FPV GT Black confirmed

The new model will be priced at $74,290 and is powered by the same 5.0-litre all-aluminium supercharged V8 as the rest of the FPV range, developing a competitive 335kW/570Nm.

"We were totally blown away by the positive feedback received from fans and show-goers on our Concept," said FPV General Manager Rod Barrett.

"We knew we had a winner with the black paintwork and we wanted to action something immediately. The public spoke, and we listened, and I am just thrilled we have been able to put the GT BLACK into production so quickly.

"All the feedback received has been collated and the results present exciting possibilities for the FPV brand in the future. The GT Black is the beginning of some exciting times ahead as we continue to work on new product and design enhancements to reflect the needs and wants of the market," added Barrett, hinting at other limited edition models (an FPV White based on the F6?).

The changes to the new model include black alloy wheels, Silhouette black paintwork with matt black striping and GT BLACK decals, and even black tail pipes are included all of which are designed to generate more menace.

"The FPV GT Black is available in one colour only, so there will be no confusion when it comes to placing an order for colour on this one," joked Barrett. "With only 125 units available, we urge interested buyers to act quickly, with a number of vehicles already pre-sold."

All of the special edition FPVs will also come as standard with leather seating and a reverse camera, while the interior is not surprisingly decked out in a black motif. With a sinister, almost Mad Max-esque look and feel, has Ford Performance Vehicles hit the nail on the head with this limited edition model?

A slightly watered-down version of the all-back Ford FPV GT “concept” displayed at this year’s Australian International in Melbourne is in the blocks ready to hit the roads.

The one-off black FPV appeared on Ford’s interactive motor show stand without any announcements about its possible future, although FPV general manager Rod Barret indicated there were reasons for the showing other than FPV simply parading its first-ever concept car.

“We wanted (the “concept” FPV) to demonstrate the possibilities, explore the future and gauge public opinion to assist us with the evolution of FPV product” he said.

Since then, FPV has collated customer feedback from the show and is about to make an announcement that an adaptation of the show car will go into production.

Exactly what will be left in and left out is yet to be announced, but it is certain that the visuals of the show car will remain close to intact.

The concept car used the regular GT’s supercharged 335kW/570Nm Boss 5.0-litre V8 and was given the all-black treatment to imbue a sinister on-road presence that continued through to the interior.

The show car featured dramatic Silhouette black paint embellished with unique matte-black stripes extending across the bonnet, body sides, rear spoiler and diffuser. Black five-spoke one-piece forged 19-inch wheels  measuring 8.0 inches wide at the front and 9.5 inches at the rear wore Dunlop SP Sportmaxx GT tyres, with bigger brakes (six-pot up front, four-pot at the rear) peeking out from behind the spokes.

Suspension was “track-tuned” and there was a stainless steel high flow exhaust system with the tailpipes finished in black.

Inside, the black leather-trimmed one-off featured an all-black dash complete with Ford’s ICC interior command centre.

According to Barret, it included options from the “most ticked” list, including the leather trim and a reversing camera.

“That way, it’s a reflection of what our buyers are choosing and gives us a ‘real world’ basis to get people thinking,” he said.

Making predictions about the final form of the black FPV draws on the obvious: It would be reasonable to expect the show car’s paintwork and interior could easily be replicated, but the mechanicals – such as the big brakes and, maybe, the suspension - might represent more of a fiscal challenge.

Price is predicted to be around $75,000.

Rumour has it that FPV has already made dealer allocations and that deposits are being taken. Watch this space for further updates on FPV’s black edition GT.

Images: First three photos are the FPV GT Black production car, the next four are the concept car seen at AIMS 2011 in Melbourne.