Falcon GT salutes past Ford blasters

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The exhaust note of the latest Ford Falcon GT isn't as throaty as the go-fast variants of the late 1960s and early'70s.

It was never going to be, partly because of emissions and noise control laws and so on. It is subdued, a soft burble on idle and a more urgent growl higher in the rev range.

The real thing, a sound within the modern legislative boundaries of the rumbling exhaust grumble that characterised the Falcon GT family of 30-odd years ago, is expected to be dialed into the flagship Ford Performance Vehicle - the 21st century version of the legendary Phase 3 GT-HO.

Ford has been hinting for some time that a higher performance FPV GT would be produced, a likely spiritual successor to the legendary Phase 3.

And talk across the Tasman is that the car and its 5.4-litre V8 engine - likely to produce around 330kW - will come with an appropriate exhaust sound, more American muscle car than mute Australian.

Meantime, the Falcon FPV GT and its 32-valve 290kW/520Nm V8 engine is being launched on roads around Rotorua this week.

Automotive News drove the five-speed manual model and its red starter button briefly the other day. An automatic transmission, the first in Australia to be mated to an engine with such a high torque rating, will also be available.

The ride, compliant and refined, mirrors that of the overall BA Falcon range. The suspension pretty much smoothes out the worst surfaces. The GT has good balance and control through the twisty bits where handling is predictable and the traction control keeps a rein on the rear end.

But it is a heavy car and once pushed, despite the sharp, accurate steering, starts to run wide. Overall, it is a $75,500 luxury car with a go-fast edge - things like Brembo brakes, bolstered sports seats, drilled alloy pedals - unlike earlier raw-boned Falcon GTs.

The last Falcon GT to land here was the 1997 GT II, the 30th anniversary model based on the EL Fairmont. Only 20 were sold in New Zealand.

The initial FPV line-up consists of three V8 models, the GT, the GT-P ($87,000) and the Pursuit Ute ($69,500).

"The FPV range of vehicles will be available at nine dealerships throughout New Zealand," said Falcon brand manager Ian Swann.

"As Ford Performance Vehicles are highly specialised, we felt it necessary to limit the number of dealerships authorised to retail them. This provides the required national coverage, but also retains the exclusivity that is required for such an iconic vehicle range."

Certain hero colours will be kept exclusive to the Falcon FPV range.

For the new range, phantom (deep purple), citric acid (bright lime green-yellow) and blood Orange have been kept exclusive to the upper performance stream.

They join Blueprint, a bright metallic blue introduced earlier this year.

Said designer Peter Elliot: "We want to own the colour blue and we will always have exciting blues for our performance range in keeping with the FPV association with the Ford blue.

"It is an extension of the blue-blooded passion that is running through the design, the engineering and the people from Ford and FPV who build them."