Ford Falcon 2007 News

Gorman says life could be tough for the new Falcon, codenamed Orion and scheduled to be launched in 2008, but all the company can do is try to make the best Falcon it can."The architecture, technology and the hard points are set. What we can adjust is minor bits of jewellery here and there," Gorman says. "The segment is smaller than when we devised the program but we are committed to the vehicle and intend to go ahead with it to the best of our ability, even if it's a lot harder than what we envisaged two years ago."People might say it is the wrong vehicle at the wrong time, but we always say to our people not to add `poorly executed' to that list of challenges. When I arrived here three years ago the large car market was 23 per cent of the Australian market."Now it is 13 per cent. That's 100,000 fewer large cars that get sold here each year. If you take that we're about 35 per cent of that, that's 35,000 fewer Falcons annually. Our strategic response was to come up with Territory and that has offset some of that loss."If we try to give it the perception of a medium-sized car, drop a 2.0-litre engine in it, then the thing won't get out of its own way. What you create then is a car that breaks its promise to the people who want the car."The promise we make with Falcon is to give them great performance and safety in a car you can be proud to have in your driveway. So let's not cut two inches off the back. Let's make it look like we're proud of it."With large car sales shrinking in Australia, rivals Holden and Toyota have looked to exports to keep the factories running. Earlier this month Holden announced a deal that will see it ship potentially more than 30,000 VE Commodores — rebadged as the Pontiac G8 — to the US each year.Gorman would not reveal what stage Ford Australia's efforts to export more of its locally made cars is at, but says exports are important for the future of local production."How we integrate global rear-wheel-drive initiatives with Ford Motor Company and what we do with exports are critical to us, but those aren't things we can do tomorrow," he says. Gorman says the signs are Falcon has hit its low point and sales should rebound in February as business buyers return, although consistent sales of 3000 or more Falcons each month are unlikely this year.He ruled out slashing prices to boost the numbers, though. "You have to be very careful with that because we have a brand new Falcon coming and you have to have a good value story with the transition to the new vehicle," he says.Hints at how the new Falcon is likely to look may lie in the design direction Ford used for its latest concept car, known as the Interceptor, which was unveiled at last month's Detroit Motor Show.Ford is adding more aggression to all of its future models, as shown in the Interceptor."This car shows what you can do with a strong rear-wheel drive architecture," executive director of Ford design in North America, Peter Horbury, said at the show. "Like the Falcon, it's tough. It makes a statement."Although no one is suggesting the Interceptor will be copied by Ford Australia, the same aggressive influences could be at work.

The painters and decorators have been the busiest men in the workshops in the off-season as sponsorship changes — many of them major — have changed the appearance of much of the field.So when the cars roll out for the traditional opening of the championship season in Adelaide (March 1-4) quite a few fans will struggle to recognise the cars of their favourite drivers.Not that many of the teams ever stay the same from year to year. Regenerative merchandising is a lucrative business in all sports and even the most subtle changes to the livery of a race team can result in merchandising bonuses.But this year some of the better-known teams have been burning the midnight oil as major sponsors prepare to shout their presence to the grandstands.This year's series consists of 14 rounds, with just two international events — in New Zealand and Bahrain.The V8s will not appear at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this year because of a scheduling clash — a pity really becauseV8 officials had prised hard-won concessions from the Grand Prix Corporation as far as merchandising was concerned. But there is every chance the V8 teams, which relish the idea of promoting themselves and their sponsors before the huge crowds at the grand prix, will be back next year, given a more accommodating calendar.With the paint brushes barely dry in the workshops, here is a look at the colour of things to come this season:First off the block was Triple Eight Engineering which, even before the end of last season, telegraphed its association with the giant Vodafone telecommunications company. Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup will both pilot a bright orange-red Team Vodafone Falcon after the Betta Electrical sponsorship bit the dust.Sticking with Blue Oval, the Ford Performance Racing team has launched a new-look Falcon for Steve Richards with the Castrol Edge logo prominent on the green and red background.Stone Brothers will send out the exciting young gun James Courtney in new livery for the Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors mob.Dick Johnson Racing's reprieve came late but turned out to be worth waiting for with Jim Beam adorning the side of both his cars — and prominently so.Britek Motorsport has owner Jason Bright running things this year, as well as driving, and Fujitsu has stuck, while Irwin Tools will go around on the second Alan Gurr car.On the Holden side, all eyes are on HRT.The team which leads merchandise sales in the sport usually comes up with annual changes, even if sometimes they are a bit subtle. The launch of the new-look car was delayed last week but was unveiled yesterday as a brighter red than last year, another convert to the day-glo image, with the addition of a bit more black.Tasman Motorsport — with Greg Murphy joining Jason Richards for an all-Kiwi combination this year — has again opted for a segmented sponsorship with the team offering individual sponsorship at different rounds.The controversial Firepower company is expected to make a powerful impression — but over just four rounds.The Jack Daniel's rivalry with Jim Beam this year looks to be as emphatic as Holden v Ford, with Jim Beam not only joining forces with Dick Johnson, but also grabbing prominence as a V8 championship sponsor.Larry Perkins' cars remain predominantly in the Jack Daniel's sponsors' colours, albeit with a bit more white striping this season. Super Cheap Auto, with Cam McConville and Paul Dumbrell driving together this season, seems to have survived a turbulent12 months on the Stock Exchange and is back again with Paul Weel Racing.Even Garry Rogers has hired a signwriter and redesigned his two Holdens to carry prominent Valvoline and Cummins signs for the cars which carry the hopes of two young drivers who were quite impressive last year — Dean Canto and Lee Holdsworth.The Sirromet Wines car of Paul Morris is changed to a basic white background this year.John Bowe, having announced this will be his last year in a V8 Supercar, will roll out the Glenfords Falcon for Paul Cruickshank Racing bearing the racing No.111 as a tribute to Cruickshank's friend Mark Porter, who was killed at Bathurst last year.And for the champ?Well, Rick Kelly's Toll HSV signage is again the prominent part of the livery for both he and teammate Garth Tander.As far as Kelly is concerned, the change from the No.15 to the No.1 is small but nevertheless significant.RAY KERSHLER'S TOP 10 DRIVERSHOLDEN Rick Kelly: Defending champion in a well-heeled team. Under pressure to produce back-to-back championships now the point system has been restructured.Garth Tander: May be the main threat to his Toll HSV teammate,Rick Kelly. Unlucky last year when team tactics backfired and undermined his chances.Todd Kelly: The elder of the Kelly brothers. His team will be determined to restore some pride in the famous HRT brand and they have the backing to do so.Greg Murphy: Will form a formidable partnership with Jason Richards. In his fifth team in 11 years, Murphy might at last settle in as a championship contender.ROUGHIEDean Canto: Young driver who was consistent last year in a solid team. Has been given the chance to express himself this year when speed will count.FORD Craig Lowndes: In the eyes of Ford fans he is the defacto champ. Well drilled team will be striving to go one better for their star this year and may well do so.Steve Richards: Swapped over from Holden and should slot straight into a high profile Ford team.Another driver who will relish the revamped points system.Mark Winterbottom: Backing up from a tremendous season where he proved himself both quick and tactically adroit.Same team helps. And so does a new partner.James Courtney: Will start his second V8 season with immense confidence after a superb rookie year. Could be the surprise packet in the field.ROUGHIEJason Bright: Normally a front-runner, he has moved to take control of his own team. That may take time. He will need luck but has the speed to make his presence felt.

Small, economical cars powered record January sales, 9.9 per cent up on the same month last year. VFACTS show it was a close contest at the top of the chart, with the small Corolla beating the big Commodore by 11 sales — 3485 to 3474.Holden played down the defeat — five months after the new model went on sale — noting that few businesses buy cars so early in the year."In January, fleet sales are softer so it is no surprise that the whole large-car segment is slightly down," GM Holden marketing manager Alan Batey says.He says there is a strong future for Holden's best-selling car, despite the surge in sales of small cars, such as the Corolla."The Commodore remained the best-selling car in the country last year for the 11th year in a row," Batey says.There were not many smiles at Ford either — it sold only 1974 Falcons last month, despite a drive-away deal and free six-speed automatic and stability control.Ford Australia says the Falcon result is the worst since 1990, when it began to keep accurate sales records.Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary says the drive-away Falcon deal was not successful.Sales in the light-car segment (which includes models such as the Toyota Yaris) were up 14.3 per cent on last January.Sales of small cars (including models such as the Corolla) were up a huge 26.3 per cent, and large cars were down 0.9 per cent.The Mazda3 continued to sell strongly; January sales of 3347 put it third on the chart, 138 behind the Corolla. Other small cars to make the top 10 included the Astra (2239) and Ford Focus (1665). Mitsubishi's Lancer finished just outside the top 10 with 1527 sales, the company's best-selling car.The Hilux (2781) and Yaris (2498) were strong again, but Toyota's larger cars were off the pace. The Camry did not make the top 10 with 1347, and the new Aurion continued its slow start with 1125.The Falcon ute struggled with 834, but outsold Holden's Commodore ute with 697.Ford's Territory responded to a $4000 cashback deal to notch 1343, in front of the Holden Captiva (577) and Toyota Kluger (389). WHAT'S SELLINGTOP 10 MAKES1 Toyota 16,2382 Holden 11,2583 Ford 75014 Mazda 66275 Honda 54356 Nissan 50857 Mitsubishi 45548 Subaru 30979 Hyundai 306710 Volkswagen 2034TOP 10 MODELS1 Toyota Corolla 34852 Holden Commodore 34743 Mazda3 33474 Toyota Hilux 27815 Toyota Yaris 24986 Holden Astra 22397 Ford Falcon 19748 Nissan Navara 18749 Ford Focus 166510 Holden Barina 1563

Holden will introduce its new VE Commodore at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in March while Ford's BF Falcon will also make its debut the same weekend. Both models have passed rigorous testing over the past several months to be allowed to contest next year's V8 series - with Holden Racing Team supplying the Commodore and Triple Eight Racing the Falcon for recent aerodynamic testing at Woomera. All Ford teams next year must adopt the new BF Falcon, with the current BA model only allowed in the development series. Holden teams however will be permitted to run either their VE Commodore or current VZ model - but it is expected every team will have the new version built and ready to go for the season opener in four months. While the BF Falcon is considered a basic cosmetic change to the front end of the vehicle, with new front splitter, side skirts and greater rear wing adjustability, the VE Commodore is almost a complete redesign. Kelvin O'Reilly, the chairman of the Touring Car Entrants Group (TEGA), said the streamlined process of the testing had allowed for a new-look start to next year's 14-round series. "It was a very streamlined and efficient process," he said. "The two manufacturers and the teams were tremendous in preparing the cars, assisting the process and ensuring that final approval was seamless. "It's fantastic that because of this the championship will present a whole new look for the start of the 2007 season." Ford driver Jason Bright believes the Falcons will start 2007 at an advantage for only having superficial changes to deal with while Holden, like its road model which has been recalled twice, could have some early teething difficulties with the new Commodore. "It's always good to keep some stability," said Bright. "There's a lot of good things in what they've been able to update on the Commodore, whether those teams can make the most it's hard to say." Bright has been criticised for his decision to quit the flourishing Ford Performance Racing outfit next season to race in his own team Britek, one of the current series backmarkers. But Bright says the naysayers could be eating their own words very quickly next year. "We have got a lot of work to do," he admitted. "Up until now we've not really had the budget to do what we needed to do but now the budget for next year is twice as big as what it has been because we have been running two cars off less money for the last two years whereas now we've got more money and only one car to concentrate on. "That allows you to do a lot more things and I think the speed will come quicker than what people think." AAP

Neither has the Blue Oval torn apart its chassis and engines in pursuit of "newness" to combat Holden's VE and the soon-to-be-revealed Toyota Aurion.That level of investment and development is still some way off, with the BF replacement not due for release until 2008.What Ford has done with the BF MkII released this week is "freshen" the Falcon range where it needs it, leave it alone where it doesn't and sharpen pricing and fuel economy to keep its customers satisfied."Of course you always want to have the newest metal in town, but that is just not possible all the time," Ford Australia president Tom Gorman says."We are watching the others guys but we had a pretty good idea where we were going before they (Holden) made any moves and nothing has changed from that."We are doing anything but backing away ... we are engaging the opposition. I have great confidence in the future of the Australian car industry and even greater confidence that Ford will be part of it."Styling changes across the range are noticeable but not extensive. All the cars, with the exception of the XR6 and XR8 models, get a new tapered bonnet, grille, front and rear bumper and headlight accent treatment.The XR range gets a new cloth interior with customisation by model, and a satin alloy look for the instrument panel as well as a new instrument cluster design.Engineering changes are minimal with most of the work concentrated on calibrating its automatics, including the the six-speed ZF, to produce a fuel economy improvement in the low single-digit percentage range.Ford claims 10.2 litres per 100km for the new optional six-speed XT Falcon auto, a 6 per cent improvement, and an across-the-board improvement of 2 per cent to 10.7 on everything up to the Fairmont with the standard four-speed automatic.Gorman says Ford has "repositioned" some of the more popular models, held prices on others and improved the value equation with a range of new option packs and features, such as Bluetooth capability."Recommended retail pricing of our premium (V8 and Turbo) Falcon XR models has been reduced by up to 12.4 per cent, while Fairmont Ghia has benefited from a reduction of 12.1 per cent," Gorman says.Pricing for XR6 and Fairmont models will remain unchanged while XT and Futura prices rise by 0.3 per cent.As a launch special Ford will offer a Euro Sports Package consisting of six-speed automatic transmission, dynamic stability control, sports control blade independent rear suspension and 17-inch alloys on the XT, Futura and Fairmont sedans at $250.The XR6 buyers will be offered DSC and the six-speed auto at the same price. Gorman says the decision not to follow Holden's lead in offering stability control as standard across the model range was not taken lightly but, along with the decision not to put the six-speed auto across the range, the decision came down to cost."It has been a significant investment for us," he says. "You can make a lot of things standard and drive yourself out of business."I think we're striking the right balance."On the road the BFII is remarkably similar to the original BF, which is no surprise given that the changes to the dynamics of the vast majority of the Falcon range are associated with options packs."It is fair to say that any major changes to engineering will be held back until the next full model change," Gorman said during the launch drive in Tasmania this week."Engineering is hugely expensive but this time it is as much a recognition of the work the guys got right when they did BA and BF originally."The main engineering work on the BF II has been in calibrating the six-speed ZF automatic to make it accessible across the full range.The slick self-shifter is offered as a $1500 stand-alone option but almost all buyers will take it as part of a special $250 launch pack consisting of the ZF box, a dynamic stability program and 17-inch alloy wheels.The inclusion of the 17-inch alloys in the pack is actually a cost-saving for Ford, as the DSC has only been calibrated for cars running that size wheel, and the decision to bundle with DSC means wider availability of the option across models for greatly reduced engineering costs."It is a bit of look and see," Gorman says."It is a fact that calibration has only been done for models running a 17-inch rim but it will also give us the chance to see how the availability of the option plays with buyers."Ford's huge engineering input into the BA and the refinements implemented in BF still stand the Falcon in good stead.The control blade rear suspension and home-grown in-line six and V8 engines retain all their desirability and still stand up to comparison with the new opposition.Where the Falcon has taken a step forward is at the bottom of the range with the sports pack on the XT. The six-speed box transforms the entry-level Falcon from a plugger to a player.Where the old four-speed self-shifter struggled for kick when asked for a big effort, the new ZF quickly finds the fat of the torque curve to give a new confidence to XT.None of the actual body dynamics have changed enough to be worth noting, but the confidence in knowing the gears will be ready to go when called on does allow for a little more enthusiasm — aided in no small part by the knowledge that the safety net of the DSC is waiting in the background.FAST FACTSBF Falcon MkII pricesXT sedan (manual): $34,990XT sedan (auto): $35,990XT wagon: $37,720Futura sedan: $39,290Futura wagon: $41,375Fairmont Ghia sedan: (I6) $46,490XR6 sedan: $39,710XR6 Turbo (manual): $43,990XR6 Turbo (auto): $45,490XR8 sedan (manual): $44,990XR8 sedan (auto): $46,490XL Ute: C/C $27,450, SS $27,875XLS Ute: C/C 29,145, SSB $29,795RTV Ute: C/C $31,950, SSB $32,900XR6 Ute: C/C $33,990, SSB $34,620XR6 T Ute: $40,445, XR8 $41,595

Ford has unveiled the new Mondeo wagon at the Paris Motor Show and it offers the first clues on what the next generation Falcon will look like.The medium-sized Mondeo takes attributes from the Iosis concept car, which was unveiled by Ford at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September.The new Falcon, due in 2008, is also expected to draw similarities in design element, particularly in the front-end treatment."From some of the information you read, apparently there are a few design clues - but there's nothing we can officially confirm," says Ford spokesman Edward Finn.The Mondeo has been unveiled as a wagon but will also come in other body styles.Ford of Europe's design director, Martin Smith, says the Mondeo's design features include dynamic lines, a three-plane plan front-end view, full surfaces, strong shoulders, bold wheel lips, a rising belt line and a distinctive kick-up of the window graphic at the C-pillar.And while the Mondeo will be released for sale in Europe early next year, it won't be coming to Australia. Ford Australia is concentrating on the BFII Falcon, which is scheduled to be unveiled next month.Volvo drivers' bonusVolvo's newest and smallest car, the C30, was officially unveiled overnight at the Paris Motor Show. The C30 won't be launched in Australia until early next year ... but Volvo has revealed it will make its first public display Down Under at the Sydney motor show in October.The two-door compact C30, which is expected to appeal to a younger, active audience, will be available in a range of four and five-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.Australia will receive the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo engine, with 162kW and 320Nm, as well as the 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine, delivering 136kW of power and 350Nm or torque.The four-seater has a sporty design and retains some of the features from the C30 Design Concept, which was first displayed at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The front of the C30 will keep the dynamic character of the concept, with angled head-lamps and the low, wide grille.The C30 also boasts high levels of safety, a roomy interior and versatile rear seats."The new C30 is the car for people with an intense urban lifestyle," says Lex Kerssemakers, senior vice-president (Brand, Business and Product Strategy) at Volvo Cars.Production of the C30 will begin at the end of the year and Volvo has set a target of 65,000 cars a year, with most expected to be sold in Europe.Additional reporting from wires

It is safe and sure, this purple kilometre eater, as it sweeps past slower travellers. Now it settles back into a loafing run, swallowing up the lumps of highway. With the going down, out through Goondiwindi and down the Newell highway, onto the Oxley, into Dubbo for the night, there is the anticipation, the dreaming of The Great Race. It is some 1100km from the centre of Brisbane to the hallowed Mount Panorama at Bathurst, 210km west of Sydney. There are truck stops – with dining rooms for professional drivers and prints with campfire Indians dreaming of buffalo. There are wide open plains, stands of cypress pines and tidy country towns. There are the spring-green paddocks of Bathurst, dotted with sheep. And then there is the Mountain, home since 1963 to the greatest of Australian motor races and now the domain of Australia's V8 Supercars. It is the old argument, handed from father to son, Ford versus Holden. This is a solid 12-hour run from Brisbane without red flags and with a co-driver. It is a run through the heartland in a V8 Falcon and V8 Commodore, a run through places where these sedans can stretch out a bit. Out here a V8 tourer makes sense, for comfort, safety and fuel economy. The 5.4litre, Ford V8 returns 12.4litres per 100km going south. Holden's 5.7litre comes in at 11litres per 100km on the run back. The big V8s are strolling here, the Commodore running just over 1500rpm in sixth gear for 110km/h. The four-speed auto Ford is running closer to 2000rpm. Neither car is stressed, not even when the taps are opened to flow past slower-moving machinery. There is need to sweep past, with hard acceleration and some V8 authority, as a little Korean machine is tucked between an interstate trucker and caravaner struggling uphill at 90km/h, and all nose-to-tail. Maybe the Ford or the Holden, slip briefly into the illegal zone. This happens from time to time, for it is a far safer option than hanging out on the wrong side of the bitumen. Tell that to the judge. And tell it on the Mountain, this big lump of hill that rises out the central western plains of NSW. This is a sacred place and on October weekends an extra special place for rumbling and roaring V8 Holdens and Fords that share body shells and some other bits with these road-going SS and XR8 warriors. This year it was again Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly's KMart Commodore at the end of a long day, 161 turns up and over the mountain. Then the tribes disperse, back to all corners of the country. The return is a bit more of a drag, more traffic, more tired. The sandwich stops are quicker, less fun. Up and back the red SS Commodore attracts the most attention. This is the VZ with the fake air-intakes on the flanks. The XR8 is a more subtle purple and there is less detail work. It is bold in the bonnet, the power bulge standing tall and proud. That minimalist feel is carried through to the cabin. It's simple and workmanlike, yet comfortable and more spacious than the SS. The Holden cabin too works well. It is a bit busier and bolder in detail work, with shades of grey, silver and red instrument dials. The SS has more sporting ambience; the XR8 is more sombre in its approach. The Holden turns in a little sharper and the ride is a little edgier. Here with the six-speed manual there is the chance to run up and down the gearbox for maximum effect and best use of the 470Nm of torque for the best chance of getting away from trouble. It may be a little notchy but the six-speed manual is tops for touring. Drop back to fifth for the uphill climbs or a gentle pass, back to fourth for a quick and hard run around another convoy of trucks and trailers. Sixth helps with highway economy. The Ford XR8 is that bit smoother over this 1100km run to the top of the mountain. This is a more gentle tourer, the ride more compliant, the four-speed auto less work. Never be fooled, for when the lever is flicked to sport and revs lift, the 5.4 litre Ford rises to the occasion with a full-throated bellow. There's a little extra, and earlier, torque here over the Holden. And here the Ford recognises its connection to those Falcons running up Bathurst's mountain straight. Neither Ford nor Holden put a wheel wrong over the Brisbane-Bathurst haul. Both cabins are quiet and comfortable, packed with bits from six-stacker CD players to airconditioning and cup holders. Both run with good economy, stress free. Both these heroes can run hard to stay out of trouble on the wrong side of the road. These are fine road machines that pay homage to those mighty V8 Supercars and they still make sense on these long runs.