FPV's V8 to become boss again?

Ford will brief the press about the engineering aspects of the new Falcon tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb 6). The information we learn will thereafter be subject to embargo until the car's unveiling on February 17. On the eve of Ford's media gag, the following is Joe Kenwright's look at what the Blue Oval and its performance offshoot could be planning with the local V8 range...

Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has privately, and to a degree publically, recognised there is little point in launching a new FPV range powered by the BOSS V8 engine if it can't head off future challenges from Holden and its performance offshoot. When the donor Orion Falcon will almost certainly be heavier in full safety specification, the pressure is on the Blue Oval's performance arm to lift the bar for its GT sedan range and Pursuit ute range.

The question is whether FPV will launch two new variations of the BOSS V8 engine, not just one.

The original FPV strategy was to offer two V8 power outputs above the XR8's 260kW for an entry FPV performance model and the top of the range GT.

Ford fans with long memories will recall that the first BA GT-P was announced as the GT with extra Performance. However, when this heavier, fully-equipped GT Performance model proved no faster than the entry FPV level with less power, the decision was made to launch both models with the same BOSS 290 engine. The lighter, lower-grade model was then rebadged as the GT and the fully-equipped GT was badged as the GT-P -- with P now denoting Premium.

Senior Ford people at the time insisted that anything badged as a GT could not be slower than a model below it.

The model 'mix up' resulted in the current strategy that placed the FPV GT below the top level GT-P. It has never sat well with traditional GT fans when the original GT was traditionally the Ford pinnacle of luxury and performance.

As each FPV facelift since 2003 has merged the GT and GT-P closer in specification, it is believed that FPV is now ready to launch the GT as a single hard-edged model and as a direct rival to HSV's GTS. It's suggested a softer, more luxurious alternative model will be under a different badge to counter HSV's Senator.

This should then create a fat price premium that will support some serious hardware on a special GT engine not seen before -- especially now that FPV has confirmed that it is not ready to launch an adjustable damper system to match HSV's MRC (Magnetic Ride Control) standard on the GTS.

If the next GT goes up a big notch in performance and equipment, it creates space for a simpler and more frugal BOSS engine to power a more aggressive Force8 replacement to take on HSV's Senator that won't eat into GT sales.

An FPV insider's recent comment: "their [that is, Ford's] engine will be our engine" provides the clue.

Currently, FPV builds two Boss engines (BOSS 260 for Ford, BOSS 290 for FPV) with different sets of internals to generate two compression ratios along with heads that are modified for the BOSS 290 engine.

It would make more sense to build a single high-compression version for Ford's XR8 and FPV models, then dress it with anything up to three levels of cam profiles, exhaust systems, manifolding and calibrations and perhaps hand-tweaking the valves and heads for the top level.

This concurs with rumours that at least one FPV BOSS engine is going to arrive with a twin throttle body inlet system, similar to that fitted to the homologation VL Walkinshaw and VP Group A Commodores. As the BOSS engine's 5.4-litre capacity is not easily increased, this is also one of the few ways open to FPV engineers to increase torque at low engine speeds -- one of the criticisms of the BOSS 290.

Working out the application of each BOSS engine quickly reveals what sort of performance each will need deliver.

Given that HSV's next engine will be the 6.2-litre LS3 (also expected to be shown at the coming Melbourne Motor Show) which generates 321kW/586Nm in standard form -- and 325kW/592Nm with a special two-mode exhaust -- it is safe to assume that FPV's premium engine will be gunning for the higher level of these two and will have at least 325kW and as close to 600Nm as possible.

If there is a second FPV engine for a new range of intermediate FPV V8 models it will need to be significantly higher than the next XR8's projected 290kW while offering a worthy boost over the next F6's projected 300kW. If a figure of 310-312kW can be achieved with a single throttle body, it would offer the required performance with a saving in cost and fuel usage.

FPV claims it will not reveal any power figures for its Orion models even at the coming Melbourne Motor Show's reveal.

It is also likely that the true power increases will be more pronounced than the figures will indicate. How so? The Carsales Network has learned that FPV will use the new Orion range to switch from its current DIN measurements to the same, more conservative ECE measuring system used by HSV. Simply, this measures a power or torque peak for a full 60 seconds, not just a spike in delivery.

Late last year, FPV announced it would cancel the 2008 Open Day and replace it with a special reveal of FPV's new Orion-based range to all the owners' clubs involved in previous Open Days.

FPV insiders last week confirmed that the date for the vent is Sunday, May 25 ahead of an onsale date for the new hotties in June.

While FPV is unlikely to wait until then to release the final details of its V8 engine strategy, it is an indicator of the timeframe of the information 'drip feed' FPV intends to use to keep performance car fans on the edge of their seats.