A new supercharged V8 engine in FPV's new GT makes it the fastest Falcon ever produced.
Ford's new FPV GT is the fastest Falcon ever produced, able to reach 100km/h from rest in 4.9 seconds.
While the figures are manufacturer claims and as yet not independently verified, the new 335kW supercharged V8 was always expected to raise the performance game for Ford and give it much needed V8 firepower against muscle car market leader HSV.
In the FPV Falcon GT the new V8 produces 335kW of power and 570Nm of torque (or mid-rev pulling power), making it the most powerful Australian-made car currently on sale. It's available with a six-speed manual or no-cost six-speed automatic transmission.
Crucially, the new Falcon GT will finally accelerate faster than turbocharged six-cylinder F6, which has long been the performance hero in the FPV lineup. Going against its former policy of not publically releasing performance figures, FPV has no quoted figures for its range.
The FPV F6 is claimed to take 5.1 seconds to reach 100km/h, 0.2 seconds slower than the FPV Falcon GT. The new FPV GS - with a detuned version of the GT's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 - manages the milestone in 5.2 seconds.
Read full details on the new FPV supercharged V8 here.
The new FPV Falcon GT is offered in three basic models; the basic GT, more overtly sporty GT-P and more restrained-looking GT-E.
Other than new wheels, the new Falcon GT models look almost identical to the FG models that have been around since 2008.
The GT and GT-P get love-them-or-leave-them stripes along the bonnet flowing over the guards and down the side of the car.
With the intention of potentially competing with lower level European brands, the GT-E gets a more restrained look that does without the stripes.
"FPV's GT range now offers a whole new drive experience," says Barrett. "All three GTs now provide tremendous, previously unheard of performance but do so in the smoothest, most responsive manner possible."
FPV says it has also worked to improve the sound of its engines, giving them a more meaningful V8 bark with the fitment of a new bi-modal exhaust with four outlets.
FPV says the new engine is 47kg lighter than the old 5.4-litre V8 - although the entire car is only 30kg lighter - which brings benefits to handling.
"The GT's handling has benefitted the lighter engine so turn-in response is sharper and the whole car is more nicely balanced," says Barrett. "The ride is also improved because we've been able to more finely tune the suspension front-to-back."
FPV has also added
a new FPV Falcon GS to its range as a permanent fixture.