Ford: Would suit exec with petrol head

Ford Performance Vehicles' F6E has gone from concept car to reality. Photo / Supplied

Ford performance Vehicles' new F6E was initially conceived as a concept car. But Ford has fielded enough interest to build it.

Ford says this car will cater to executives who want F6 performance and dynamics, with exec-style luxuries and more subtle styling.

The car gets a 4.0-litre turbo-charged DOHC in-line six that produces 310kW and 565Nm, the latter available anywhere from 1950 to 5200rpm. That's mated to a six-speed ZF auto driving the rear wheels.

Sounds thirsty? It's not as bad as you'd expect. Ford claims 12.1 litres/100km - reasonable for a large-performance six, and a 7 per cent improvement over the same brand's F6 Typhoon and Force 6.

Handling has also improved, with better turn-in response and roll-rate achieved by revising the spring rates for what is otherwise the same suspension geometry as the XR6T.

The front spring rates are 5 per cent stiffer and the rear's 6 per cent softer, while the ZF Sachs monotube dampers were recalibrated to deliver suspension performance that should work both on road and track.

Softer colours and more luxurious trim are all aimed at a subtler feel to suit a straight-laced business persona with a petrol-head heart. The F6E goes on sale in December at $87,990.