?
Only down side of FORD is windnoise :( grrrrrrr
Drew
The stock as it is BOSS260 is still a better engine than a 6Litre LS2 that makes 270kW/530Nm on RON98.
while the XR8 Boss260 makes 260kW on RON91.
run the Boss260 on RON98 , and you will get more power and torque.
even though the engine was specifically tuned to run on RON91
it will still gain 10-15kW more on RON98 , thats what i call free power.
and speaking of torque , it can gain up to 40Nm extra …. but again it depends on the weather and the air humidity.
anyways run the LS2 270kW on RON91 and you lose power dramatically…. along with torque.
put the stock XR8 5 speed Boss260made in 2002 december on the race track with a brand new 2008 VE SS 6Litre 270kW
and the old warn out , now pretty much outdated XR8 will win;) even with the old 5 speed manual.
at the end of the day … seriously i’d be happy to have either …
but i am happy with the SR BA Falcon V8 5.4L 3V 5 speed manual.
that thing flies!
Does anyone know roughly when the date of the new Falcon release and more important when will FPR be releasing there new range.
As I am in the market to buy a FPV Tornado, but do I by a BF or wait for the new model with over 300kw?
slip! sunday Feb 19th will be the offical press/public launch, im guessing and hope it will be at the All Ford Day!
Press release is next Thursday (7th Feb) at a yet to be disclosed location in Melbourne. Hopefully the photo’s and comments will be in next Friday’s drive
whoooooooo
really? is it that soon now?
when does the qld audience get to lay their eyes over it?
Many Thanks, what about the release date for the FPV range
Yeah, I can’t belive it’s that close already. Will FPV be at the same time as Slip is asking?