If you were to build your dream car, what would the key requirement be? For the owner of this XB coupe, handling, build quality, good looks and power all tied for first place. The result is one of the most impressive vehicles ever to appear in NZV8.

I know what all the fans of American cars are thinking after looking at the previous page. It’s something along the line of, “Why would you do that to a Falcon, why not an American car?” It is a valid question. It’s also one you may not like the answer to.

The owner of this XB coupe, who has asked not to be named, has had more cars than most of us could ever dream of. The majority of them have been Mopars, although there’s been a large number of Fords both American and Australian in there too, and a couple of Chevs just for good measure.

Ever since he was a kid growing up in suburban New Zealand seeing people drive XB Falcons when they were new, he’s wanted one. He knew that if and when he got one, it would be turned into the car of his wildest dreams and it would be the one car he’d never sell. (more…)

American-based Ford Racing has just dropped the covers on its latest Mustang race car, the Boss 302S. Set to replace the discontinued FR500S race car that was used for the Mustang Challenge race series, the Boss 302S will be built for the very serious track day enthusiast and also teams to compete in local race series like the SCCA’s World Challenge and NASA’s American Iron.

The 302S will slot into the Ford Racing range between the Boss 302 Laguna Seca and the Boss 302R race car that squeals its wheels in Grand-Am. The Boss 302S will make use of the stock transmission, clutch and flywheel and the 5.0-litre engine that puts out 440 horsepower. Race-spec goodies like a six-point roll cage and Recaro HANS Pro Racer seat will be included in addition to a fully adjustable suspension system, Brembo race brake system, massive front splitter and an adjustable carbon fibre rear wing.

Pricing for the Boss 302S is set at $79,000 USD, with just 50 will be available from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalogue. (more…)

The FPV GT-P is the top-of-the-line sedan on offer from Ford’s 2008 vehicle line-up. We took one for a drive to see if they are as good as the hype would lead you to believe.

With an impressive 315kW on tap, the new FG Falcon FPV GT and GT-Ps are the most powerful Ford sedans offered for sale locally. Torque-wise they are rated at just 1Nm more than the latest 317kW Holdens, at 551Nm. This is a welcome upgrade of 31Nm from the previous model GT-P and it’s certainly noticeable when driving.

With maximum power now produced at a high 6500rpm, and max torque at 4750rpm, there is no doubt the vehicles are extremely fast on the road. As with its predecessors, it’s once the GT-P gets moving (at 50kph and above) that you really notice the power; it keeps wanting to deliver you to the nearest police station.

One aspect of the vehicle you either love or hate is just how quiet it is. In my opinion, if you buy a V8 you want it to sound like a V8, and the GT-P really misses out on that low-down burble of the Chev-powered Holdens. Ford now offers an absolute torque-monster 310kW six-cylinder turbo, and if it’s speed you are after, that car is definitely the faster machine, so the noise should be part of the V8’s appeal. That said, with new exhaust laws now in place, drivers of the GT-P can rest assured their vehicles won’t fail the compulsory noise test.

Throttle response around town is sharper than the BA/BF models and the vehicle is effortless to drive, almost hiding the fact it is a powerful sports car. Though many people claim that the extra weight of the V8 (compared to the turbo six) makes it nose-heavy under cornering, the handling is without a doubt a highlight of the entire FG range. The GT-P will eat up the twisty bits and throw you into the next corner before you know it: the more you push it, the more the car seems to come alive.

In manual shifting mode you are able to keep the vehicle closer to its peak torque than in automatic mode, yet it’s still very capable in auto.

With such great suspension, six-pot Wilwood brakes and excellent road holding, it would be very easy for average drivers to become over confident. Luckily for them, the FG range has just been awarded a five-star safety certificate, the first ever Australian-assembled model to receive one. So if things go wrong, you’re in the best vehicle possible. Thanks to impressive dynamic stability control (DSC) and emergency brake assist, the chances of this are greatly reduced. Even if you switch DSC off, there is a big brother watching over you just in case it senses you are in trouble. More experienced or aggressive drivers tend to love the vehicle’s stability control tuning, which lets the tail end slide for a moment before stopping all the fun.

With 245/35ZR19 Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres all round, traction is fantastic in wet and dry conditions, although the trade-off for this is a small amount of road noise. With the new body structure of the FG, wind noise is reduced significantly; combine this with the quiet engine and exhaust, and you have a very comfortable and capable family tourer.

Visually the GT-P stands out from a seemingly endless sea of plain vehicles thanks to its graphics package and aggressive FPV body kit, although the opposing GTS Holden still appears more in your face.

With its dark headlight accents and complete lack of Ford badging, it’s easy to see the GT-P isn’t your average Falcon family sedan. My complaint about the GT-P’s ute equivalent (the Super Pursuit tested in issue 39) was that the rear track was too narrow for the FG’s wide body. I’m glad to say that’s not the case on the sedan, and the wheels do fill up the entire width of the guards. With the FG’s virtual pivot suspension it’s yet to be seen whether larger wheels can be fitted without clearance issues. But if that is the only downside of the fantastic handling setup, it’s a small price to pay.

Fuel consumption from the 5.4-litre Boss motor didn’t seem too bad, especially when considering the level of performance at the disposal of the driver’s right foot. Both the GT and GT-P in automatic guise are listed as having fuel economy figures of 14l/100km, which is a decrease in fuel consumption of 4.8 per cent over the previous model. After driving the GT-P for a week, I think dropping below the stated figures would be easily achievable.Inside, the GT-P is fantastic, the new HMI (‘Human Machine Interface’) is simple and intuitive to use, yet has more features than most other vehicles. The seats are supportive without being overbearing or awkward to enter or exit as many bucket-type seats can be. But with a price tag of $78,990 I would have thought the passenger seat would feature the same electronically adjustable controls as the driver’s side. Perhaps Ford decided electronically adjustable pedals (automatic only) were a more important fitment. As a total package the GT-P is very hard to beat, with great power and great handling yet enough comfort to please the whole family. Mix this with the five-star safety rating and six-pot Brembo brakes, and you have the best performance sedan package this side of a $226,000 M5 BMW.

Story: Todd Wylie Photos: Adam Croy

Famous tyre-maker Pirelli has a new project on the go, named the Cyber Tyre it will provide real-time tyre performance information via a chip/transponder setup in the tyre tread. Operating temperature and pressures, typology of the road’s surface, and vertical load exerted on the tyre will be among the data collected and monitored. The system will work together with another Pirelli invention, the Cyber Wheel, which will convey wheel information such as hub loads in the same way.

Now that the tyre company has partnered with Brembo and Magnetti Marelli on the Cyber Tyre, the tie-up could mean a system that quickly transfers information from the tyre to the driver, car, and brakes, allowing for more informed and instantaneous performance changes based on driving conditions. At this early stage in the Cyber Tyres development it remains unknown if future applications will extend past motorsport and into passenger vehicles.