No GT version of XR8
Ford insiders deny Blue Oval will roll out high-powered XR8 to gazump GT FFPV's GT F will be the most powerful Falcon ever. Period.
That's the message insiders delivered this morning at the 400kW-plus supercharged sedan's press unveiling at Ford's You Yangs Proving Ground near Lara (Vic).
It's also a message that seems to put paid to a final all-out XR8 based GTHO-style Falcon to farewell local production in October 2016.
Many of the software tweaks that allowed Ford and Prodrive engineers to free up the GT F's supercharged V8 to pump out over 400kW in 'overboost' mode have been pulled forward from the XR8 program.
Indeed, the integration of the Bosch DSC 9.0 stability and traction control and the last generation of locally produced Falcon's updated ECM (engine control module) were key to the engineering sign-off of the higher-performance version of the Miami supercharged V8 in the GT F.
But, say insiders, those learnings do not mean Ford will gazump the GTF with a powered-up, specced-up version of its non-FPV XR8.
"The GT F is the GT F," one senior Ford insider told motoring.com.au.
"It is a celebration of FPV. We have to put out feet down now. To keep the confidence of the buyers and our dealers," he stated.
As an FPV model, the GT F is available from the 60 Ford Performance Vehicles dealers nationally. When the XR8 returns to the Falcon line-up as part of the launch of the final generation of locally produced Fords later this year, the car will be sold by 200 Blue Oval dealers nationally.
Ford Australia boss, Bob Graziano, would not be drawn on what sales upside he expected.
"The market [for V8s] is relatively small... [But] customers really want the power of choice and that's what we're responding to," he stated.
"Not all of the content [you see in the GT F] will transfer over to the XR8," confirmed the Ford honcho.
Graziano confirmed no XR8 GT was planned.
"We're moving to the XR8... In terms of other performance vehicles we've got the ST [badge]," he stated.
Ford engineering staff on hand for the GT F launch would not comment on the specifications of the upcoming XR8. Speculation is rife, however, that both basic and high-performance variants will be offered, the latter using the GT F and RSPEC-pioneered suspension settings and Brembo braking tech.
Pictured: FG Falcon XR8
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