FPV F6 E unveiled

"What you are going to get is 310kW and 565Nm in something that looks like a 5 Series BMW," Ford Performance Vehicles boss Rod Barrett says. "When you put your foot down it is going to go ... and at a pretty good price advantage. "This really is our Euro competitor."

At $79,740 the F6 E - built off Ford's award-winning G6 E Turbo at a price premium of $23,000 - slips into the FPV range alongside the V8-powered GT-E.

"I think it is more about choice," Barrett says. "We make these iconic go-fast cars like the F6 and the GT and that is the base of our range ... it's what our core business is about. But there are some people that we do not cater for in that range that want a bit more luxury and refinement.

"They don't want stripes and big wings and black wheels. They want a bit more leather and woodgrain and chrome and I don't want to lose them."

Barrett says the overwhelming success of the F6 and the demand for the G6 E Turbo was enough for FPV to shift plans for the F6 E off the back burner and give it some exposure as a concept car at the Melbourne Motor Show earlier this year.

"It was obvious that there is a demand there for it - not significant, but a demand," Barrett says.

The F6 E will be built as a limited production vehicle with plans for ‘less than 50’ this year.

"It is not a limited edition just a limited production run," Barrett says. "If it were to take off and there was demand for 100 or a 150 then we just keep building them - it's there to be built."

Barrett says the F6 E is another model in the FPV range against which rivals HSV cannot set a direct competitor. "They have the Senator in V8, which I would say is our GT E competitor, but they don't have a turbo six and this is the luxury version of that F6. I really think the top end of town will take to this car ... it will cater for the non-V8 crowd."

The F6 E is powered by Ford's proven 4-litre turbo-charged DOHC 24 valve in-line six coupled to the ZF six-speed high-torque automatic transmission with Sequential Sports Shift.

In keeping with the luxury theme the cabin features seats in shadow leather with the F6 E logo embossed on the headrests, a dark walnut woodgrain finish on the dashboard and doors, sports leather steering wheel with cruise control and audio mounted switches, dual-zone air conditioning and memory on adjustable pedals.

Dynamic stability control, side curtain airbags, reverse parking camera and reverse sensing system, electronic brakeforce distribution and ABS are also standard.

Barrett says FPV sales have held up better than the industry-standard large cars numbers with 911 sales year to date against 1154 for the same period last year.

"Under the circumstances I will take that ? especially when you consider last year we were launching new models and had the Cobra sales," Barrett says.