FG X, The Last EVER Falcon - Picture & Discussion Thread

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

The manual was not good at detecting when to disengage the brake on steep hills. I spoke to my mate before my test drive to get tips on his gripes with his ute. Because he specifically targeted that I took the car up some big gradients and tried it out. Result was a preference for old fashioned hand brake. Just a personal opinion I don't expect you to agree with it.

Other things I didn't like as much were steering, white suede highlights, spoiler, sound (or lack of it), the HUD and the general feel behind the wheel. Again all personal preference, but those claiming the SS is the only car you could choose after driving the two clearly have other priorities to me (and I suspect quite a few others on here).

Thanks for this- interested in you not liking the HUD- which I thought would have been pretty cool. Tonight driving a camry, I thought about the HUD and thought it would have to be pretty discrete so as to not block vital vision, but the camry speedo is set pretty down in the dash like a lot of old cars- and it is a peer down affair where a HUD may be useful.

Interested on why you did not like the HUD.

[SensationFG8]

Again personal opinion don't expect t anyone to share this.

I found the HUD to be a bit of a distraction and more of a gimmick than a useful driving aid. Perhaps with more use my opinion on that would change, perhaps that's also true for other things I disliked.

I'm a big fan of going with my first instincts though so I chose not to give these things any additional time.

Ultimately a car that catches me is one that has the best sound, the nicest acceleration, a good feel in the steering and the least computer intervention as possible. To me that is the Ford when it comes to the falcon V commodore.

[arronm]

So you would trust your instinct more than the posted speed limit and your cars speed that's constantly right in front of your eyes.

Given the speed cameras and the cost of speeding fines. And not even taking into account the safety aspects. Heads up display is without a doubt a feature that in years to come ALL cars will have

[SensationFG8]

I trust my ability to control the vehicle and pay attention to my surroundings. I don't need to look at the speedo constantly to know my speed if I know what gear I'm in and I listen to the engine.

Like I said my opinion, you don't need to share it, just like I don't need to share yours.

Thankfully I have two cars in my garage that I intend to keep for a long time both suit my preferences as highlighted above.

Because you like something doesn't mean everyone does.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by asagaai

Hi Ryan

Just chewing the fat, there has been some commentary that Ford is loosing money on each XR8 sold, ie that they are only doing the build to meet contractual commitments and to do a PR smoothening on the marketplace to tread water until the Mustang comes, which they will assumedly make money on.

Nope.
Engine, suspension, wheel and brake development was all paid for by FPV years ago; apart from the intial purchase cost of FPV, the XR8 hasnt really cost Ford anything.

1200 XR8s at $50k each is $60million.
FGX only cost Ford a bit over $100m

If Ford thinks they can possibly sell another 600-1200 cars you can bet they'll do whatever they can to achieve it

[V8 Ghia Mike]

Adrian Brien Ford at St. Mary's have a blue XR6 parked out the front if their relocated showroom if anyone wants to see the FGX.

[amiers]

As much as I respect the opinions of all on this forum, I must ask if a lot of you either younger than 40 or have never owned a muscle car before?.

I ask this because I cant believe some of the comments about HUD's, keyless entry, push button handbrake, lane changing warnings and so on. Have you forgotten how to drive? put a key in an ignition, pull up or on a handbrake? I grew up driving XY/A/B/C/D/E Falcons that had none of that stuff and let me tell you part of the fun was sitting at the traffic lights sweating on a summers day with the window down smelling the exhaust fumes and petrol from the Holley carb that was maybe running a bit rich and hearing that beautiful lumpy idle mmmmmmmmm.

I want to drive the car! feel the car, smell the car not sit in silence while I look at my HUD and make sure im in a nice 22c cabin, that's what I have a Mercedes S500 for! Oh and before you say it I understand the XR8 has a lot of luxury items, but I still drive my FG XR8 with the window down so I can hear that beautiful song.

[SensationFG8]

I'm 33 mate and agree with everything you've said. The point of driving these things is taking the control yourself and reigning the beast in.

The less driving aids the better IMO

[Snowdoggydogg]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

I'm 33 mate and agree with everything you've said. The point of driving these things is taking the control yourself and reigning the beast in.

The less driving aids the better IMO

I'm a big fan of power steering, disc brakes, air con, playing the devil's advocate.... Look I agree with muscle car pedigree and I've certainly roughed it as I had a '78 FJ Toyota Cruiser that lacked all the items I just mentioned.
However, $60k on roads should buy you some creature comforts. We've gotten to used to paying a fortune for cars that are literally half price elsewhere in the world. The Aus government makes more profit in tax (-$65k) off of a Porshe 911 than old Ferdinand does... that ain't right.

[arronm]

I agree also. That's the raw feeling I get when I drive the F6. 4 inch exhaust , external fuel pump and the spool of the turbo with short intake , twin plate ceramic clutch

BUT I don't want that ever day. I like 22c and heads up on my drive to work

I drive the F6 occasionally and that's what makes it special every time I drive it

And being 50 I have driven most of the Holden's and fords of the 70s and 80s and to tell the truth most of them arnt that nice to drive

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by amiers

As much as I respect the opinions of all on this forum, I must ask if a lot of you either younger than 40 or have never owned a muscle car before?

I am younger than 40 and have never owned a muscle car. Some of us are not fans of muscle cars. Believe it or not, the XR8 isn't the only Falcon that people want. If I were in the market for the new Falcon, which I'm not, I'd sooner get the G6E than the XR8.

Originally Posted by amiers

not sit in silence while I look at my HUD and make sure im in a nice 22c cabin, that's what I have a Mercedes S500 for!

See, that's exactly what I want in a car. To me, there's nothing better than sitting in silence cocooned in pure opulence with so much effortless power that I can get up to illegal speeds in no time and not realise I'm there.

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

The less driving aids the better IMO

I fail to see how technology and driving pleasure are mutually exclusive. Even if it wasn't switchable, how exactly does HUD, blind spot monitor, self parking, keyless start, smart key entry etc ruin the drive? Technology has moved on. The Falcon hasn't kept up.

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by amiers

As much as I respect the opinions of all on this forum, I must ask if a lot of you either younger than 40 or have never owned a muscle car before?.

I ask this because I cant believe some of the comments about HUD's, keyless entry, push button handbrake, lane changing warnings and so on. Have you forgotten how to drive? put a key in an ignition, pull up or on a handbrake? I grew up driving XY/A/B/C/D/E Falcons that had none of that stuff and let me tell you part of the fun was sitting at the traffic lights sweating on a summers day with the window down smelling the exhaust fumes and petrol from the Holley carb that was maybe running a bit rich and hearing that beautiful lumpy idle mmmmmmmmm.

I want to drive the car! feel the car, smell the car not sit in silence while I look at my HUD and make sure im in a nice 22c cabin, that's what I have a Mercedes S500 for! Oh and before you say it I understand the XR8 has a lot of luxury items, but I still drive my FG XR8 with the window down so I can hear that beautiful song.

Ha Ha- Holley.

Try dcoe side draft webbers that back farted so much fuel I got a hammer to smash the side engine bay in to make space for 4 trumpets with oiled socks to keep the fuel inside. But the sound....

Best 2 sounds I heard on the outside was an E49 being given a boot into Monash Uni- had 6 barrels of side draft webbers, another was a Ferrari with 8 barrels of side draft webbers being opened up in Melbourne many years ago..both of these being heard by me on a pushbike being a student.

Holley did not have that sound, drove modded cortinas with 250's with 350/500 holleys- not as feral and aural. And fuel injection is like listening to an engine going under general anaesthetic.

That's why I am excited by this Miami-the supercharger whine...and I have heard videos where there is a certain point at high revs where the combination of high super whine and forced exhaust output sounds ferociously feral.

I love analog raw cars, but, still want to have traction control and stability aides for wet/launch control (as long as you can override), and also personally, would like HUD with speed and maybe colour dots in an arc from green to yellow to red for revs.. Remember thrashing an AMG C63 with power pack in manual mode using paddles and although not HUD, had a centre in the revs which turned red when revs hit red line- not HUD but when you have the narrowing tunnel vision at insane pace all these aides help...

But- bluddy good time to be a performance car buyer in Australia- cannot think of another car with manual box, good brakes and tightish suspension, and 500 hp south of $170,000 plus...other than the GTS whose engine sounds for me just does not do it.

[SensationFG8]

You fail to see how technology and driving experience are mutually exclusive because you want something different out of your car. Things here are clearly labelled as my personal preference and nothing more.

I think my selection of vehicles backs up that I'm serious about what I've said. Creature comforts are secondary to me, toys are tertiary and the less the better. If I had a car maker choose between investing in drive train and handling or the latest monitoring technology I'd take drive train and handling every time.

[commodorenutt]

This is the whole reason we have choice, and manufacturers offer different options to suit different people.

We don't live in a communist country where you only have 1 model of car.

If you prefer all the trinkets in a VF, go buy one.

I'd prefer an FGX XR8 over a VF SS, and I love my commodores.

If you're so hung up on a HUD, then eBay has them cheap...but it's not hard to look down a fraction more at the digital speedo in the centre of the FG/FGX cluster....

[elfinke]

Who else has a backlit remote control in their living room? Ridiculous trinket, right? I mean, you can just turn on a damn lamp or the lights, or move your thumb along the familiar curves and bumps to remember where the volume button is!

But like the HUD, or blind spot monitoring, or a smartkey, or powered seats, or park assist, or even a 335kw engine: once you've had a backlit remote in your possession for any length of time and become accustomed to that being 'The Way Things Are', it's awfully hard to go back.

Just sayin' I don't understand the antagonism over a pretty simple matrice of the available functions of each car, given everyone has different priorities - and compromises they're willing to live with - when it comes to cars

[SensationFG8]

I don't derive pleasure from operating my remote control therefore so long as it's fit for purpose I don't mind.

Back-lit remotes do have a battery drain draw back though. Everything in life is some sort of compromise. I simply prefer a car that sacrifices toys for engine and handling over one that sacrifices engine for toys.

Vf holden had a choice, engine or toys. They decided they had enough engine and went for toys. I'm cool with that it suits many many people so it's probably a wise choice. That path is not one we all necessarily want cars to go down though so I'm glad ford didn't follow suit.

[bernbo]

I'm sorry but i need one car to give me the toys as well as the raw edge. I like many can't afford to daily drive an amg and keep an xr8 for the weekend. Expectations have moved on, look at a competitors car, the 300 srt. They can give you the raw power as well as all the kit for not much more. Ford have not kept with this. Like i said earlier they did not have to do this alone. They could have had this tech out of the Taurus just as holden do our of their US cars.

[SensationFG8]

Yes that is your opinion and I respect that.

Do you think there are 0 compromises in the 300C? They have chosen a set of specs to suit what they think their market is. Their market is not me and I don't like some of those compromises. Ford have struck the absolute best compromise for what I personally like in my motoring. Given the way people are snapping up xr8's it looks to me like they judged their market pretty well too.

[Sioso]

The XR8 does look menacing in black...........from the front anyway.

[arronm]

Originally Posted by bernbo

I'm sorry but i need one car to give me the toys as well as the raw edge. I like many can't afford to daily drive an amg and keep an xr8 for the weekend. Expectations have moved on, look at a competitors car, the 300 srt. They can give you the raw power as well as all the kit for not much more. Ford have not kept with this. Like i said earlier they did not have to do this alone. They could have had this tech out of the Taurus just as holden do our of their US cars.

I agree. Having one car to do the lot would be good. And yes the SS is lacking in power when compared to the XR8. But not everyone is looking for absolute power.

Although lots of VFs are getting supercharged. It's about $11500 with tune. Gives about 400rwkw with low boost

That said. It will be nice to own the last ford V8. But I have started looking at the mustangs. Especially the Gt350. And the rumor says GT500

Now they will be awesome cars

I would like to have my F6. A supercharged VF and either supercharged XR8 or a mustang which are looking nice

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by SensationFG8

Given the way people are snapping up xr8's it looks to me like they judged their market pretty well too.

How many have Ford sold?

[galaxy xr8]

That look’s awesome in Black, suits the new shape so well, but I could never own a Black car.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by T.O.Wallace

The XR8 does look menacing in black...........from the front anyway.

image

image

image

Just when I was starting to come around to 'Smoke' over 'Silhouette', you go and do that to me.

[GTMOND]

Well I saw my first XR8 in white in Launceston today in a car park. I know its been said many times, but photos really don't do it justice. Looked bloody great.

[LooLoo18]

Anyone priced a XR6T at a dealer yet?

[Bonn]

All the above is why i am sticking with the 5.4 GT - enough tech, and enough muscle.
Usually have windows down, but have the option of windows up and mod-cons like air-conditioning, power steering, Sat-nav and premium sound.

You've got to know when you've got it good :-)

p.s. hired a Camaro in USA this year, and found HUD SatNav very helpful with their 'spaghetti'-style freeways!

[Bonn]

...plus the motor is BLUE

[Professor Farnsworth]

One White XR8 auto available right now according to the salesman. City Ford, Elizabeth St Melbourne. Call to confirm first. Worth a shot for anyone who doesn't want to wait.

Sorry for the terrible pic.

[Professor Farnsworth]

Also I sat in it, and as far as it feeling like it sits lower, it's just that the bonnet bulge is so huge from inside the cabin it gives that impression, in my opinion.

Very nice car.

[blackf6]

Originally Posted by Bonn

...plus the motor is BLUE

Technically the motor is unpainted and the plenum and cam covers are blue.