FPV F6 310 Review & Road Test
November 20, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
This is a serious Aussie muscle car, despite the absence of a large capacity V8
Model Tested:
- 2009 FPV FG Falcon F6 310; 4.0-litre, six-cylinder, turbo-petrol; six-speed automatic; sedan – $67,890*
Options Available:
- Metallic Paint $NCO; Premium Brakes $6375; Dark Agent 19-inch Alloy Wheels $1122; Satellite Navigation $3230; Leather Upholstery $2962; Power Adjustable Pedals $353; Reverse Camera $705
All round supercar performance with room for the family
Too many plastic highlights inside the cabin, despite the quality leather upholstery
CarAdvice Rating: 
You can’t always believe what’s printed in car brochures, especially those describing performance cars. They tend to be a little over enthusiastic at times.
“With 310kW of power and 565Nm of torque available from just 1950rpm, the all-new F6 delivers in-gear acceleration that has to be experienced to be believed”.
“That’s what the FPV brochure says… but I know what you’re thinking; it’s only a six-cylinder Falcon with a turbocharger and body kit. I mean how quick can it be?”
Trust me, when I say the above quote from the Ford Performance Vehicles is no marketing spin, and ‘seriously fast’ is not a strong enough description of what happens when you drop the right pedal in this car and leave it there for a few seconds. “Gone baby gone” is more like it.
This is a serious Aussie muscle car, despite the absence of a large capacity V8 engine or better.
Its not like the previous model F6 Typhoon was short on power, but FPV have pulled off the gloves with the latest F6 edition, 40kW (270kW-310kW) is a serious upgrade when you factor in the whopping 565Nm this hot rod puts out.
While so called turbo lag is virtually non existent and off the mark acceleration is jet like (but not unruly), the F6 310’s principle weapon is its in-gear acceleration, which will leave you breathless and wondering just how quick you can put the finance together.
That’s 565Nm of g-force pulling surge all the way from 1950rpm through to 5200rpm, which feels decidedly supercar like, whenever you bury the throttle from a lazy 80km/h.
That said it would take a brave soul to punch the throttle for anything longer than eight seconds in the F6, such is the unrelenting build up of speed this thing delivers.
The F6 310 is one of those cars, which instantly feels quicker than its generally accepted sprint time of 0-100km/h in 4.96 seconds. In fact, it feels a lot quicker than that.
Nonetheless, Dean Evans from Tarmac magazine ran some on-track acceleration runs in the F6 and confirmed 4.9 seconds to my surprise, but also ran a 12.9 second quarter mile with the needle nudging 181km/h.
You have to keep reminding yourself that this is a comfortable, if not luxurious, large four-door family car, which doesn’t mind shopping mall outings.
Thank god for traction control though, because when you do nail it, you can feel the 245/35 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres desperately trying to grip the tarmac and put the power down.
I’d like to say that 265’s might be a better fit, but I’m not so sure about that, as the electronic nannies make it a breeze to handle.
If you’re coming out of bog standard salesman’s special, such as a Falcon XT or Holden equivalent, take care, as this thing will scare the bejesus out of you, or indent a permanent smile on your face, when you punch it for the first time.
That feeling is amplified ten-fold when you engage the mid-range afterburner, or so it seems, from 80km/h to 120km/h in a sizzling 2.7 seconds. The F6 will max out at a speed-limited 250km/h, should you be lucky enough to have an airport runway with ‘big jet’ capability at your disposal.
The method by which FPV engineers have achieved the extra grunt is not overly scientific, but as simple as strengthening the piston design and dialling up the boost on the Garrett turbo.
But while there’s a tonne of boost on tap and the turbo spools up rapidly, the power delivery remains surprisingly smooth.
There’s induction noise all right, but it’s been dialled down in comparison to the previous Typhoon, which makes this G Series edition, an easier car to live with as a daily drive.
While you can certainly engage the sequential sports shift option if you need to get moving during an overtake, its best to flick the shifter across to the left into sports mode, and let the ZF six-speed auto do its thing. It’s a rapid cog shift and better still, allows your retinas to recalibrate the lens in your eyes to accommodate what has just become a blur.
It seems any car remotely associated with performance these days wears a set of Brembo brakes, but there are Brembos and there are Brembos, these monsters fitted to the F6 are of the latter kind.
Try six-pot calipers up front and four-pot down the back, and while they’re optional, I wouldn’t have it any other way, as their stopping power is prodigious.
But don’t think for one minute that every time you tap the throttle, that the F6 is going to go ballistic on you. This is the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde car.
Like most refined speedsters these days, there’s a softer side to all that power.
Drive the F6 without a light foot, as I have done several times this week (in truth not many times) and it’s quite happy to dawdle off to the mall with the kids for the weekly grocery shop.
It’s only when you drive with the intent of flying low, is the lethal power unleashed and your torso pinned to the seat-back of these exceptionally comfortable leather pews, which thankfully cater for a wide variety of body shapes
And while the ride is firm, you couldn’t call it stiff or uncomfortable. If anything, I’d like the option of stiffer spring rates and less movement in the dampers, which might just eliminate the slight body roll on turn in, which currently exists during what can only be deemed as enthusiastic driving.
Despite my personal preferences though, FPV have provided a perfectly liveable balance between ride comfort and handling with the F6.
It looks the part too, especially in this particular paint job they call Dash. It wouldn’t be my first choice, far too much attention from the boys in blue I would think.
The 19-inch graphite wheels look sensational, as does the aerodynamic body kit, which is all rather tasteful.
However, I’m not sure why FPV have gone for the single exhaust tip though, as there is no question in my mind, that twin exhaust tips provide a more balanced look and purposeful look to anything with a factory performance badge.
But I do like the aggressive stance of the F6, with the exposed intercooler through the front splitter, looking like a scene from The Fast and the Furious.
There’s a heap of room in the cabin too with ample head and leg space (front and back), even for those of abnormal height or above my 176 centimetres.
Boot space is plentiful although, not as much depth as I would have expected, but put that down to a full size alloy spare under the floor.
While the leather used to upholster the seats and trim is of a high quality, I’m not a fan of the metal look plastic inserts embellishing the fascia and door trim, as they cheapen the overall feel of what is a respectable interior.
But as far as equipment and creature comforts go, it’s all here including: Reverse parking camera and sensor along with an exceptionally good audio system with full iPod integration. What isn’t standard kit, is satellite navigation, which for this kind of money, probably should be.
And if you’re concerned about fuel economy or are a member of the Greens, my guess is you won’t be reading this review, but despite the ballistic performance of the F6, 12.2L/100km (ADR) and 289 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre, is highly commendable.
Even at $67,890, I can’t find any other six-cylinder, four-door sedan in the world, which comes close to rivalling the supercar like performance of FPV’s F6.
Ratings:
CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive: 
How does it Look:
How does it Go:
Specifications:
- Engine: 3984cc DOHC six-cylinder (24 valve)
- Power: 310kW @ 5500rpm
- Torque: 565Nm @ 1950-5200rpm
- Induction: Multipoint & Turbocharged
- Transmission: Six-speed automatic
- Driven Wheels: Rear
- Brakes: Cross-drilled discs with ABS & EBD
- Top Speed: 250km/h
- 0-100km/h: 4.9 seconds
- CO2 Emissions: 289g/km
- Fuel Consumption: 12.1/100km (ADR)
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 68L
- Fuel Type: 95-98 RON Premium Unleaded Petrol
- ANCAP Rating: Five-stars
- Airbags: Front, Side & Curtain
- Safety: ESC with Traction Control
- Spare Wheel: Full size
- Tow Capacity: 1600kg (Braked)
- Warranty: Three-year/100,000km
- Weight: 1805kg (Tare)
- Wheels: Alloy 19 x 8.0-inch
Tags: FPV F6, FPV F6 310
Yeah cool car…i’m no fan of the raccoon eyes tho.
How many of these is FPV selling? Don’t see too many on the roads, heaps of XR6 turbos out there.
Yeah good point I haven`t seen many either.
FPV are on track to sell 2000 cars this year. Rod Barrett, FPV boss, said in August that the split is nearly 60:40 favouring the V8. So 800 F6’s will be made this year.
I think the blacked out rocoon eyes can be opainted body colour at no cost, and I’ve seen few (both V8s and 6s) and they are much less “visible” on the raod like that.
Unless youv’e got this thing parked, theres not much around that will
be able to see the racoon eyes. One would assume that you will see
the tailights through the haze rapidly disappearing.
good car all round! but im sorry it looks like crap!
Can you buy this in a manual? What’s with everyone wanting auto’s these days. True driving experience only happens with a manual in my opinion. It’s just no fun changing gears in sport mode without a clutch.
Agree with the shiny silver plastics inside. Bit to “Cheap” looking for a $68,000 car. Still would buy one though as the performance would be amazing for a daily driver.
yeah, you can still get the manual in these.
people just buy the auto in em though, as its a bloody good gearbox..!
The ZF is actually faster and more precise at changing gears in manual mode than 90% of drivers piloting a T6060 box. This box is also better suited to the Turbo as you don’t drop revs as much as the manual does so better for keeping it on song. Remember that this is the gearbox fitted to a lot of Euro Sports vehicles, including the Maserati Quatroport (who actually came out here and tried to break it in XR8’s and XR6 Turbos)
As to the Silver plastic, have a look at Audi’s Jaguars and such, they also use it and it looks just as crap in Photo’s…
Yeah but they don`t look as cheap as the Falcons, I have noticed with Falcons they have a alot of sharp edges to their plastics,like they just haven`t been finished off properly.But it is certainly not the worst interior running around.
For the money it is.
Auto’s technically have clutches, you just dont have to engage them yoursel hence the Atuomatic reference.
Ahhh no they don’t. They have what is called a stall convertor. Open up any proper automatic (not DSG) and you will not find anything resembling a clutch. Mechanical Engineering 101.
Also I can’t believe some peoples ignorance “does this come in manual”? Some people really have no idea.
The “racoon” might not be to everyone’s taste but this vehicle is about being sporty and racy, not looking upmarket luxury.
People don’t seem to understand that Turbo engines go better with Autos. Reason is no loss of boost between gear changes. So you can have your cake and eat it too, cruise in peak our traffic and then blow the doors off a manual in a race. Why wouldn’t you get an Auto as good as this one, unless you just like being stupid and work harder rather than smarter.
Another not very well known fact, in Auto this thing is super fast, not only in straight line but around a track too. It is faster around Phillip Island than an EVO X. I know people will not believe this but go to Motor mags Google database on track times for standard road cars, the proof is in black and white.
Same day and conditions with Warren Luff driving; F6 1:53.80, EVO X 1:55:10.
Not bad for a Falcon.
Jess, I was wondering if the F6 and EVO X were Automatic Transmission vehicles.
Shak, your right. Automatics have clutch packs as well as the clutch in the lock-up torque converter. These clutch packs are predominantly responsible for the heat generation within the automatic transmission.
These clutch packs are ‘WET’, and shed their heat through the transmission fluid.
The 6 speed ZF auto in Falcon/Territory is accompanied by a Transmission Cooler.
goddamn… what a hot car!
if i had the money, id pop one in the garage right now.
all i can hope is to pick one up in a couple years, AND that they’re not all trashed by then. :)
I think they would be exceptional value second hand. If it has been cared for as far as servicing and body, interior etc, I`m not sure you can trash one. They have basically a truck motor and a fantastic gear box, its basically bullet proof bar the diff, brakes and they aren`t a major to replace.
I agree. I just don’t think it’s the best performance car under 70K, 2nd best yes, certainly not the best.
Then what do you think is a better [sub $70k] Family Sized RWD performance car than the F6?.
Note I said RWD to compare “like with like” as FWD; RWD and AWD cars have different handling characteristics etc.
I am also keen to hear what beats this in terms of under 70K performance…..
I would love to see what sort of figures could be got for the 400m dash if this car had 265 tyres. Most of what I have read regarding the turbo I6 is that the tyres are too too narrow for the torque they need to handle. Great article, you feel your in the car while you are testing it.
Well, that 565Nm of torque gets a 10% overboost in the F6, just like the XR6T & G6ET gets. It’s programmed into the ECU.
So, in FG form that become 621Nm of torquey goodness.
Tony a guy I know from work has run his down at W.S.I.D a few times.
It is a bog standard White Auto F6 with around 12000km on the clock. With the extra traction of the drag strip he has laid down 12.7’s a few times with the best of 12.65 1/4 mile!!!
Now once again this is a completely standard car with the standard road tires!!
This has got to be the best performance buy anywhere on the planet as far as grunt goes! Pity about that crappy green colour on this review, it does not help the car in the looks department.
Why would wider tyres make any difference? For straight line take off you need stickier drive tyres or sticker track – width won’t help in and of itself.
I wonder how these F6 behave in regards to axle tramping with the traction control switched off, for both manual and automatic transmissions.
@Tony M:
No real axle tramp to speak of, just much smoke from the tyres :) The Ford Control Blade setup is excellent.
I have a BF F6 with 300+ kw at the tyres and have never had any axle tramp
I know the BA Gts suffered from axles tramp.
I experienced it numerous times lunching hard ,they fixed in the BA mark 2 I think.
Can someone please explain “axle tramping”?
@Simon
“Axle tramp” or” Wheel hop” is simply when you do a hard launch, the driveshafts twist and untwist, and the energy has no where to go except the suspension which causes you to get and lose traction.
It just feels really bumpy, like your’e driving over heaps of small speedbumps really close together.
The whole reason as to why its bad is because it just means you lose grip, and thus accelerate slower. Its also a really really effective method of destroying driveline components, like your diff.
I know that the FPV autos generally don’t get any axle tramp, its the manuals that do. I know some BF F6 manuals had a habit of of breaking out into axle tramp sometimes, something which is really really hard to dialout even with different suspension parts without destroying the ride.
Thanks Mr Quick.
Now I get it. I am remembering watching top-fuelers “twist” from the insane torque/hp at launch.
Hmmmm, think I need to get out to Willowbank soon!
Without doubt this car is the BEST performance car in Australia…….and at only $70 odd grand….unbelievable!! Its quicker and more economical than alot of 2-300 grand cars. And HSV dont have anything this good. I had the pleasure of driving one of these a month ago and it was electrifying…..the overtaking acceleration is just breathtaking. The overall car is a pleasure to be whether going slow or fast. The best car evr made here without a doubt. The engine is a total work of art and is a great credit to the engineers involved. No dinosaur pushrod V8 in this fantastic car !! OBAMA GM bogans will never drive one of these and boy…..are they missing out!! Blow any HSV out of the water thats for sure……
Spot on dude. I’ve been really happy with my BF2 Typhoon for nearly three years now, but I drove one of these new FG F6’s and took three days to come back down to earth….and that’s with allready owning the earlier version….if that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what would.
I’m guessing the reviewer loved the FG F6!
PS It’s rated 5 stars in ANCAP, not 4 stars. The FG sedan was the first Aussie car to do it (with still the highest score by far) and since April 09 inc LPG models.
Phil C:
I wouldn’t say by far.
The FG petrol Sedan is their only local model that gets it.
Any locally built Holden has 5 stars, the cruze will also get 5 stars.
You may well be right, but I bet the WRX Sti could get around a track faster than an F6.
What track? Oran Park? Philip Island? Bathurst? All subjective isn’t it? Even down to simple width of the cars on a tight track makes the smaller cars faster because they have more road to use through the corners………..
Yes a bit subjective. Weather conditions too would play into things with the STI’s AWD.
I guess it depends on what you want it for. Between the two I’d go the FPV because I could happily use it as a daily driver with loads of room and comfort. IMO it also looks a lot better, although not keen on that kermit-in-a-blender paint job.
Well I know for a fact the 05 Sti was faster around the bedford Autodrome west circuit faster than the BMW M6 ( a car which would eat both the STi and the F6 in a straight line) Infact I believe the M6 would eat the F6 around a track as well. I can post other tracks and other faster cars the STi has seen off on numerous occassions, but until we have a showdown between the two I’ll leave it based on proof of what the previous model STi with fewer kw has accomplished.
Still I’ll put the F6 second for performance cars under 70K, nothing else comes close enough
As I said, depends on track, the STi is seriously quick and agile, but if you took them both off the shelf to Bathurst, Phillip Island or (god forbid) the ‘Ring… then I’d place a carton on the F6.
Interesting you think that because an 01 Sti got around the ring faster than an M6, 8.06 vs 8.09 so again I doubt the F6 could beat it given that the BMW M5 and Merc C63AMG couldn’t crack 8.10 seconds.
Doesn’t bode well for beating it at Bathurst or Phillip Island for that matter either.
shame the sti looks like a daewoo that has been to Auto Salon.
the f6 isnt a toy like the sti either. The falcon is more of a REAL car.
and EVERY review i have read of the f6 says the same thing…. best value for money performance car in the world.
also, ive seen a few STANDARD g6et sedans ( less power than f6 ) running high 12s over the 1/4 mile. so the f6 should be capable of low 12s??
Good friend of mine just bought one of these. After driving it from Syd to Canberra I forgot how much fun a RWD with this type of power can be! When I get rid of my Liberty GT, this will almost definetly be my next car. Was also surprised how well put together the interior was and the general finishing!
The recently posted large car comparison had the GE6T getting sub 5 0-100.
I can’t see much benefit in the extra 40KW from the FPV unless you have the cash and inclination to use it as a track car.
*Afterthought*
Being an auto – I’m not sure anyone could regard this as a serious track car.
Yes most are auto, even the ones tested around the track, which makes its lap times more remarkable.
I do not think I have seen a manual tested around a circuit!
Personally I don\’t think the width of the track matters as the WRX will still corner alot tighter, on a wider track the F6 will take a wider corner and lose time to the WRX, only making up the losses on the straights ( if any) with it\’s superior power and torque. Performance wise the WRX would have the edge, in a straight drag race the F6 ( drag races I don\’t count as performance, anything that can\’t corner but go fast will always do well.)
Excet the F6 slays an Evo X around Phillip Island so looks like your theory isn’t quite as accurate as you thought…
Has the Holden competition mollestered when it comes to straight line performance, but why does it have to be so unattractive? There is just no flow to the design, it really doesn’t visually identify the performance it clearly has.
Then again, with HSV’s E2 lineup there really is no attractive high performance car to run too.
Tom21,
I think the Falcon Design does flow. I think the Green clashed a bit with the rest of the design but see one in Black or grey…damn Hawtness.
E2 Is another story. They really did butcher the design.
Yep, the green is just for attention seeking, not for looking good. Looks much better in darker colours, especially with the racoon eyes. Saw an E2 on the road the other day – looks just as bad in real life as it does in pictures
The headlights are indecisive and the single exhaust tip really doesn’t work very well, im not really sure who designed those wheels either, they were awful when they debut’d on the BF and are still very unattractive.
I’m a long term Holden fan, and couldn’t afford either, but its time to upgrade my VT 5.7 SS, and the only car i will be looking at is a ZF BF Turbo…
I think the E2 does look better in person, slightly. I hate the Audi lights, and i particularly hate the trend in the automotive industry to switch to them. I saw them on a Porsche the other day, and i know Mercedes is using them now, i mean common, show some originality here.
Holden guys do seem to love exhaust tips dont they.
so may v6 p plate kiddies now with chev badges and 4 pipes out the back, i wonder if anyones done 6 pipes yet?
What t said: LOL How about chev badges ON the pipes? I bet no-one has thought of that…
You know how you have those cars you would love to own….. like ferrari’s, lambo’s, bmw m series etc etc….. Then you hav dream cars that you could actually own one day STI’s? f6?…… the f6 is mine :) however given how long i would prob have to own the car would prob geta more subtle colour
The comparison between the STI to f6 is a bit stretched though at just performance cars…. I mine a hot hatch against a four door sedan with how much extra weight? not to mention rwd vs awd? completely different catergory really?
The excuse that you have to have a manual in a performance car doesn’t necessarily hold with the zf box. If you have had the benefit of driving the same car with both options I am sure you would agree from a “performance” point of view the everyday driver is going to see better results from the zf box everytime. However dont get this zf confused with similiar say E series autos…..these things are acclaimed as one of the best shifters in the auto world for a reason. Do appreciate that some people just dont feel lik they are driving without a clutch!
ATT: Martin Buerella, Ford Broadmeadows.
Business is war. Evidence is Sun Tszu’s The Art of War is on the required reading list at Harvard. You know this.
In war, you fight as much as possible on your terms. You attack exploiting the enemy’s weak points, using your strengths to your advantage.
You know this too.
My point is most people consider Holden have the performance car war won, they are certainly all over you and attacking on the V8 front. Holden have all alloy block and heads, have taken capacity up to 6.0 then 6.2 litres, have shoved a 427 in a HSV and supercharging is available too. Power outputs around 375kw + in the blown engines. To counter this you have the Boss V8 which is heavy and probably fair to say lacking low rpm grunt, max output is “only” 317kw and is soon to be replaced anyway. Until the Coyote arrives, V8’s are not your strength.
Your strength at this point of time is the F6. They have nothing to counter it, and they fear it, even hobbled at 310kw it is regarded as Australia’s best. So unleash it. Don’t peg it’s output to beneath the Boss V8, you play right into Holden’s hands by doing that. Unleash it. Release a stripped out lightweight edition, shave 100 or 150kg from the weight and give it twin turbo – to eliminate lag, with 380 or 400kw+. You could easily create one of the worlds best sedans and an instant classic, and revitalise Fords image in this country. Call it the F6-TT, or F6-RS or some such thing…
Unleash it, and expose their ancient V8’s, and slaughter them.
And when the Coyote V8 arrives, unleash the GT-HO.
It could probably take the AWD setup from the Territory & then you would have something interesting…
Now AWD would get me interested in buying one
well if they went AWD, then the STi would be screwed
Mate just because they are push rods, doesn’t make them ancient.
Maybe you should go look into the engineering marvels which are GMs LS series.
Cough *piston slap* cough.
The LS series motors are a joke, Holden once again not begin able ( or bothered ) to make an Australian once again looks overseas, we’ve already seen what happens when you stopped copying the Opel designes Holden, you gave us one of the best looking cars in the world. Show us what you can do with motors instead of getting cheap, second rate GM imports. I mean c’mon, ecotec is a joke and those big push rod motors arn’t much better, c’mon man, it wouldn’t be so bad if they had 4 vavles per cylinder either. Face it, my ‘94 EF falcon I6 is more advanced than your LS 2…….at least it has OHC.
I might also add that I would love to see a beefed up F6, I think Ford owes it too a motor that has been pulling caravans everywhere for nearly 40 years ;)
Have you seen how much power the VE version of the old VK HDT Group A [which was on the cover of the previous issue of Motor] produces? its something like 600+kw.
Yeah the old tech Push Rod LS Series engines are a joke aren’t they?
Sure; the more advanced Quad Cam V8s are impressive However its somewhat easier and cheaper to extract just as much power out of the Old Push-rods and they are just as reliable
seen how much power the modded I6’s put out???
Its on the tip of my tongue who got it to 1000kw, but i cant spit it out
There’s just so much to be unleashed
love that post :)
forget twin turbo though, the ford has virtually no lag as it is. And any car that comes with factory twin turbos, in the hands of modifiers, is almost ALLWAYS converted back to one BIG turbo.
a SERIOUS f6 would be the goods!!
the chevolden v8 IS impressive!!! they love the car on topgear afterall. The commodore is just gaining a nasty rep as a KNOBS car. The drivers all seem to be egomaniac SUPERHEROS.
Orsame review every thing is true cause i got one, U put the nail on the head!
Who did you steal it from?
“Awesome”.
“Hit the nail on the head”.
Love the number plate “Wha…!” – as in unable to get out “What the?!” when nailing the pedal.
What’s with the badge to the left of the starter button though: “FPV Poo 2″? Poo to who? Or is that another warning about scaring the pants of your passengers after hitting the start button?
I believe that is because the test car is pre-production, and gets the “P” prefix.
Looking at the old T3, there was one red pre-production model that featured in magazine shoots back in 2002. It, too had “P” before its serial.
Paul I’m sirtin that the P in front of 002 designates this as a pres car or a prototype
Absolutely awesome car, Anyone know when the F6E will come out? I think that would be much more attractive but discrete.
It already is out.
Seen one in a showroom and it looks hot as!
Great review, all true. They’re an excellent peice of kit, extremly fast, versatile, comfortable, excellent brakes, world class gearbox as used by Aston Martin, BMW, Maserati, Jaguar, Rolls Royce and so on, fuel economy is 20% better than an HSV and they’re faster to boot.
The best real world acceleration 80-120 k.p.h. I’ve seen in any review for a HSV is in the low 3 second range whereas many reviewers have the real world acceleration of the F6 at 2.70 seconds, (Autocar N.Z. tested it as low as 2.64 seconds, October 2008) so in the real world they’re almost lineball with the $200,000 plus 375KW 625nm Jaguar XFR 80-120 k.p.h. 2.50 seconds Autocar N.Z. November 2009 or the 400KW plus Audi RS6 which is around similar times.
So when Anthony says it offers supercar like real world accleration he isn’t joking. Speaking of the real world I think the handling / compliance / comfort compromise of the suspension is spot on.
Its not perfect, they need bigger tyres to handle the grunt, a better stereo, even bigger brakes, xenon’s and more KW’s for the FG MK11 update. So how about it FPV ? and BTW please spare us any more of your price increases, the market had had enough of that.
OMG, what an embarrassment!
Yes you are!
Explain…
What? Did you look in the mirror while you where naked?
One thing i LOVE about Caradvice is the Pictures !! They are just fantastic photo’s!! Keep up the good work !!
One thing I’d like to see in the reviews/road tests is sub headings like ‘Interior” ‘Exterior’ ‘Performance’ etc
I have just taken delivery of a manual F6 and Anthony is right on the money. Awesome!! Beats my F6 RSpec my a country mile, yet smooth and capable cruiser, although very tempting to use loud pedal when not necessary.
Excellent car no doubt, and unique in that it has the market to itself.
Personally speaking, i’d rather own a GTS if I was laying down hard earned money…GTS is equally as fast and has the better Magnetic Ride suspension from the Corvette; and in my opinion looks a hell of a lot better than this too.
Yes but it’s a Holden.
:op
Lol, yeah I’m a Ford boy, but I do love the styling on the new VE series. Except they have to have a bit of kit hanging off them to make it look good..i.e. Spoiler and Mags. The big flared guards and bold styling don’t work with dress rims and a fat boot.
And I will point out that the F6 is faster ;)
and the design is 2 years newer, I’d go the F6 mate. Beats the 1 K rego on V8’s as well -.- Gov’t sucks my balls.
Same could be said about the new FG Falcons Mike. They can also look fairly ordinary if they aren’t all dressed up either….
In fact a couple of days ago I saw a new white XR6 Ute yet if it wasn’t for the Optional “Mondeo” Wheels and the XR6 badge you could have mistaken it for a lesser model.
Having said that even though I am a Holden man I would have an XR6-T or F6 over an SV6
Nice car. Very good indeed.
Silver with the option wheels.
What are cars are worth a look in this price/performance range? The only two genuine contenders I see are the 370Z and the Evo X and, having said that, I can respect that these cars’ characteristics vary markedly. Any Advice?
Read through all the above comments yet I couldn’t find one from “The Realist” complaining that it doesn’t have Xenons”…. maybe I’ll have to have another look….
Maybe he’s intimidated by the 80-120km/h times,or he burnt his fingers on his heated steering wheel and is unable to use his keyboard.
With wit like that no wonder you think $70K for a bright green rep mobile is a bargain.
Rep mobile? lool do you know anything at ALL about performance cars? This thing is the best performance sedan under 100k in the WORLD and thats not just my opinion or the opinion of some ‘fanboy’, read ANY review ever written about this car and youll understand. Then again dont bother, stick to your overpriced Nazi Euro trash and pretend your getting real bang for buck, thats what a FALSE sense of reality does for you :)
“the best performance sedan under 100k in the WORLD”?
Obviously you don’t get around much: $85K for a BMW M5 in the USA blows this away.
Perhaps you should conduct a little research in future bud.
Its pretty clear The Realist has no understanding about real performance cars.
85,000 US dollars? lol im sorry, what country do you think this is MR UNREALISTIC? Last time I checked we lived in AUSTRALIA, and BMW M5’s cost an absolute CRAP LOAD more than 85K to buy over here you dipstick. Why dont you try walking into an AUSTRALIAN BMW dealership with 85,000 US dollars and try and buy an M5 !! Im sure the BMW salespeople will get a good laugh out of it !
His words were “the best performance sedan under 100k in the WORLD” – something I corrected him on.
Strange how agitated some people get. Names like “Nazi Euro trash” are flung about.
Do the rep mobile lovers really believe their precious green FG falcon is worth $65K? For the amount the Aussie tax payer is contributing we should all get a rebate of $20K at least.
Actually you didnt correct me on anything.
There was no need to state that I was referring to 100,000 AUSTRALIAN dollars, thats an obvious assumption any logial human being would have made. We live in Australia, we are discussing cars you can buy in Australia with AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY, not American or Chinese money.
The quote is taken directly from TOP GEAR AUSTRALIA Magazine (something you would have known that if you followed performance cars on any level), and yes obviously they were talking about what you can buy in Australia with Australian dollars when they said that its “the best performance sedan for under 100K in the WORLD.”
Your deliberately misleading comments and word twisting dont fool anyone here. Your’e ‘rep-mobile’ comments only serve to demonstrate very clearly that youre only interested in overpriced Euros and will never understand the many reasons why this car enjoys the high praise it has always received from anyone who has ever reviewed it.
Perhaps in future your’e better off only posting on European auto blogs were you wont come across Australian cars that bother you so much.
Chuckle chuckle
Ha!
If you want performance for cheap in Oz, this is one of the cars to get.
But if you want class, luxury, features and quality, most people look elsewhere.
BTW how come this falcon doesn’t get a rear centre head rest? 100% American owned Ford Australia being too cheap?
Show me the details oh how many seriuos whiplash incidents there have been in the last ten years due to the centre rear seat not having a Head restraint??? Then I will ad some validity to your comment.
Your commnet is much the same as some members of the press saying that the other brand is safer even though it only got 4*’s because it has Side curtains standard…. only to have the Vic safety caouncil push for booster seats to be used for all children under nine so that they don’t get injured from Curtain bags deploying….
Safety comes from research and Fact not opinion….
Thanks for the lecture – but it comes down to 100% American owned Ford Australia being cheap.
BTW I’d take a deep breath before typing next time – the grammer in your post reeks of St Marys.
When one has lost the argument and all else fails, the gronks resort to picking on grammar (not grammer as you highlighted).
Top work Real Knob, you Nazi lover from Redfern!
Name calling again… some people just can’t handle the truth I suppose.
This guy must love abuse, its like he deliberately posts nonsense just so people can have a go at him.
And your spelling is atrocious Realist – “grammer???” I guess they didn’t go past Year 9 spelling at your school then? It’s grammar, dude.
Oh, that felt good……
The cultural cringe is alive and well for some…still. We’ll never become a republic with these euro kowtows dissing anything that isn’t imported from ‘more advanced’ nations….like the Czech Republic?
****
Czech Republic? I bet when you buy a car from a country like that, it comes with a free bowl of soup! Get real and bow to the KING, the F6 baby…
Surely the centre head rest obscures rear vision, and is a passive safety risk?! We have collectively gone mad with OH&S…
Poobear….F6 creams a GTS in all areas….looks handling performance interior economy and price. GTS is so overpriced for a Commodore its ridiculous……and the new HSV’s are the ugliest cars I have ever seen…….inside and out!!
Fords dont need Xenons as their headlights are fantastic anyway…..
That would be your opinion…and you’re welcome to it
Yes, the looks are opinion, but the rest is fact!
Fanboy facts and real facts are two different things ROFL
I’m not a fanboy at all. I consider cars based on their specifications, reviews and test drives. The Falcon comes out on top in all these areas.
So in reality you are being the unreasonable fanboy here.
Sorry, the FG Falcon looks like a Lakembaised version of the BF.
Awesome car, would prefer the F6E myself. Is sat-nav standard in the F6E?
Nope. Sat nav isn’t standard in any of the range.
“However, I’m not sure why FPV have gone for the single exhaust tip though, as there is no question in my mind, that twin exhaust tips provide a more balanced look and purposeful look to anything with a factory performance badge.”
While I do agree twins would look better, I’m glad FPV have resisted this trend of twin outlets on inline engines. The F6 is all about performance and on an inline engine like this Turbo 6 one bigger outlet and straight through exhaust is better than spitting the exhaust into 2 outlets. Leave the twin outlets for V6-V12 engines.
You know the F6 has dual exhaust pretty much the whole length of the car, joining into the single outlet at the rear.
But is it 20k better than a XR6T??? Even a fully optioned XR6T would come in around 12-15k less i think.
Plenty of punters agree with you and the truth is in absolute performance terms the gap between a standard XR6T and the F6 performance version has never been closer.
Having said that, there will always be enthusiasts prepared to pay more money for an extra 40KW and 32nm of torque, proper Brembo performance brakes, retuned suspension, exclusive rims, 19 inch wheels and so on.
Either is a fine purchase in my opinion.
It worked out to be a 16K difference in the end, and worth a punt.
Who cares about an exhaust outlet? A fantastic car all round …..can’t get any better than this …….well done FORD and FPV. To all GM bogans…..go and drive one or any FG for that matter and you will see what you are missing out on.
Even if deep down they do prefer it, though (and they will), their bias will force them to think it is an inferior car. Sad, but true.
The realist,
Why do you even bother to post and visit this website?
Afterall it appears you are ‘above’ the audience caradvice attracts.
Troll perhaps?
I just state facts bud. I can’t help if it upsets some people.
you upset me when you say that those horrible looking M5s are better cars than the gorgeous XFR (sob), even if you might be right in some respects…
Peter,
Your kidding right ? Did you see the recent Top Gear comparison between the Jaguar XFR and the M5 ?
IMHO the M5 looked so 1990’s whilst the new Jag exuded all the style panache, and performance you could ever realitically need or want.
I just want one…opps, isn’t that an HSV marketing line ?
You are preaching to the choir – I have the XF V8 which I would marry if my wife would permit it, and would love the R. The M5 is supposed to be better on the track. That is why I said “in some respects”. How many times would I get to “the track”?. Zero. I wouldnt buy any BMW, except the M6, but then I like to drive something a little different and looks are pretty much everything to me when it comes to cars.
Anyone who has followed the blogs on this website long enough will know that the ‘un-realist’ is unfortunately our resident troll. Please dont feed it.
Extreme & Blake,
Agree 100%
I haven’t seen too many comments from owners of the FG F6 so here is my 2 cents…
I sold my Holden V8 and bought an F6 in September last year.
Since then my car has been back to ford 7 times for warrentee work and could have been back a few more times if i could be bother with the hassel of having to be without my car for a day or up to 5 (which was what happened last time for the new turbo gasket).
I love the cars performance and i am pretty sure that the same thing could have happened if i bought a HSV, but i have some pretty major concerns with the build quality of Ford/FPV. As well as the customer service i have had from FPV.
I would be interested to hear from any other owners out there if they have had similar issues.
Cheers
Davey, that doesn’t ring true with my experience. Three years into owning a BF11 Typhoon its running like a well oiled swiss watch.
Okay they’re never going to have the style or panache of a Jaguar XFR, but then again they’re one third of the price and offer similar performance.
Would you care to elaborate on all seven matters requiring warranty attention and those you didn’t bother bringing to their attention, to at least provide some sort of validation to your claim and to let others know of potential issues to look out for ?
sorry to hear you have had issues but honestly…
EVERY person at some point of ownership with every MAKE and model will have warranty issues.
It’s a fact, simple as that.
Now that’s what I call a Reality Check !!
Also sorry to hear about warranty issues…. no secret that this is an area that needs addressing both from a national level and local dealers taking it upon themselves….. the dealer my dad bought his GTP 302 off couldn’t have offered better service. we live in another state to where we purchased and any issues we had they were more than happy to address and rectify and even did so through the dealer closest to us with no hassles….. so we did have a good experience. but for every good you hear just as many bad like yours…. shame to tarnish such a good product with poor support.
On the dual exhaust comments…. this is a FPV design in order to preserve the stature and differentiation between the 6’s and v8’s. Only v8 products get dual outlets, just like only v8’s get bonnet bulges. Is a marketing and product identification move, pure and simple!
I think that in years to come these will have a cult following like the GTHO Phase 3,Legendary status.
I did own a HSV R8 but sold it because it was on the back of a tow truck more than i drove it! electrical problems from the battery, ignition, lights not working and various trim pieces falling off…….and not to mention drivetrain vibrations. 5 times i couldnt start the damn thing so i just traded it in…….
I now own an FG XR6 Turbo and have had no problems at all in 24307k. Performance economy are way better than HSV and the quality fit and finish and feel of the car is miles better. For the money the FG XR6T is the best performance car you can get…….its way cheaper than an R8 and it quicker …….
Saw 4 of these in Sydney on Friday night (Dash, Nitro, Octane and Vixen) – all of them were un-marked highway partol cars, How does the NSW Highway Patrol justify the use of these F6’s over XR6T’s. Surely the extra little bit of power cant be worth the $20 000 or so more of taxpayer money being spent on each car.
Actually the performance differences dont just equate to a little bit of extra power. The F6 also has one of the best brake packages (brembos, six pot optional) available on an Aussie made performance sedan. The difference in braking perfomance between the F6 and XR6 turbo is considerable. Whether 20,000$ justifies the purchase or not is another question, obviously the NSW police force think it is!
If your going to get into pursuit situations that involve hard repeated applications of brakes, the Brembo’s are an absiolute necessity, the standard stoppers on an XR6T simply arn’t up to really hard consistent work and you’ll be into brake fade and over-heating and warping of rotors in no time.
Turbo sixes, automatics, 1800+ Kg, Track car. WTF are you all on?
Is that random string of words supposed to mean something ? Are you even asking a question or just practising your typing skills?
I know, I should have started with, ‘Once Upon a Time’. It would have made more sense to you!
Dude youre still not making any sense? Is there a point to any of the rubbish youve spun so far?
Terry, it’s too underpowered with the wrong transmission and too heavy to be a good track car.
The author of this article calls it a muscle car even without the big V8.
It’s too underpowered for its weight to be a muscle car.
If this is an Australian muscle car, then the Australian muscle car died after the 427 Commodore.
We need superchargers not turbochargers, on V8s not 6s, if we’re going to call something a muscle car.
The f6 is a very nice high performance sedan. The FPV GT and the HSV GTS are both very good grand tourers.
Until FPV and/or HSV produce V8s with 400Kw+, we will have to listen to comparisons with WRX and EVO X.
A machine out of time.
Too heavy to be a track machine and no practical road use. Idiots will spend a lot of money on the ultimately redundant hoon car, associated tires, maintenance and insurance.
Wonder how many twenty YO boys will rap themselves and mates around the nearest out of town tree?
thats a pointless argument. cars like this exist for the same reasons people drink, smoke, and jump out of aeroplanes. for fun. if you’re not into it, you’ll never get it.
We can all safely ignore whatever Will the Skoda salesman says, in fact, do the exact opposite of what he says and you’ll be spot on !!
Only those with a serious desire to drive a real muscle car need apply.
Will, you’ll never get it.
This is not a muscle car(not enough cylinders).
It is not a good track car(too heavy).
At best, it might be considered a 4 seat Grand Tourer, but in a country that sees 50 degrees c in some parts and 40 degrees c in most, turbocharging is a dodgy proposition.
Add an automatic transmission and you have the fastest taxi pack on the planet.
Don’t let Ford,FPV or anyone else try and convince you, that there is a substitute for cubic capacity, when it comes to building Muscle Cars.
P.S Turbochargers belong on diesels and Superchargers belong on Muscle Cars.
dont even get started on the definition of a muscle car. Excluding it just because it ‘hasnt got enough cylinders’ is a bit silly though…
the Pacers/Chargers and XU1 torries did pretty damn well in the muscle car era with ‘only’ a 6.
Since when has a muscle car been a good track car??? Part of the MUSCLE designation was that they had to MUSCLED around a track…. therefore by your definition if this is too heavy for a track then it would need to be muscled around a track, therefore it is a muscle car… GTHO’s did not corner like they were on rails, and six pack Chargers also needed to be hauled around corners…. don’t get me started on the handling atributes of a Camaro……………
I used to have an s60R with a 5 pot HPT, performance pretty close to this once the ECU was tweaked. It was a monster to drive, especially with the heavy acceleration from say 40kph up. The turbos also give you plenty to play with when it comes to mods, if you are happy to give up the warranty. CAI, FMIC, ECU remaps all good and cheap for heaps of extra fun, keep the love alive a few years into ownership. That said, they lose power on hot days, and they dont sound so good as V8’s, and use nearly as much juice driven hard. Cheaper to register, though, and much more fun over 80kph, probably exactly where you dont want it if you wanna keep your licence.
No V8 = No Muscle Car!
So Tinman is missing a brain as well as a heart.
Tinman never was too bright, probably be different if it had the right badge for him.
And it was me without the heart wasnt it?
No, You just don’t have any balls!
I wouldn’t expect too much sense from someone like you Dorothy, after all, you were hit in the head quite hard,
I don’t care if you bolt 4 Turbochargers to it and call it a Bugatti.
It is still not a Muscle Car.
Low flying plane maybe, but not a muscle car.
well, I did trade the HPT on a V8, even though the 8 wasnt as quick. The engine noise makes up for the drop in speed. You cant mod the 8’s as cheaply or effectively. but there is that engine noise…
To Safety Frist, I am amazed at how you apply your definition to my statement, (too heavy for the track), and then proceed to prove the statement wrong.
Believe me, it has nothing to do with heavy steering.
A poor handling car on the track does not automatically constitute a Muscle Car.
If any of you clowns ever get to actually drive one of these beasts youll be suprised by just how much of a smile it can put on your face, right before it goes on to knock both your front teeth out.
no it won’t, I’ve driven better and faster
Driven and ridden faster, you bozo.
Tinman your just playing with semantics. I’ve had a really good drive of both a FPV GTE and F6 and the F6 will blow the GTE, (itself a very fast muscle car) into the weeds like the mighty Typhoon its is.
Its widely acknowledged in all the comparitive evaluations that the F6 is the pick of the FPV litter when it comes to performance and handling.
Of course there will always be idiots who say if it hasn’t got a real V8 and doesn’t sound like a V8 it isn’t a muscle car but serious people who want serious hard core performance for reasonable money are not interested in your “tinny” misguided muscle car evaluation criteria.
Interesting that you have to insult people who have a different opinion to you.
You basically have no idea of what you are talking about!
I just took delivery of a F6E about a month ago. Outstanding piece of machinery for an Australian made car. There has been a lot of chat if it is a ‘Muscle Car’. Well I’m now in my early 50s and in the 1970’s I was lucky enough to own the following, firstly a XA GS 351 sedan which I worked with hot cam, Holley carb. extractors, etc, even changed to diff to 3.9:1 ratio and fitted tramp rods, it was quick and totally out of control. Sold that monster and bought a new XB GT hardtop, slightly upgraded the motor with 750 double pumper Holly, extractors, and upgraded the ignition, also sway bars and a lot better shocks. That was a great car, excellent top loader gear box, 4 wheel disc brakes, a great bit of kit to drive fast. I then found a sick XY GT which had been worked to HO specs, including the suspension and 36 gall. fuel tank. I ripped the motor out of it and fixed it up like new, this was an awesome machine to drive. Made your balls grow sitting in it and listening to the solid lifter cam thumping away at idle, and all hell would break loose at about 3,700 rpm. I changed the ignition on it as well, so there was no cut-out at 6250, she would just keep reving with those solid lifters. I consider those Muscle cars, a Muscle Car to me is like a wrestler, Hulk Hogan, big, loud, menacing, brutal, totally in your face- don’t f**k with me. After driving the F6E, I would call it’s more a Supercar, it is more like a 8 Dan black belt in karate, Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan, it will have you flat on your back before you could say, ‘What the hell is that’ . Everyone will have a different opinion, mine is mine and at the end of the day I am getting a smile on my dial driving the F6E, and by the way, I think I might have to do a couple of little engine upgrades sometime in the future. Even in your 50’s, there is still that 20 something guy inside. Enjoy the ride boys
Wow this review has certainly got some tongues wagging… I purchased my F6 in March this year, interestingly.. I had an E49 many years ago and loved it! To date I have not had any issues with the car which now has nearly done 20k. My honest opinion of this car is that it is indeed a “great” car! the power is fantastic, the economy 11.3/100 is more than reasonable and it’s so quiet with regard to road noise. I have made some simple basic mods like fitting a K&N air filter, Lukey rear muffler, HID bulbs, and lower front grille. I really cant fault this car…
I have a been for ride in another F6 310 that has shall we say, been tweaked.. Well let me tell you when you wind up the boost and fit a twin 3″+ system plus the other little mods these cars DO have Phenomenal Acceleration” and all for about $5k. The 6cyl. engine is without doubt a credit to Ford, and by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. If you haven’t taken one of these cars for a spin you’re missing a great experience of performance that an Australian manufactured car can produce..
I have had my FG F6 for a year – it is my daily drive – has all the options as the car tested. It averages 12.1 Ltrs around town and has no warrenty issues. Great country drive – very satisfied with it in terms of performance – value.
quick questions guys… hope someone is still reading this…. Q: what is quicker?? the F6 Ute or Sedan?? and why?? and in a straight line of course :)
I think(dont hold me to it? the Sedan is beacaue the IRS system in the sedan puts the power to the ground better. The leaf spring rear end has to much axel tramp, but with modification the leaf spring rear end would be best cause its what is still used in drag cars for a better launch. But standard the sedan
The best sports sedan under $100,000 in the world until the new FPV’s come. Cant wait to see if they upgrade the F6 and am dieing to see the new V8 range :-)