Typhoon concept whips up storm

Ford will take the wraps off its first turbocharged concept car, the F6 Typhoon, at the Melbourne motor show next week.

The F6 Typhoon adds another dimension to the evolution of models from Ford Performance Vehicles since the launch of the GT, GT-P and Pursuit ute last year.

"This is the beginning of a new era for Ford Performance Vehicles," says David Flint, managing director of FPV.

"When we announced the formation of Ford Performance Vehicles we promised to create the broadest range of locally-developed high-performance vehicles in Australia.

"We believe the exciting F6 Typhoon is the next step in delivering that promise but certainly not the last.

"We raised the bar in the V8 segment with the GT, and we believe the F6 Typhoon will further strengthen our position as the technical leaders in the tribal high-performance vehicle market.

"It will demonstrate our commitment to providing a family of cars that offer a total performance package.

A production version of the F6 Typhoon is expected to go on sale in BA Series II guise later in the year.

The F6 Typhoon name - designating a forced straight-six engine - is expected to continue into showrooms.

The car will be powered by a high-performance turbocharged and intercooled 4-litre straight-six engine.

Ford is keeping power and torque figures for the engine to itself until the motor show.

But the concept is clearly based on the XR6 Turbo sedan and features internal modifications similar to that seen on the XR6T mule that ran in the Targa Tasmania.

That means a mild increase in peak turbo boost, a free-flowing exhaust system and a far more prominent and efficient intercooler.

Expect power output of around 280kW and enough torque to challenge the 500Nm the 5.4-litre engine in the XR8 puts out.

There has been much talk in Ford circles about the potential of the XR6 engine, that it is good for up to 350kW without major modifications.

Indeed, some aftermarket tuners already offer bolt-on XR6T kits that produce around 330kW of peak power.

But refinement and reliability will be among FPV's key objectives in upping the standard turbo engine's output.

The Typhoon is expected to be positioned in terms of both performance and pricing below the 290kW, $75,500 GT in FPVs three-sedan range, but above both Ford's XR6T (240kW, $56,400) and XR8 (260kW, $61,500) sedans. So expect a pricetag of around $65,000 when it arrives in New Zealand. That's a rough guess.

The F6 Typhoon will almost certainly come with Ford's five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes.

Reports in Australia suggesting that Typhoon will be the first FPV to be offered with both a six-speed Tremec manual and six-speed semi-auto from German manufacturer ZF are said to be wide of the mark.

Ford is still at least two years away from offering premium Falcons with a six-speed automatic transmission, and when it does it will be Ford's own development rather rather than the expensive German unit found in everything from Jaguar S-Type and XJ, Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Lexus LS430.

Of course, Typhoon will also be graced with a new and exclusive front, rear and side bodywork, a rear wing and racy new 18-inch alloys and it will need all the attention-grabbing power it can muster as Holden plans on dominating the show with a new HSV GTS, the SST One Tonner and at least one more concept.

FPV boss Flint's promise of more models to come refers to a turbocharged version of Ford's forthcoming four-wheel-drive Territory, expected to be dubbed Hurricane 4x4, plus - further down the line - the range-topping supercharged V8 GTHO.