Ford assumes sole responsibility for FPV

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by WPR1

Hopefully this also means some oversea's ST models can be sold in OZ with FPV badges

No, I would rather they're imported with what they are built with, I don't want any local badges on them.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Grunter

I couldn't see Ford alone taking the full risk (or allocating additional resources) to bring a unique S/C 5.0 to the FPV range (given all the work that was needed to do so).

Ford would have simply used a crate engine from the US.

[Road_Warrior]

“What we’ve done is to take a look at the business in total and projecting where that business was going in future, and we came to the conclusion that the present business situation really wasn’t sustainable longer term,” he said.

From a GoAuto article on the subject.

If the business was unsustainable long term, why would Ford take it over if they were supposedly shutting up shop in 4 years?

[WPR1]

Even if they did use a crate engine the Miami used for the Mustang is fantastic. A lot of people who have driven the S/C and N/A versions say the N/A Mustang version is better.
It may also mean Ford Australia have easier access to US and UK performance parts.
Just trying to stay positive! I love the product!
Unfortunately the worm has turned and all models will end up 'world cars' Australianised through different names and badging. In Australia FPV is Ford's performance brand so it makes far more sense to call a Focus ST an FPV Focus in Australia from a marketing perspective.

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

From a GoAuto article on the subject.

If the business was unsustainable long term, why would Ford take it over if they were supposedly shutting up shop in 4 years?

Unsustainable with the current way the business was setup. By folding it into FoA they would significantly reduce staffing overheads, especially at the senior management level.

Plus the other big expense to go is FPV's own factory, especially if the Ford Factory is underutilised anyway.

[Thunder]

I see this as good news towards the Falcons longevity. All Falcons and FPV's being built in the one factory should increase production efficiency and subsequently lower production costs which may be reflected in the rrp.

Sure it may mean that the FPV range may be squeezed down to its best sellers only, but it may also mean that FPV engineering may spread into the Falcon range. Example, GS and GTE dropped, but the XR8 returns and a G8E may be developed!

The merger seems to agree with the discussion on "One Ford" and the concept of Australia playing a vital role in the development of the global RWD platform. FPV could never export products or deal with the US, but FORD Oz can!

My 2 cents.

[Polyal]

http://fordforums.com.au/showthread....light=prodrive

I shed no tear. I really expected more synergies from Prodrive for technology to "filter" form their various other performance enterprises. All I ever saw was ford doing the bulk of the work.

Its perhaps a sign, but I look forward to being able to buy a Ford XR8 or Ford GT.

Im also hoping it lowers red tape, agreed the GT might get lost in the overall processes at Ford but I think they will handle it fine.

Would they not just transfer the people they need to Ford Special vehicles internally? So not really a huge change.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

From a GoAuto article on the subject.

If the business was unsustainable long term, why would Ford take it over if they were supposedly shutting up shop in 4 years?

That's what I thought too.,..You'd be mad to take on an unsustainable business unless that business had some valuable intellectual property that you could make use of.

In their case though they could reduce costs through synergies and avoiding duplication, but if it's only for 4 years, why?

[Luke Plaizier]

SVO changed named to SVT, and is inhouse with Ford. The European RS division is inhouse with Ford. FTE changed name to FPV is now inhouse with Ford.

Hmm.

Is it time for some jump-into-bed-together one-Ford lovin' in the performance divisions? I wonder if we'll continue to see localised brands continue, or if there'll be some unification and rebranding coming up.....

Perhaps they want the FPV brand to go worldwide? That acronym seems to make more direct sense to what it is and does and for what base brand than the somewhat obscure SVT and RS Division names.


Lukeyson

[CSV_LS1]

This would mean a better turnaround time between order of vehicle to delivery to customer i would imagine which can only be a good thing. Streamlining the whole process i think will improve the brand.
But this will mean squat unless sales pick up and profits are made.
I could imagine seeing FPV disappearing altogether and GT being branded solely Ford.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by CSV_LS1

This would mean a better turnaround time between order of vehicle to delivery to customer i would imagine which can only be a good thing. Streamlining the whole process i think will improve the brand.
But this will mean squat unless sales pick up and profits are made.
I could imagine seeing FPV disappearing altogether and GT being branded solely Ford.

5 bucks says that when the 2014 update rolls around, there won't be FPV badges on the cars.

But I want to highlight a point made above by Thunder. Bryan Mears made a comment a couple of weeks ago about a 3 year, $80 Million dollar cost to make the Falcon-based FPV's LHD and suitable for export. FPV would not have done that costing and engineering analysis themselves. Now Ford has taken control of the entity and the product, they also have control of engineering, design and export opportunities. Ford would have more resources to throw at this than FPV (not right now though)

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

SVO changed named to SVT, and is inhouse with Ford. The European RS division is inhouse with Ford. FTE changed name to FPV is now inhouse with Ford.

Hmm.

Is it time for some jump-into-bed-together one-Ford lovin' in the performance divisions? I wonder if we'll continue to see localised brands continue, or if there'll be some unification and rebranding coming up.....

Perhaps they want the FPV brand to go worldwide? That acronym seems to make more direct sense to what it is and does and for what base brand than the somewhat obscure SVT and RS Division names.


Lukeyson

TeamRS and SVT are already consolidated and the new Focus and Fiesta will be the work of their collaborative effort. This is why I think FPV were gone anyway. They're the most vulnerable aspect of an Australian Falcon becoming a OneFord Falcon.

[Pepscobra]

I've always found the idea of building a complete donar car, driving it 500m down the road to FPV, stripping it of its unnecessary parts and then building a GT rediculous anyways!

Building it on the Ford production line sounds more efficient anyways, both in time and money. That's how they did it in the hey days.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by GT0132

That's what I thought too.,..You'd be mad to take on an unsustainable business unless that business had some valuable intellectual property that you could make use of. In their case though they could reduce costs through synergies and avoiding duplication, but if it's only for 4 years, why?

Why not ? The R&D is all done, new R Spec handling all sorted, just add more interior tech ASAP which they're doing for Falcon anyway in 2014 and with the lower manufacturing costs they should make solid unit profits. Even if its only for four years if they buy out Prodrive cheaply enough...

[Elements]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

I've always found the idea of building a complete donar car, driving it 500m down the road to FPV, stripping it of its unnecessary parts and then building a GT rediculous anyways!

Building it on the Ford production line sounds more efficient anyways, both in time and money. That's how they did it in the hey days.

You'd find that a lot of the parts that go into FPVs are either already on the vehicle (engine, brakes, etc - and F6 spoiler, GS front and rear bars), fitted with slave units (wheels, yellow BA 18s typically), or not fitted at all (GT, F6 bumpers, etc)...

[Luke Plaizier]

No impact on FPR.

http://www.v8supercars.com.au/champi...8/default.aspx


Lukeyson

[Luke Plaizier]

And here:

http://www.fpr.com.au/2012/08/30/for...tement-on-fpv/


Lukeyson

[Whitey-AMG]

So what are Ford buying exactly ?
Is it the FPV name... And rights to use it.

If everything is going inhouse to Ford....what's left over....is it the tooling and moulds for FPV bodykits and a couple of box loads of stickers ?

Personally i think Ford will muff it up....they dont have the money , the drive and enthusiasm or the local in house culture to maintain and grow a perdormance car line up.

Sure FPV may have lost money on S/C Coyote ... But does anyone really believe that Ford would have produced anything like it under their own steam......

[Luke Plaizier]

Wow. Developing the Turbo 6 must have been a figment of my imagination.


Lukeyson

[max_torq]

Will there be future FPV badging and upgrades on cars other than falcons, on rangers or mondeo etc?

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

Wow. Developing the Turbo 6 must have been a figment of my imagination.


Lukeyson

Exactly my point...look at what FPV managed to do with the donor engine.
Without the dedicated skunkworks .... It would never have achieved the status it has now.

[tweeked]

Prodrive develop the FPV product, I am pretty sure the "FPV" development for the rest of the Falcons life is done, so they were effectively finished.

I just hope they release everything that was developed!

[SpoolMan]

I wonder if the FPV open day will still go ahead, 2011 was our last when we were told it changed from every year to every 2 years, Feb 2013 would have been the next one.
If nothing is to change for the FPV consumer/enthusiast we hope Ford retain a FPV open day in some sort of format, this day also raised a lot of money for FPV's chosen charity..

[FPV8U]

Open day at Fords main factory would be a nice change of venue, would be a massive shame to lose that day.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by ESP

Exactly my point...look at what FPV managed to do with the donor engine.
Without the dedicated skunkworks .... It would never have achieved the status it has now.

They would have done the smart thing and got something from the US a long time ago instead of developing an orphan engine for an orphan car. GMH have been doing it successfully for ages.

Your giving "FPV"..which is to actually say prodrive to much credit.

Ford does the bulk, and the only difference between a FPV employee and a Ford one is the portable they sit in at the PG.

[Road_Warrior]

IN any event, all the durability and power testing for the I6 was done by Ford, it's their core engine after all.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by SteveJH

Unsustainable with the current way the business was setup. By folding it into FoA they would significantly reduce staffing overheads, especially at the senior management level.

Plus the other big expense to go is FPV's own factory, especially if the Ford Factory is underutilised anyway.

Yes I would imagine the lease cost on that premises would be hefty. Then there are the other fixed costs, electricity, Council rates, utility charges, tax etcetera - and then you have the costs arising from the duplicity going on with the actual work on the cars.

Could we see a little reduction in the RRP of FPV's over time?

Also, with this being brought under total control of Ford, and with this One Ford BS, could this mean easier access to hi-po goodies from the US?

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Polyal

They would have done the smart thing and got something from the US a long time ago instead of developing an orphan engine for an orphan car. GMH have been doing it successfully for ages.

Your giving "FPV"..which is to actually say prodrive to much credit.

Ford does the bulk, and the only difference between a FPV employee and a Ford one is the portable they sit in at the PG.

They ( FORD ) have had plenty of opportunity to Import performance USA engines over the last 20 years and provide Tickford / Prodrive - or their own staff ample opportunity to enhance them - or just drop them straight in..........have they ??
My point is that without Prodrive - would FORD have provided us with the Supercharged version of the COYOTE we have now - or would they have just imported the N/A 5.0 version - as good as it is - which would have left the GT lacking or just on par against the HSV .....or worse still - as they have demonstrated back in the 80's - pulled the pin altogether and just given us 6 cylinder S packs.

I give Kudos to Prodrive because they deserve it........the 5.0 Supercharged engine is a spanker............some people around here have such short memories.

Time will tell i guess..........

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by ESP

Exactly my point...look at what FPV managed to do with the donor engine.
Without the dedicated skunkworks .... It would never have achieved the status it has now.

I can't agree with that. FPV took Ford's creation and tinkered with it slightly to produce slightly more power. Personally I think giving FPV and the F6 credit for the turbo 6 achieving cult status is a stretch at best- it was the droves of people who bought and modified XR6 Turbos that gave the turbo 6 the status it currently enjoys. Many people I've spoken to don't even know what an F6 is.

Having FPV under the Ford roof is a step in the right direction. They never did much anyway, besides putting powerful motors in basically standard cars.

[Kayos]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Unfortunately this means Prodrives services will no longer be required and this makes it easier for FoA to dismantle this operation post 2016 when there will be no donor car for FPV to modify.

To those who don't agree with me, bookmark this post and contact me in 2017.

A sad day.

This is truely sad and bad for FPV, prodrive spent how much just on the miami dev, how much did FoA buy it back for?
FoA has as much power as it's given from the boss at homeland U.S. End of story, does anyone think they don't have a say on what gets spent or what product has a case, doesn't it all have to get signed off from the boss. Redwhiteblue RSPECs is this a sign lol All I feel is a blackeyebloodred future for Falcon and now FPV...