No GT-HO until at least 2009
FPV is committed to bringing back the 'HO', but the time must be rightRod Barrett is still on a mission to recreate the great Australian muscle car icon, the XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III. But Barrett, the 'Boss' at FPV, was adamant that he would not introduce a new GT-HO until he had the right hardware. He anticipated that this wouldn't be until well into 2009 at the earliest.
Barrett harbours a clearer idea of what the iconic model represents than most who have tried to revive the model in the past, and remains emphatic that the hallowed badge will not be applied to a pretender or an expedient marketing special.
"It will not be called Phase V", said Barrett, "but it will replicate the original's homologation race car status and very limited production."
Barrett also said that it would need to be good enough for an owner to take it on the racetrack and be more than competitive with the latest low-volume performance models based on the likes of Mitsubishi Lancer and Subaru Impreza.
"The GT-HO legend is based on its dominating performance on the racetrack and that is what a future GT-HO would need to replicate", Barrett said.
"A future GT-HO would have to be as good for its time as the original."
Barrett's sentiments effectively rule out a heavier supercharged version of the current Boss engine as a new GT-HO would need to be a balanced handler with race-bred credentials.
Barrett said "new powerplants under development in the US have given me the confidence to put the GT-HO back on the agenda but I wouldn't hesitate to suspend the project, if it didn't live up to expectations."
He noted that his most immediate priority was to get FPV's new Orion range established.. Whilst Barrett would not comment on specific timing, he has gone on record that FPV's range will hit the streets at the latest, five weeks after the 'cooking' model (more here).
Judging by Barrett's statements, FPV will be in a better position to gauge the feasibility of reviving the GT-HO based on latest US developments and commence serious development if it's warranted.
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