FPV Tornado 2005 Review

We put the F6 Typhoon turbo sedan up against the latest from Holden Special Vehicles, the Dealer Team Spec Clubsport, and it won.

Not by much, but it was our choice for our work in our world.

Now we have driven the F6 Tornado ute and it, too, is a winner.

It's the sort of ute that will be great for play-after-work use, or for people who have discovered that two-door traymobiles are actually the sports cars of the 21st century.

The Tornado is very quick, surprisingly composed, and better in some ways than the Falcon GT at the top of the FPV tree.

How? It has only two seats and the rear suspension is old-fashioned, but its combination of easy cruising with full-on fun is easier to live with than the GT V8's hard-edged charge.

In many ways, the latest developments from FPV mirror the XR situation at Ford.

That should be obvious, because Prodrive Engineering does the hot car work at both levels and the compare-and-contrast gear in the F6 and GT line-ups works in much the same way as the turbo XR6 against the V8-powered XR8s.

With the F6 Tornado, we began our week-long trial with memories of clutch trouble that parked the F6 cars for three months.

A silly little washer caused a series of clutch failures and led to significant re-engineering work that delayed development, sales and deliveries of the cars.

FPV says that is all done and gone now, and that it has sold 160 Typhoon sedans and delivered 19 Tornado utes in the first two weeks since the newcomer moved into showrooms.

The ute is an all-points performance vehicle, with 270kW engine, limited-slip differential, performance brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, sports-tuned suspension and even seat trim that matches the egg-crate look in the grille.

The most popular option on the $51,950 Tornado is the Brembo brake package, which really grabs but adds $5950 to the price.

The heart of the Tornado is the F6 — it's for Forced Six — engine, which steps well up from a regulation XR6 inline turbo.

Boost pressure is lifted 50 per cent and the result is the 270kW and 550 Nm in a flat line from 2000-4250 revs.

FPV says the torque output is the best for any locally made motor.

The gearbox is the latest six-speed Tremec T56 manual. The pack also includes a 100-watt CD sound system, electric windows, twin airbags and airconditioning.

There is a body kit, a plaque with FPV build number, sports seats with suede-style trim and FPV inserts in the instruments.

It's a good deal for the dollars, though the basic Tornado gets only a soft tonneau cover.

ON THE ROAD

IT IS easy to get going with the F6 Tornado. And the going is easy, right up to when you want to really get going.

That's the best thing about the FPV ute. It's not full-on all the time. It can be surprisingly relaxed if you are easing down the highway or hauling a dirt bike in the tray.

The seats are great, especially the fabric, and the sound system has six speakers.

It is the most car-like ute we have driven, even with leaf springs in the rear. FPV has done a great job tuning the set-up. It's not just a hunker-down job with no refinement.

It is nicely compliant and gives good grip, with a slight front-end push in most corners, though sometimes the car gets a bouncy hop happening over broken surfaces or if you push hard through a bump.

The styling of the Tornado is predictable and successful. The best thing is the huge silver intercooler in the nose. It is just the sort of brag you need to go up against a Subaru STI or a Lancer Evo. The look has been snitched from the Japanese hooters.

The front spoiler, though, is a bit vulnerable and the F6 really needs a hard cover to finish off the back end.

FPV says the carrying capacity is the same as the XR ute at 543kg, a load limited by the grippy low-profile Dunlops.

The turbocharged six always feels strong. There is real push from as little as 2000 revs and it surges from 4000 before turning manic about 6000.

It comes from the combination of big-six capacity and a classy turbo.

But it can be a handful in the wet. There is no traction control and you have to take it easy to prevent the back end starting to wave. A bit of a slide can be fun when you're on a fun run, but not on the way to work.

We hate the standard Falcon steering wheel in the F6. It deserves better. The extra dials look silly, particularly with no calibration on the turbo boost gauge, and the starter button is hard to use and a piece of frippery.

But the headlamps are excellent, the ute is easy to park, and it will carry a load without getting upset or fussed.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A seriously quick car, but you can also lope along in it without stress, a combination reflected in our fuel consumption of 12.3litres/100km. There are some small glitches, and we hate the standard Falcon steering wheel, but it's a sports-car drive with working-class roots.