Ford @ the '04 Australian International Motor Show

By Feann Torr - 07/10/2004

The anticipation surrounding Ford's new high performance 6-cylinder sedan had been reaching fever pitch in the last few months, and now the cat is out of the bag.

Despite Holden stealing the show with two eye-opening concept cars, the Torana and the GTSR, Ford still put on a solid exhibit, with the FPV F6 Typhoon and the American-built Ford GT supercar the shining stars.

The new Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) F6 Typhoon is just what FoMoCo needs to keep up the fight with the long established Holden Special Vehicles group.

The main reason for this is that HSV has launched its new Generation IV 6.0-litre LS2 V8 across it's entire seven car range, now outputting 530Nm, which pips the GT-P, GT and Pursuit models by 10Nm.

But while that may dismay a few Blue Oval diehards, fret not, as forced induction is your new saviour.

The F6 Typhoon outputs a traction-breaking 270kW of power, the same as the HSV AWD Coupe 4, but a heady 550Nm will silence those HSV fans who are crying the virtues of General Motor's new 6.0-litre LS2 V8.

With a recommended retail price of $58,950, the F6 Typhoon will have one of the highest torque outputs of any Australian made 4-door sedan when it arrives in dealerships later in the year, and is available exclusively with the new close-ratio Tremec T56 6-speed manual transmission.

This 550Nm torque peak is a colossal amount of twist, and as FPV head honcho David Flint points out, it will become a class leader in the Aussie performance sedan market: "This car proves that FPV is a leader and not a follower. The F6 Typhoon is unrivalled in this marketplace and takes our commitment to the local high-performance car segment to a new level."

At the heart of the F6 Typhoon is its powerplant: the 'F6 270 Turbo' as FPV calls it.

The engine is based on the award-winning turbocharged and intercooled 4.0-litre DOHC inline 6-cylinder from the Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo (reviewed here).

FPV took the XR6T's potent 450NM engine and, with the help of internationally renowned automotive tuning group Prodrive, bumped power up from 240kW to 270kW @ 5250rpm, while torque rises from 450Nm to a class-leading 550Nm, which is spread across 2000-4000rpm.

In order to get more power from the straight six engine, a 50 per cent larger twelve-core intercooler and dual entry ram airbox were fitted, which help to create a more efficient induction system which naturally increases turbo boost pressure by 50 per cent to 0.64bar, or about 9.2psi.

The engine also features revised internal components, including high-strength valve springs and heavy-duty conrods to deal with the added pressure from the increased turbo boost, and a unique FPV oil cooler ensures consistent performance under high G loads.

Because of the benchmark torque output, the F6 Typhoon features a high-tech twin-plate clutch engineered and supplied by British-based motor racing experts, AP Racing.

This 240mm clutch system creates more precise power delivery and increased durability for sports driving but also reduces pedal effort, therefore providing a more user-friendly manual gearbox for everyday driving, which also makes the F6 Typhoon is the only Australian-built vehicle with a twin-plate clutch.

The Typhoon ships exclusively with the new FPV-engineered version of the Tremec T56 close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission, presumably because the 4-speed auto can't handle the heat of 550 Newtons.

To enhance the launch feel and initial acceleration, the F6 Typhoon has a 3.73:1 final drive ratio and unique first gear ratio. The entire FPV range, including the GT, GT-P, Pursuit, Typhoon and Tornado (see next article) will all be offered with the new 6-speed close-ratio manual shifter that will increase acceleration times slightly.

A number of cosmetic highlights - inside and out - have been incorporated to the entire FPV range in a bid to deflect interest from HSV's new 6.0-litre line up of sports cars. Ford's MkII XR6 Turbo and XR8 will also be offered with the sweet-shifting new 6-cog gearbox as well.

"There is no doubt that Ford Performance Vehicles has made its mark on the Australian high-performance segment," continued FPV's David Flint.

"Our MkII range, including the F6 Typhoon, is a clear indication that we haven't rested on those laurels. We have continued to make our vehicles even better, while adhering to our core values of providing Total Performance to our customers at an affordable level."

FPV MkII range - New Features:

Close-ratio 6-speed manual gearbox with standard Shift Alert
4-speed Auto with Sports Sequential Shift becomes a no-cost option on GT and Pursuit
Revised suspension settings on sedans for improved handling
Interior upgrades on all models, including dual sports instrument gauges
New-look exterior FPV stripe package with Boss 290 'bonnet bulge' decal and revised colour options
Unique 19-inch alloy wheels on GT-P (with 245/35 ZR19 rubber)
Revised Pursuit specifications with soft tonneau as standard and optional stripe package

Getting back to FPV's turbocharged Typhoon, and where HSV has decided to equip all of its new vehicles with 19-inch alloy wheels, the F6 gets slightly smaller, but no-less eye-catching 18x8-inch alloy wheels with polished double spokes and black shadow rims. The alloys are shod with 235/40 ZR18 Dunlop SP9000 tyres.

Behind the chunky wheels are FPV performance brakes with twin-grooved 325mm ventilated front and 303mm solid rear discs with blue twin-piston front and single-piston rear calipers. Like with all FPV vehicles, premium Brembo brakes can be optioned, with cross-drilled and ventilated 355mm front and 330mm rear rotors and four-piston red calipers. Both braking packages come with four-channel ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution as well.

Visually, the F6 Typhoon is easily recognisable as part of the FPV range and features exclusive gun metal highlights in the front airdam, driving lights surrounds, side skirt flutes and rear valance. I should also mention that you can click on some of the images for much larger versions of the photos.

To separate it from its V8 Boss-powered siblings, the F6 gets an exclusive high-tech design chrome grille mesh in the front bumper with an F6 badge in the top air intake and, at the other end of the vehicle, a low-rise rear spoiler with the traditional FPV three-pillar design.

Inside the cockpit, the F6 Typhoon is loaded with the latest high-tech features, including power windows, power adjustable driver's seat and the range-topping Interior Command Centre with dual-zone climate control air conditioning and premium sound, including of a 150 Watt amplifier, sub woofer and 6-disc in-dash CD player. The F6 Typhoon also comes with twin-pod Sports Instrument gauges, exclusive to FPV, displaying turbo boost pressure and oil pressure, which are very nice touches indeed.

The FPV Sports seats have suede-feel bolsters, a unique Technik trim fabric that matches the triangular design in the grille mesh and FPV logos embroidered on the back rests.

Leather trim featuring the same Technik design pattern is a cost option, but when all things are considered, the $58,950 F6 Typhoon makes for sensational value, undercutting the new Z-series HSV Clubsport by $2900, and beaten only by the new HSV Maloo in price, where all HSV models have 530Nm compared to the F6's 550Nm. Indeed, those in the market for an Aussie-built sports sedan will have tough choices to make.

FPV Pricing:

F6 Typhoon: $58,950 (Manual only)
GT: $61,350 (Manual or Auto)
GT-P: $70,200 (Manual or Auto)
Pursuit: $53,340 (Manual or Auto)

I should also mention that FPV will have five new vehicles to offer customers in the new year, as it has confirmed that a high-performance turbocharged 6-cylinder utility using the F6's 550Nm engine will be added to its range in early 2005.

To be called the F6 Tornado and due for release in January 2005, this vehicle will expand the appeal of the FPV range and give the Maloo and Maloo R8 models something to think about.

Powered by the same 'F6 270 Turbo' 6-cylinder engine with close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission as the Typhoon, the F6 Tornado ute will become the entry ticket to the FPV family with a recommended retail price of $51,950.

"The performance utility segment of the Australian market has experienced significant growth over the last few years," said David Flint, FPV's top man.

"The FPV F6 Tornado adds an exciting new dimension to the burgeoning ute culture, and will be a car that will literally blow our customers away with its performance, handling and value for money."

The engine features the same updates as in the sedan, including the 50 per cent larger intercooler, dual entry ram airbox, heavy-duty conrods, high-strength valve springs and FPV oil cooler.

It will also follow the same exterior and interior design styling as the F6 Typhoon, including the stunning 18x8-inch double 5-spoke alloy wheels, FPV front bumper, FPV Sports seats and the signature dash-mounted starter button.

The F6 Tornado will come standard with air conditioning, power windows and Prestige Sound consisting of a 100 Watt system with a six-disc in-dash CD player. It will have a soft tonneau cover as standard fitment with an optional alloy Sports bar. A lockable hard tonneau cover featuring a rear wing can also be ordered, and is likely to prove quite popular as more and more performance ute buyers see their vehicles as two-door sports cars with the added bonus of a big rear tray.

And, as is the case with all FPV vehicles, each customer that purchases an F6 Tornado is entitled to a Performance Driver Training Course and exclusive owner gifts.

Powered by an all-new, mid-engined powertrain producing 410kW of power and a gargantuan 678Nm of torque, Ford's giant-killing Ford GT made it's Australian debut at the 2004 AIMS.

The slinky supercar - based on the classic 1960s Le Mans winning GT40 - gets its huge power output from Ford's MOD engine family.

This includes performance powertrains like the 290kW 4.6-litre DOHC supercharged V8 in the SVT Mustang Cobra, as well as the 260kW 5.4-litre Boss V8 in the Falcon XR8 and the 290kW 5.4-litre quad-cam Boss V8 in the FPV GT, GT-P and Pursuit models.

"We're just starting to tap the performance potential of Ford's modular engine architecture," said Curt Hill, Ford GT powertrain engineering supervisor.

"This application really demonstrates its awesome potential. The 5.4-litre engine easily produces 410kW of power and 678Nm of torque, while meeting all the current emissions and durability standards. Those numbers are comparable to the race-prepared, blue-printed 427 (7.0-litre) big-blocks in the Ford GT40 race cars."

The Ford GT engine features an all-new aluminium block fitted with high-flow, four-valve cylinder heads and dual overhead camshafts. To bear the stresses necessary to produce 410kW, a forged-steel crankshaft, shot-peened H-beam connecting rods and forged aluminium pistons are used.

"In total, 85 percent of the reciprocating parts are unique to the Ford GT," Hill said.

Fuel is delivered via dual fuel injectors per cylinder, while a modified screw-type supercharger – blowing through a water-to-air intercooler – supplies sufficient airflow for engine output.

The GT's body is based on an aluminium space frame, which basically reduces overall weight while increasing rigidity and the aluminium body panels themselves are also quite advanced, as they've been manufactured using super-plastic forming (SPF).

"Super-plastic forming is fairly new for the industry," said Bill Clarke, Ford GT body structure supervisor. "It was a critical factor in producing the large sections, complex shapes and delicate accent lines of the concept vehicle. Large, intricate panels like the cantilevered doors simply would not have been feasible with traditional stampings."

To maximise passenger comfort, Ford GT chief designer Camilo Pardo and the engineering team made extensive use of a virtual-reality computer-modelling device called the digital occupant buck.

The device is a revolutionary step in CAD/CAM technology, enabling a virtual re-creation of the interior surfaces to be translated from the CAD data. With this 'immersive' tool the engineer can 'virtually' sit inside an interior buck.

A test engineer, wearing a video headset and fitted with magnetic target sensors on his body, can sit in any seat in a virtual car and experience the environment. Everything else – buttons, controls, pedals – is generated electronically as part of the virtual environment.

"The real advantage of the digital occupant tool is that it allows engineers to develop a comfortable interior for a wide range of statures," said Kip Ewing, Ford GT Package, Prototype and Launch Supervisor.

"As an example, I could sit in the Ford GT seats as a fifth-percentile female and evaluate her reach to major controls. Five minutes later, I could sit in the car as a 95th-percentile male and evaluate his outward visibility."

As a result of this testing, Ewing tweaked the occupant package for the maximum range of accommodation. This included obvious improvements, such as maximising seat travel and headroom. While such things may sound trivial for a passenger car, many buyers of exotic cars often find it hard to fit in such rare vehicles, and this was an area Ford was keen to get right, allowing a wider range of drivers access to the cockpit.

Another enticing new model shown by FoMoCo in Sydney was the spirited new Fiesta ST, powered by a responsive 110kW 2.0-litre Duratec ST engine.

In addition to the increased power, the chassis has been tuned to give small-car drivers and hot hatch lovers "something to smile about" when behind the wheel.

"Fiesta ST is the ideal all-round hot hatch," said Ford Australia's passenger car marketing manager, Kevin Ramsdale. "It is safe and easy to handle with enough spirited performance from its 2.0L engine to appeal to the keenest driving enthusiast. We are very interested in gauging the level of interest it attracts from visitors to the show."

If it proves popular with show goers, Ford will be putting the case forward for the German-designed car to be imported to Australia, where it will face off with the likes of Citroën's C2 VTR and Toyota's Echo Sportivo.

In addition to the mechanical upgrades, the Fiesta ST also looks meaner, with a more assertive grille and lower bumper/front apron design, to its confident, lower stance and side skirts. Bold 17-inch, 11-spoke alloy wheels and low profile performance tyres visually communicate its handling capabilities, and give the car an incredibly sporty profile.

Inside, the ergonomically designed Fiesta cabin has been given the ST treatment as well. Unique new front performance seats embroidered in black leather with bold red cloth centre sections and the distinctive new ST logo will support both driver and passenger comfortably during spirited drives.

The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel features a bright steering wheel spoke, while metal pedals help to communicate Fiesta ST's powerful brakes and responsive throttle.

Fiesta St's unique gear lever meets the driver's hand with ergonomic ease, emphasising the care with which Ford has positioned key controls for the utmost driving quality.

"The acknowledged strengths and qualities of the Fiesta interior have been enhanced with distinctive ST touches that set it apart from the rest of the range," stated Ramsdale. "These elements are details the more enthusiastic driver looks for in a sporty car, the 'jewels' that advertise elegantly that you're inside something special."

If you want to check out the new Fiesta ST, or FPV's range of new vehicles or even the Blue Oval's new Ferrari-rivalling GT supercar, get on down to the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, from October 7 through to October 17.