teal98

Check out this link:

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...256C2A00234933

That's a 349hp V8, a 322hp I6 turbo and a 244hp I6. Interesting that Ford is uninterested (apparently) in selling such cars here, whereas GM seems to have decided otherwise.

guionM

I think Ford just may have taken a rather stupid looking car and turned it around.

Ford of Austraila is completely uninterested in exporting Falcon to the US or anywhere else beyound New Zealand & South Africa, which is really bizzare since Holden is gaining huge profits partially from selling to the middle east and soon to the US market (Production of Monaro will increase 1000% on it's sales to the US alone).

I guess Ford feels we need the Passat-ish, front drive 500 more.

Burmite

Wow! That is a good looking car! I like it! The rear looks like a Monaro but the front is great and that's a good blue. The front looks a lot better than the new VY that's coming out. That thing looks really bland.

Sixer-Bird

Is it just me, or does that car look EXACTLY like the current Holdens? I think it looks good, but damn, what gives? I guess somebody at Ford Au took the phrase "If you can't beat 'em; join 'em" to heart.

------------------
-Joshua
1997 Bright Red Trans Am WS6 M6
I was thinking dagger. -Steve Nash

Burmite

The front end reminds me more of a Skyline R34 than a Holden

Lightspeed

I posted this message in another thread, but I figure more people will see it here, so:

Okay...Ford in Australia have just gone public with pictures of the interior on the new Falcon (to be released later this month) as well as pictures of the new XR8 and details on engines.

Firstly, the engines.

The base engine across the new range is a heavily revised (basically new from the ground up) 4.0 litre inline 6. It's a DOHC 24 valve configuration pushing out 245 hp. It comes with what Ford describes as dual variable cam timing (VCT).

There is also a turbo version of this engine that can be ordered on XR6 models. It pumps out 323 hp. It's a very low state of boost (only 5psi I'm told) so after market tuning should be a breeze.

The V8 option has two levels. Most folks will get a 5.4 litre all-alloy V8 with SOHC and 3 valves per cylinder. This is good for about 300 hp.

The next level is a DOHC 4 valve version of the same engine. This will be on XR8 models. Both versions of the V8 also get the dual VCT. It's good for 350 hp. To fit the thing under the car's hood a neat looking bulge was needed, as you'll see in the pictures below.

The car comes with an entirely new, and locally developed, IRS. We've discussed this system before.

So to the pics!

Interior Pic

Interior Pic #2

Interior Pic #3

Exterior Pic. You'll note the hood bulge on the blue car. That's an XR8. The one below is an XR6.

If you're interested in even more details, check out www.newfalcon.com.au It will have all the details you'll need.

I'm curious for reactions, anyway. How does this compare wity US Ford products?

teal98

You must love torturing us! :-)
Let's see.

There's the Mercury Marauder, which puts a 302hp DOHC 4.6 (not 5.4, no VCT) into an updated version of the 1979 body-on-frame chassis full size Ford. Solid rear axle, 4300 pounds, 212" long (5380mm). $35000.

There's the Mustang. I think you're aware of that, so I won't explain.

There's the exciting 200hp Duratec Ford Taurus with Front Wheel Drive.

There's the 170hp Focus SVT.

As I see it, there's no comparison. And it doesn't look to get much better, either, as Ford seems intent on their 500, which is a VW Passat wannabe.

Oh yes. There is the Lincoln LS, which has a 232hp V6 or a 280hp V8 for 2003. Pricing not yet announced, but the 2002 model started at
$33K for the V6 and about $37K for the V8. The V8 is a stout 3.9l variation of the Jaguar 4.2 (nee 4.0) V8.

jeremy

guionM

Rented an LS for a Phenoix run over the Labor Day weekend (the Z was OOC due to a broken pressure plate...is that normal for 75,000 miles?).

The LS wasn't a bad car. Had enough power for what I needed (though that power cut out at 118 was unexpected), extremely smooth (110 seemed like 50!) & holds the road pretty good. The 4-5 cross over gate is a great idea.

I think it should have been the replacement for the Crown Vic or Marquis.

MunchE

The Aussie Falcon is sex in a car.

Aussie cars rule. I want to move to Australia and buy one, because importing = suck.

Man, Ford Australia and Holden are still making American muscle!

*curses*

------------------
Jason

<A HREF="http://camaroz28.cardomain.com/id/munche" TARGET=_blank>1997 A4 Z28 "Mongoose"
</A>

<A HREF="http://www.iz-us.com/images/cars/cougar/" TARGET=_blank>New Project: 1969 Mercury Cougar 351W
</A>

redzed

I think guionM hit the nail on the head this time: the DEW98 based Lincoln LS would have made a great top-of-the-line Ford. As it is now, the interior fittings are too cheap to compete with the imports, and the engines are too coarse and pokey. (I can only hope the higher power ratings for 2003 rectify that last problem.)

On the face of it, the Lincoln LS was a BMW 5-series competitor at a $15,000 discount. In reality, it didn't hae the quality, speed or styling to do the job. The thing that really galls me about this car is the fact that it was SO CLOSE to the target. If they had only carried over the drivetrain of the Mark VIII, it would have been been decently quick - instead Ford used detuned Jaguar engines. Moreover, by using the fixed engineering points of the Jaguar S-type, they made the car slightly too cramped. With just an extra inch or two in every dimension - head room, shoulder room, etc. - this car would have had the spaciousness of the Lexus LS. The worst part was the interior with all of that tinkertoy "real" wood.

I can't help but think that Ford should have approached DEW98 from the standpoint of replacing the Panther cars (Crown Vic, Marquis, Town Car) instead of just creating a shared platform for Jaguar.

I'll give Ford of Australia alot of credit for engineering a car that is superior to anything available in North America - the sort of car Dearborn should be designing all along. If the BA Falcon live up to its potential, Holden can kiss its sales title goodbye.

guionM

I agree with everything you said (don't pass out now).

Even though LS wasn't exactly large inside, it still had enough room, was very comfortable, and handled everything extremely well.

It isn't even close to a BMW in quality (or even that Holden you love so well ), but if the V8 LS had been the Marquis (they are priced pretty close as it is) or even a Crown Vic, I think it would attract both older customers as well as a younger crowd, without the stigma of buying a car that shares a nameplate associated with retirees.

It actually is a decent car.

guionM

Going back to the original topic, here's more info on Falcon's engines:

http://www.autoweb.com.au/id_MER/doc....html?src=home

teal98

Okay, so this isn't 5th gen Camaro, but I think these Falcons are genuinely exciting cars; much more so than anything Ford sells in the U.S. Don't even get me started on comparing these Falcons with the Lincoln LS, even the newly upgraded 280hp version. Not even close!

GM has shown that they are moving in this direction for North America (about 10 years
too late, but better late than never), which can only be good news for a 5th gen Camaro. I'm not especially hung up on the Camaro, as I like to have four doors and a back seat with my RWD and powerful engine (doesn't have to be a V8 with a turbo six like the new Falcon's), as long as the length is under 200" or 5.1 meters, and the weight is under 4000 pounds (or 1800kg).

But I know others like their coupes. As history shows, though, once you get the volume sedan on the RWD platform, the coupe can follow (see Infiniti G35 sedan and coupe and Nissan 350Z).

Lightspeed

The top of the range model for the short wheel base Holden Commodore is called Calais. This is a pic of the new interior found in the VY series:

Calais Interior

It competes against the Ford Fairmont Ghia, which has a much nicer (IMO) interior. Here's that pic.

Fairmont pic

gab

I had always been a Commodore person (esp HSV's offerings), but the interior and exterior of the new Falcon is starting to sway my opinion away from the VY Commodore.

Granted, I think both interiors look classy. If I did not know that they came from a "domestic" carline, I would have thought that they are some upmarket japanese/German models.