Ford Falcon XR8 2008 Review

Bent, beaut, beaten

For anyone who wants an FG Falcon with a bent eight under the bonnet, this is it. Until the FPV GT goes on line a short time after Ford's mainstream range starts deliveries in May, the XR8 is the sole surviving member of the Falcon V8 clan now that the 5.4-litre engine has been deleted as an option in other models.

Blame higher fuel prices, the XR6 Turbo, or Holden for delivering bigger V8 thrills, but at the moment, the XR8 is the last big banger in Ford's back paddock.

Yet Ford hasn't stood still with development of the Boss V8, which now boasts a substantial power upgrade from 260 to 290kW thanks to the adoption of the virtually hand-built (by FPV) variant that last did service in the Falcon GT. It comes with the new Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual as standard equipment (the car we drove had the optional ZF six-speed auto) and shares suspension tune, upgraded front brakes and many of the exterior styling cues of the XR6.

Interestingly, equipment levels also match the XR6 Turbo and the prices are lineball at $45,490 for the manual and $46,990 for the auto. The choice is clearly down to the buyer who prefers either a turbo six or a bigger capacity V8, with no monetary, comfort or perceived prestige elements to sway the decision. So the big question is, which does the better job?

There's no doubt in terms of straight-line performance the XR6 Turbo has the XR8 on toast. By our reckoning the XR6T has improved its 0-100km/h time by around a second compared with the BF II, and while the XR8 is also faster than its predecessor by a couple of tenths, it cannot hope to match its tearaway twin.

It took some trying, but we eventually got the XR8 down to 6.0 seconds for the 0-100km/h dash, and it crossed the 400 metre line in 14.1 seconds. These wouldn't have been bad times a year or so ago, and are actually better than we've managed before in an automatic FPV GT, but unfortunately the benchmark has just been reset by the XR6T, not to mention the marginally quicker G6E Turbo.

Apart from the comparative numbers, what you do get with the XR8 is mostly all good news. The engine itself has a linear delivery and ample grunt, even if peak torque of 520Nm comes at 4750rpm, a scarcely believable 2750rpm higher than the Turbo. That's borne out by the rolling acceleration time from 80 to 120km/h of 3.8 seconds, around 0.7 seconds slower than the XR6T.

The XR8's exhaust system has what Ford calls a semi-active muffler, with a valve that redirects exhaust gasses at engine speeds above 2800rpm to give a louder, more fruity exhaust note, presumably without making it illegal at lower speeds, or bothering the driver, or frightening dogs and children. It does sound good from the outside, but from inside the XR8, where the guy who paid $46,000 for the privilege sits, there's no discernible increase in volume. Those expecting a rorty, trumpeting note like an Aston Martin V8 or Jaguar XKR will be disappointed.

Speaking of interiors, the XR8 shares much of what's in the XR6, meaning seriously comfortable and supportive seats trimmed in a kind of ribbed and woven fabric with colour inserts to match the exterior paint, or optional leather. Other colours are dark, with metallic-looking finishes. While a sporty look has been sought, it's not as upmarket as either G6E variant.

As with the XR6, the suspension has been given the once-over with a stiffer setting all around to deliver a meaty ride and greater roll resistance.

The XR8 we drove had optional 19-inch wheels with 245/35ZR19 Dunlops that gave less compliance than the 18s over sharp bumps and while a proving ground isn't the best place to measure these things subjectively, it would seem there's less comfort.

In a handling sense, these Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres help both grip and turn-in, yet compared with the six-cylinder XRs, there's always the feeling of more mass over the front wheels - and it's not just a visual impression enhanced by the ever-present power bulge on the bonnet. The front end will pogo slightly as the outside front scrabbles for grip, and, unlike the Turbo, increasing throttle inputs only seems to enhance understeer rather than move the rear out.

In broader terms the XR8 is still a paragon of stability and outright speed, but you can't help comparing it with its more nimble XR stablemates. And when it gets right down to it, the XR6 Turbo delivers more than the XR8, leaving it difficult to see the attraction of the latter.