Supercharged V8 could revive Falcon GTHO

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Supercharged V8 could revive Falcon GTHO
TOBY HAGON
April 7, 2010

Ford is said to be working on a supercharged version of its upcoming new V8 engine to up the ante in the local muscle car market.

Ford is reportedly working on a supercharged version of the new V8 engine that's due in the locally made Falcon within months.

The new engine could finally see the V8 return as the performance hero in the Falcon line-up. In recent years the turbocharged six-cylinder in models such as the Falcon XR6 Turbo and FPV F6 Typhoon has offered better performance and lower fuel economy than the more expensive V8.

A report from industry website GoAuto claims documents filed with the government regarding regulatory homologation suggest Ford will introduce a supercharged version of its V8 to boost power and efficiency.

The new US Mustang-sourced engine could even be fitted to the upcoming new Falcon XR8, which Drive reported would live on with the introduction of the new 5.0-litre V8 - codenamed Coyote - to be introduced in July to meet stricter new emissions regulations.

At the time Ford Australia president Marin Burela hinted there was something special in store for the XR8.
"All I say to the fans of XR8s, performance vehicles, XR6s... 'Just bear with us, there is some exciting stuff out there,'" he said at the time.

The current, soon-to-be-discontinued 5.4-litre V8 produces 290kW while its Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) offshoot delivers 315kW.

Ford's upcoming 5.0-litre V8 is significantly smaller than the rival 6.0-litre V8 used in Holden Commodores and the 6.2-litre used in HSVs.

Supercharging would be a relatively easy way to produce more power, although it adds cost to the engine, something that's particularly important with Ford's entry-level V8 model, the Falcon XR8.

Details of the new 5.0-litre V8 suggest the engine would produce 307kW of power in the United States, suggesting a supercharged version could be seriously potent, potentially rivaling European-sourced V8s - from the likes of Mercedes-Benz's AMG division - that produce upwards of 375kW.

Ford refused to comment on the prospect of a supercharged V8.

"We will tell you what we're doing with our V8s at the appropriate time," said Ford Australia communications manager Sinead McAlary.


The prospect of a high-performance V8 for the Falcon lends hope to suggestions the legendary Falcon GTHO - arguably the most sought-after Australian muscle car - could be revived.

Since his appointment in 2007, FPV general manager Rodd Barrett has said he wants to revive the GTHO.

He's since said he will "pursue the GTHO as long as I'm at FPV", claiming it will be a very special Falcon with significant mechanical changes.

Details of the new supercharged V8 are not known, although there are suggestions Ford could be working on various tunes for different models.

Ford and rival HSV have long been in a power war that's seen V8 outputs jump by more than 50 per cent over the last decade.

Whereas 200kW was once seen as solid power for a V8, the benchmark is now 300kW and above. The most powerful locally made car sold was the 375kW HSV W427, which struggled in a climate of rising fuel prices and economic uncertainty.

Six-cylinder engines from Ford, Holden and Toyota now produce more power than V8s of 10 or so years ago.