The GT-F is the most powerful Falcon ever,351kW,up to 404kW during transient overboost. But is it a fitting send-off to a legendary badge? We give the FPV GT-F a proper thrashing to find out. Story by James Stanford.
Regular Ford Falcons are harder to sell than the Federal Budget (or as we call it Crush the poor people money grab).
And yet when Ford announced one final batch of GTs,people around Australia lost their minds and started throwing bundles of cash at emaciated Ford dealers who had forgotten what actual money looked like. Some customers flocked to the GT-F 351 because they genuinely think it will be worth a mountain of cash in several years time. Which sounds like an investment strategy on par with the guy who bought a truckful of iPhone 1's. I think he's now trying to eat them.
However,if these people used the promise of massive resale value to have the purchase of said vehicle approved by an otherwise disapproving partner,then i say,"Onya mate!"
Having spent time flogging the final ever FPV, I can only suggest that people who let these cars gather dust in garages while they appreciate in value,should simply fire it up and appreciate it today. Get out there and get up it,is all i can say. The GT-F 351 costs $77,990,which seems like an awful lot of cash. However,it is the most powerful factory-built Falcon to ever roam the earth. The 351 stands for 351kW,which is the maximum official power output from the supercharged V8 that sits under the GT-F's budgie-smuggling bonnet bulge.
Everyone knows what that number means,except perhaps aliens who have infiltrated our population in preparation for a full-scale invasion. So,dear alien friends,I can tell that 351 is the size,in cubic inches,of the 5.8-litre Ford V8 that propelled many Ford fanatics across this great country from the late 1960's to the early 1980's. And it was,in technical terms,a rip-snorting pearler. Given the Ford has even less money than me,Ford Australia couldn't afford to develop an all new generation 5.8-litre V8,so it instead played with the software of the exsisting 5.0-litre V8 to make it produce 351kW.
As a result,351 badges adorn the boot,the front fenders,the seats,the central display screen and the engine cover plate. This is all great,except that the Australian developed engine actually makes way more power thanks to something called transient overboost. It basically allows the engine to go nuts for short periods after 4000rpm in all gears except first (and possible reverse,although we didn't try that out). During this period it makes up to 404kW,which is,in terms of output,well inside the boundary of Crazy Town.
Yes,that is still less than an HSV GTS (430kW),but FPV engineers reckon the two would be pretty damn close over a quarter mile sprint. For the record,they reckon the GT-F does a 4.6-second 0-100km/h run. The numbers mean nothing when you stick the boot in to the last ever GT. It surges forward with brutal force as the rear tyres struggle to get the power to the ground. On a moist country road,the 9-inch wide rubber hoops do their best.but sideways action is just a throttle jab away,
You can get along at a decent pace with the improved traction control left on,although there are still a couple of butt-puckering moments. Turn it off and hair starts to sprout out of your chest as you try to keep the big Falcon on the black stuff. Anyone who claims the GT-F needs more power has clearly never driven one. It has so much low-down grunt that getting off the line without wheelspin is the main focus. Then there is a short burst of party time,then a thump on the gear change and a bit more party time before you start looking for red and blue lights. All of this is played out to a tingling soundtrack of vicious supercharger whine and V8 exhaust thunder.
Thankfully,FPV fitted the final GT with R-SPEC chassis pack. This features firmer everything,including springs,dampers,anti-roll bars and even suspension mounts. It also has rear tyres that are one inch wider than usual. The firmer stuff means a slightly harsh ride on less than perfect roads,but the handling is so much sharper that the sacrifice is worth making. The regular GT tended to loll about when it changed direction and was even more of a handful under hard acceleration,but this is a far more agile machine.
Our test car was automatic,though you can also get a manual,and the experience was fine;but its not as quick-shifting as more modern dual-clutch autos. Like the manual,it has a launch control function(which may or may not help avoid smoky embarrassment away from the traffic lights). It feels mean-spirited to speak ill of a car that is on the eve of extinction;but it should be mentioned that the GT is not perfect. It suffers many of the problems that plague the Falcon and make it as popular as,well,the plague.
These include a super-high drivers seat,which is at a similar height to some SUVs. There are no flappy paddles on the automatic (on a near $80,000 vehicle). The interior is so dated it is almost retro;some of the plastic trim is rubbish and the seat leather is a bit sketchy. It also has a start button you need to press after you twist the key in the barrel. That's more redundant than the Ford executive team is about to be.
But it is still impossible to dislike the GT-F. Its a machine from another time,when Australian muscle cars huffed and puffed and spun their wheels,snorting their way through our fossil fuel reserves. Those times are just about over,and the GT-F 351 is a fitting tribute. FPV developed the last ever GT under the codename Rapture,which means pure ecstasy. This description is not quite right because mixed in with bliss is a tinge of sadness.
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