Edmunds First-Drive - 2011 Ford Falcon FPV GT 5.0
01-07-2011, 09:16 AM
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Edmunds First-Drive - 2011 Ford Falcon FPV GT 5.0 The 5.0 Sedan of Our Dreams
No sign of any Ford badges here, although the "GT" badges should look familiar to Yanks.
By Brad Lord, Contributor | Published Jan 7, 2011
The supercharged 2011 Ford Falcon GT is not just the most powerful sedan in its segment — it's the most powerful production car to ever come out of Australia. Period.
Technically speaking, though, the Falcon GT is not exactly a Ford. Its creator is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) — a company Ford Australia owns a 49 percent stake in alongside engineering partner and majority shareholder Prodrive. Ford markets and sells the car in Australia, but you'll need to look closely to spy an iconic blue oval.
As a mid-generation face-lift model, the new Falcon has been cut from the same cloth as the original rear-wheel-drive FPV GT (based upon the seventh-generation Falcon) that made its debut in 2008.
Externally there are not a lot of differences: some new exterior paint colors, newly designed 19-inch wheels, and most importantly, a new livery package that promotes the GT's new 5.0-liter V8. Yep, that BOSS 335 lettering on the hood refers to the 2011 Ford Falcon's power output, but since this is Australia, the 335 stands for kilowatts. In America, that's 450 horsepower.
Battle Royal Down Under
Tail-out powerslides like this come easily with rear-wheel drive and a 450-horsepower V8 under the hood.
For the last decade Ford Australia and GM's Holden brand have been embroiled in a power duel that's ever bit as fierce as the one in Detroit. Ford's Falcon sedan and Holden's Commodore full-size four-door are the two major players. Not only do these large four-door sedans share similar physical dimensions and outward appearances, they both benefit from optional V8 engines with 400-plus hp.
The two sedans are also the dominant players in V8 Supercar racing, a series that's roughly equivalent to NASCAR except the races are run on road courses. At dealerships, however, it's Holden, or more precisely Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) — the company's high-performance partner — that has consistently had the upper hand. Not anymore.
Code-Name: Miami
This is the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that FPV code-named "Miami." The blower is an Australian-made Harrop HTV 1900 front-drive, rear-entry unit built around Eaton (USA) internals.
Ford Performance Vehicles' search for a new V8 power plant began almost five years ago. A change was always in the cards, simply because the outgoing 5.4-liter V8 engine that had produced up to 422 hp was unable to meet Australia's latest emissions standard.
After searching in Europe and the USA, FPV found the engine it was looking for in Ford's new 5.0-liter V8, the same engine that debuted in the 2011 Mustang. FPV code-named its version of the engine "Miami" and spent as much as $40 million U.S. to develop it. For that sort of money you'd expect something special. And it really is.
The Miami engine retains the Coyote's aluminium 4,971cc block and the DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder heads, but that's where most of the similarities end. Since FPV planned to supercharge the Miami V8, a new set of Mahle forged pistons were used to lower the compression ratio from the standard 11.0:1 to a more boost-friendly 9.25:1. Metaldyne connecting rods were also added for increased strength, while the cylinder heads received revised exhaust valves able to withstand increased temperatures.
As for the blower itself, it's an Australian-made Harrop HTV 1900 front-drive, rear-entry unit built around Eaton (USA) internals. The two-piece inlet manifold, too, is a locally engineered component that houses an intercooler and tuned-length intake runners. A conical air filter draws cold air in via a sealed tract to feed the supercharger plenty of clean air.
The GT's engine's defining aspect, however, is its sound. FPV spent a lot of time tweaking the exhaust note and found what it was looking for in an active bi-modal system that plays its tune through four tips out back. Combined with the highly pitched whine from the blower, it's an aural symphony that only gets better as the tachometer needle heads for the redline.
Australia's Most Powerful
They went a little extreme with the spoiler.
FPV's performance engineering all adds up to a Commodore-beating 450 hp at 5,750 rpm. Oh, and there's 420 pound-feet of torque, too, and it comes on from 2,200 rpm all the way through to 5,500 rpm.
To get it all to the ground, the car is offered with two transmission options — a ZF 6HP25 six-speed automatic gearbox with seven-plate clutch and four-planet gearset, or a Tremec T6060 six-speed manual gearbox as our test car was fitted with. The latter is the same slick-shifting unit found in the GT500 Mustang, Corvette ZR1 and Viper, and it's backed up by a ZF twin-plate clutch.
For a car with such serious performance credentials, the 2011 Ford Falcon GT has a surprisingly muted ride. It's fine for daily commuting, but perhaps a little too soft for anyone looking to attack a canyon road in anger. Out of the box you get 14-inch rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers on the front end, and 13-inch rotors with a single-piston caliper at the rear. For road use the brakes are adequate, although the optional Brembo upgrade that replaces the standard calipers with six-piston and four-piston components respectively would be a worthwhile investment for anything more.
Even though there are 4,107 pounds to push, the GT is seriously, and addictively quick. With a not-so-tidy launch, we managed an unofficial 0-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds. We didn't get a quarter-mile time, but it has been reported in the Australian motoring media that these cars are capable of doing 0-60 in 4.9 and cracking the quarter in about 13 seconds flat. Not bad for a big sedan.
The Boss Is Back
Deep buckets up front are plenty supportive and look pretty slick for a Ford sedan.
Given its substantial investment, FPV has some long-term plans for the Miami V8. Of course, Ford fans in the U.S. want to know just one thing: Where else will the engine, and even the high-performance FPV Falcon as a whole, end up?
Speculation is rife, and if it's to be believed, we can't discount the fact that Australia's iconic GT could one day muscle its way Stateside. Even if the U.S. doesn't get the 2011 Ford Falcon's rear-wheel-drive goodness, there's no reason it couldn't get a taste of its supercharged V8. Not quite an EcoBoost 5.0, but close enough.
First Impression - A blisteringly fast sedan that gives up nothing to its rivals from Holden. Ford could make a lot of friends in the U.S. with a left-hand-drive version of the Falcon GT.
No sign of any Ford badges here, although the "GT" badges should look familiar to Yanks.
By Brad Lord, Contributor | Published Jan 7, 2011
The supercharged 2011 Ford Falcon GT is not just the most powerful sedan in its segment — it's the most powerful production car to ever come out of Australia. Period.
Technically speaking, though, the Falcon GT is not exactly a Ford. Its creator is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) — a company Ford Australia owns a 49 percent stake in alongside engineering partner and majority shareholder Prodrive. Ford markets and sells the car in Australia, but you'll need to look closely to spy an iconic blue oval.
As a mid-generation face-lift model, the new Falcon has been cut from the same cloth as the original rear-wheel-drive FPV GT (based upon the seventh-generation Falcon) that made its debut in 2008.
Externally there are not a lot of differences: some new exterior paint colors, newly designed 19-inch wheels, and most importantly, a new livery package that promotes the GT's new 5.0-liter V8. Yep, that BOSS 335 lettering on the hood refers to the 2011 Ford Falcon's power output, but since this is Australia, the 335 stands for kilowatts. In America, that's 450 horsepower.
Battle Royal Down Under
Tail-out powerslides like this come easily with rear-wheel drive and a 450-horsepower V8 under the hood.
For the last decade Ford Australia and GM's Holden brand have been embroiled in a power duel that's ever bit as fierce as the one in Detroit. Ford's Falcon sedan and Holden's Commodore full-size four-door are the two major players. Not only do these large four-door sedans share similar physical dimensions and outward appearances, they both benefit from optional V8 engines with 400-plus hp.
The two sedans are also the dominant players in V8 Supercar racing, a series that's roughly equivalent to NASCAR except the races are run on road courses. At dealerships, however, it's Holden, or more precisely Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) — the company's high-performance partner — that has consistently had the upper hand. Not anymore.
Code-Name: Miami
This is the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that FPV code-named "Miami." The blower is an Australian-made Harrop HTV 1900 front-drive, rear-entry unit built around Eaton (USA) internals.
Ford Performance Vehicles' search for a new V8 power plant began almost five years ago. A change was always in the cards, simply because the outgoing 5.4-liter V8 engine that had produced up to 422 hp was unable to meet Australia's latest emissions standard.
After searching in Europe and the USA, FPV found the engine it was looking for in Ford's new 5.0-liter V8, the same engine that debuted in the 2011 Mustang. FPV code-named its version of the engine "Miami" and spent as much as $40 million U.S. to develop it. For that sort of money you'd expect something special. And it really is.
The Miami engine retains the Coyote's aluminium 4,971cc block and the DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder heads, but that's where most of the similarities end. Since FPV planned to supercharge the Miami V8, a new set of Mahle forged pistons were used to lower the compression ratio from the standard 11.0:1 to a more boost-friendly 9.25:1. Metaldyne connecting rods were also added for increased strength, while the cylinder heads received revised exhaust valves able to withstand increased temperatures.
As for the blower itself, it's an Australian-made Harrop HTV 1900 front-drive, rear-entry unit built around Eaton (USA) internals. The two-piece inlet manifold, too, is a locally engineered component that houses an intercooler and tuned-length intake runners. A conical air filter draws cold air in via a sealed tract to feed the supercharger plenty of clean air.
The GT's engine's defining aspect, however, is its sound. FPV spent a lot of time tweaking the exhaust note and found what it was looking for in an active bi-modal system that plays its tune through four tips out back. Combined with the highly pitched whine from the blower, it's an aural symphony that only gets better as the tachometer needle heads for the redline.
Australia's Most Powerful
They went a little extreme with the spoiler.
FPV's performance engineering all adds up to a Commodore-beating 450 hp at 5,750 rpm. Oh, and there's 420 pound-feet of torque, too, and it comes on from 2,200 rpm all the way through to 5,500 rpm.
To get it all to the ground, the car is offered with two transmission options — a ZF 6HP25 six-speed automatic gearbox with seven-plate clutch and four-planet gearset, or a Tremec T6060 six-speed manual gearbox as our test car was fitted with. The latter is the same slick-shifting unit found in the GT500 Mustang, Corvette ZR1 and Viper, and it's backed up by a ZF twin-plate clutch.
For a car with such serious performance credentials, the 2011 Ford Falcon GT has a surprisingly muted ride. It's fine for daily commuting, but perhaps a little too soft for anyone looking to attack a canyon road in anger. Out of the box you get 14-inch rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers on the front end, and 13-inch rotors with a single-piston caliper at the rear. For road use the brakes are adequate, although the optional Brembo upgrade that replaces the standard calipers with six-piston and four-piston components respectively would be a worthwhile investment for anything more.
Even though there are 4,107 pounds to push, the GT is seriously, and addictively quick. With a not-so-tidy launch, we managed an unofficial 0-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds. We didn't get a quarter-mile time, but it has been reported in the Australian motoring media that these cars are capable of doing 0-60 in 4.9 and cracking the quarter in about 13 seconds flat. Not bad for a big sedan.
The Boss Is Back
Deep buckets up front are plenty supportive and look pretty slick for a Ford sedan.
Given its substantial investment, FPV has some long-term plans for the Miami V8. Of course, Ford fans in the U.S. want to know just one thing: Where else will the engine, and even the high-performance FPV Falcon as a whole, end up?
Speculation is rife, and if it's to be believed, we can't discount the fact that Australia's iconic GT could one day muscle its way Stateside. Even if the U.S. doesn't get the 2011 Ford Falcon's rear-wheel-drive goodness, there's no reason it couldn't get a taste of its supercharged V8. Not quite an EcoBoost 5.0, but close enough.
First Impression - A blisteringly fast sedan that gives up nothing to its rivals from Holden. Ford could make a lot of friends in the U.S. with a left-hand-drive version of the Falcon GT.
Last edited by TriShield; 01-07-2011 at 09:21 AM.
01-07-2011, 09:26 AM
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I'm pretty sure the Holden Commodore HSV W427 with the LS7 is actually the fastest, most powerful Aussie car.
But the 5.0 is still awesome.
But the 5.0 is still awesome.
01-07-2011, 09:50 AM
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Tri, i love you. wanna know why? cuz ive been trolling this section WAITING for you to post me something more about the commodore coming to the US!!! please dont keep me waiting much longer!!
also, this is is good. im glad ford made this car, because now GM will make a better holden to compete which means the commodore that we get might get a bump!
also, this is is good. im glad ford made this car, because now GM will make a better holden to compete which means the commodore that we get might get a bump!
01-08-2011, 08:49 AM
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I thought the Commodore Bathurst edition was close to those numbers? I was expecting more when they said it was the most powerful ever produced in Aussie. Still damn nice. I would take the Falcon over a Mustang any day.
01-08-2011, 02:26 PM
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The Aussie's have developed a bad habit as of late of taking simple, elegant designs and horribly overdoing them. Both this Falcon and the HSV above are shining examples. Holden has been at this trend for a while now, but now it looks like FPV is trying to outdo them in the "Hey, look at me...don't I look.....weird?" department.
Take away the striping and boyracer cladding and I'd DD the hell out of that GT. It'd be nice to see Ford bring the Falcon over (either as the Falcon or perhaps as the new Crown Vic), but given the poor sales of the G8 GT I guess the beancounters have to concede to the tastes of the North American market....which apparently doesn't include V8 powered RWD sedans. It's a shame though. I still think they could bring it over for exclusive use as a new Lincoln model. That would be a great way to bolster that brand's mediocre image, and it'd probably sell well with the older, higher income markets.
Take away the striping and boyracer cladding and I'd DD the hell out of that GT. It'd be nice to see Ford bring the Falcon over (either as the Falcon or perhaps as the new Crown Vic), but given the poor sales of the G8 GT I guess the beancounters have to concede to the tastes of the North American market....which apparently doesn't include V8 powered RWD sedans. It's a shame though. I still think they could bring it over for exclusive use as a new Lincoln model. That would be a great way to bolster that brand's mediocre image, and it'd probably sell well with the older, higher income markets.
01-08-2011, 02:39 PM
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I agree that the body parts on HSVs are way overdone now though. FPV cars you can still get much plainer than the GT tested here if you want.
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01-08-2011, 03:58 PM
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Both FPV and HSV will build largely to the buyer's tastes. You don't have to have all the crazy graphics, but just like RWD is unpopular here for no good reason, stupid graphics are very popular down under for no good reason.
01-09-2011, 12:34 AM
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I'm okay with it, especially the brakes. Seems like a mixture of the Taurus, Fusion and Focus to me... Not a BAD design, but aside from all the "guzzied up" about it, the overall body isn't much more than bland, like about every other 4dr.
Anyway, is that a SERVICEABLE battery? Been a long time since I've seen a new battery with anything resembling "service ports" on it.
Read on another site... "450hp from a 5.0L V8???" As if that's surprising from a FI car. Next response was something like, "In America, that's alot." and I thought, "Where's this guy been to think that?" ... With a S/C'd 5.0L, we can get some 638 here in America... Of course, that's not a 4dr model.
Don't pay attention to Aussie models myself, so Idonno if this is supposed to be some sort of breakthrough or what. I just know it's a good amount of power/torque for any stock 4dr.
Anyway, is that a SERVICEABLE battery? Been a long time since I've seen a new battery with anything resembling "service ports" on it.
Read on another site... "450hp from a 5.0L V8???" As if that's surprising from a FI car. Next response was something like, "In America, that's alot." and I thought, "Where's this guy been to think that?" ... With a S/C'd 5.0L, we can get some 638 here in America... Of course, that's not a 4dr model.
Don't pay attention to Aussie models myself, so Idonno if this is supposed to be some sort of breakthrough or what. I just know it's a good amount of power/torque for any stock 4dr.
01-09-2011, 10:57 AM
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Read on another site... "450hp from a 5.0L V8???" As if that's surprising from a FI car. Next response was something like, "In America, that's alot." and I thought, "Where's this guy been to think that?" ... With a S/C'd 5.0L, we can get some 638 here in America... Of course, that's not a 4dr model.
Don't pay attention to Aussie models myself, so Idonno if this is supposed to be some sort of breakthrough or what. I just know it's a good amount of power/torque for any stock 4dr.
Don't pay attention to Aussie models myself, so Idonno if this is supposed to be some sort of breakthrough or what. I just know it's a good amount of power/torque for any stock 4dr.
I can't.
Maybe we need to send some issues of Road & Track down there for them to peruse. Or just ship them a ZR1 and an ACR.
01-09-2011, 06:50 PM
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+1 Ford has gotten nearly that same power out of an NA 5.0 here with the new Boss 302. Of course, I'm sure the Miami makes more torque, but still. A blower on top this engine is a 500+hp motor without breaking a sweat.
01-10-2011, 02:21 AM
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All they see down there is the fact that like 80% of our cars are FWD. So can you blame them for thinking we'd be impressed by their 450hp RWD car?
I can't.
Maybe we need to send some issues of Road & Track down there for them to peruse. Or just ship them a ZR1 and an ACR.
I can't.
Maybe we need to send some issues of Road & Track down there for them to peruse. Or just ship them a ZR1 and an ACR.
01-10-2011, 02:28 AM
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Since we've seen nearly 450 with tuned 5.0L's here, no doubt that power is low for the engine. If they're rating it at the crank, or anywhere else besides the rear wheels, the tuned N/A versions in Mustang are already topping them... unless it's very over-rated and the car is making plenty more than we know.
With the GT350(Shelby package), we've seen the addition of a blower and it's rated at like 638... way more than that 450 mark.
01-10-2011, 12:16 PM
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They just needed to beat the current crop of LS3 HSV cars on paper and it looks like they did. This engine was probably intended to make much more reliable power than it currently does. If/when HSV adopts the supercharged GM V8s then they can turn up the boost and retune to have the upperhand again. The Aussie muscle car wars are a constant back and fourth like this.
