Ford Falcon Spyshots Overview
6 Jul, 2007
363 Comments 
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
Location: Home / Falcon, Ford / ...
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July 7th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
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…..
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July 11th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
were is the video of the GT????????
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July 13th, 2007 at 10:11 am
check out this article from the Adelaide Advertiser… mmmm
http://www.news.com.au/adelaid.....10,00.html
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July 13th, 2007 at 11:20 am
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 !
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August 3rd, 2007 at 7:13 pm
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.
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August 8th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
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.
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August 8th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
yeah missile,
i got one too outlining how defamitory the news headlines had been (well thats what it was getting at)
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August 8th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
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?!?
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August 8th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
kristo,
yep orion is just a pre-release name or if you read it is a codename if you like to call it that
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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.
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August 28th, 2007 at 10:32 am
i love you ford and i wanna have your baby fords
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August 31st, 2007 at 11:49 am
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
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September 2nd, 2007 at 6:42 pm
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.
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September 3rd, 2007 at 4:54 pm
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.
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September 5th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
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.
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September 5th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
WHOO! What an argument by Butthead! NOT! How about some actual facts to back up this moronic acusation?
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September 5th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
yeah exactlly butthead,
ill sit at the bus stop with azza waiting for the facts to come in that just wont come
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September 6th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
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
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September 7th, 2007 at 9:17 am
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
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September 7th, 2007 at 9:26 am
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
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September 7th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
The Orion will be a good car, so holden watch out, and
butthead did you ever go to school.
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September 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
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.
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September 18th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
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”!
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September 18th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
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.
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September 18th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
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.
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September 18th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
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.
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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!
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September 19th, 2007 at 9:18 am
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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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!
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September 19th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
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.
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September 19th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
By the way where is Ford getting the engines from the Focus from? Anybody Know?
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September 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
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!!!!!!!!
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September 19th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
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?
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September 19th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
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.
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September 19th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
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).
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September 19th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
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.
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September 19th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
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.
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September 19th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 1:20 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 1:43 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 2:07 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 9:12 am
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 !
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September 20th, 2007 at 9:23 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 9:30 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 9:36 am
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 10:05 am
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?
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September 20th, 2007 at 10:46 am
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?
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September 20th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Isn’t the Bathurst 24 hour we already have similar though ?
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September 20th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
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?
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September 20th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
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!
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September 20th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
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.
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September 20th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
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!!!
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September 21st, 2007 at 1:17 am
Thanks Azza. I knew it had an “S” in it
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September 21st, 2007 at 1:27 am
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.
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September 21st, 2007 at 9:43 am
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.
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September 21st, 2007 at 2:34 pm
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.
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September 21st, 2007 at 9:14 pm
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.
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September 21st, 2007 at 10:54 pm
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).
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September 21st, 2007 at 11:46 pm
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.
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September 22nd, 2007 at 1:28 am
Sorry, I was under the impression you meant Aussie production cars.
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September 22nd, 2007 at 8:46 am
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.
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September 22nd, 2007 at 6:23 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 4:10 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 4:23 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
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!!!
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:03 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
GO THE PHOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 6:56 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:10 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:16 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
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!!!
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Me …I hear what your saying but timing chains have their down fall also,stretching…….
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Sucks to be Skaiffe………… 2 weeks and counting!
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:54 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
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?
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September 23rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
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
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September 23rd, 2007 at 9:31 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 10:54 pm
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.
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September 23rd, 2007 at 11:12 pm
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 12:23 am
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 !
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September 24th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Not many sleeps now………..Im excited!!!!!!!!
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September 24th, 2007 at 12:48 am
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:01 am
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!
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:04 am
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
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:09 am
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:19 am
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 10:11 am
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!
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September 24th, 2007 at 10:23 am
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Oh sh*t!!! I said “Rick Relly”, I ment Rick Kelly and I don’t go for Holdens on race day.
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September 24th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
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 !
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September 24th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
LOL….Gee pooor olde Rik Relly is copin a reel bagin.
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
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?
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
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
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
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
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
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!
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
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..
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September 24th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
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!
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September 24th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
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
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
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??????
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
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.
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
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.
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September 25th, 2007 at 8:45 am
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.
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September 25th, 2007 at 8:54 am
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!
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September 25th, 2007 at 10:45 am
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.
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September 25th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
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.
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September 25th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
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.
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September 25th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
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
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September 25th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
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 ?
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September 25th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
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?
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September 26th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
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
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September 26th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
i hope that last bit made sence i was starting to think faster than i could type
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September 26th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
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
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September 27th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
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.”
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September 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I will put the You tube vid for you to see under this post,if the moderator allows it I guess.
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September 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTJgTYWEnsE
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September 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
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.
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