Ford Falcon 2008 News

There's all the space of a large family sedan, and yet it doesn't feel bloated or flaccid. Or boring.

Only a major mistake stands between Jamie Whincup and a maiden V8 Supercars championship after the Ford driver blitzed the Desert 400 round in Bahrain.Whincup was flawless in his clean-sweep, winning all three races on Friday and Saturday to stretch his championship lead to 187 points over Mark Winterbottom with two rounds remaining.It was the 25-year-old's fifth round win of the season and seventh straight race win after triumphs at Bathurst and in all three races at Surfers Paradise last month.It also helped erase the demons of his last visit to the Middle East track where he effectively lost the championship in 2007 by failing to collect a point.With Whincup closing in on the title he so desperately wants, the championship leader said he would take a more conservative approach into the final two rounds at Tasmania's Symmons Plains and Sydney's Oran Park.“We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Whincup said yesterday.“There's still 600 points up for grabs in six races so, of course I'd be silly not to change my approach from here on in.“I want this championship more than anyone else and will do whatever it takes to try and be No.1 at the end.”The Triple Eight Racing team of Whincup and Craig Lowndes lit up the desert in their red Ford Falcons, with Lowndes claiming second overall in the round from the impressive Russell Ingall.Whincup's rivals coming into the event, Winterbottom and Holden's Garth Tander, both found trouble.Winterbottom at least kept himself in contention with fourth placings in the last two races, the first of which was stunning considering he started from 21st on the grid after an opening-day crash with Tander.“We won't be giving up,” Winterbottom said.“One DNF (did not finish) will put (Whincup) under pressure and he's at the back.“You never give up but it's getting harder.”Tander's hopes of retaining his championship were effectively buried after a disappointing weekend.He was 23rd in the last race after crashing into teammate Mark Skaife, who finished only one race in a miserable round for the Holden Racing Team.Whincup has 2916 championship points, ahead of Winterbottom (2729) and Tander (2624), who also refused to concede defeat.“It's still mathematically possible and the next two tracks we're going to we've been very strong at the last two years,” Tander said.“We won't be giving up without a fight.”The teams will return to Australia for the Tasmania Challenge, which begins on November 21.   ROUND 12DESERT 400, BAHRAINRACE 3 RESULTS1 Jamie Whincup (Ford)2 James Courtney (Ford)3 Craig Lowndes (Ford)4 Mark Winterbottom (Ford)5 Russell Ingall (Holden) CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS1 Jamie Whincup 29162 Mark Winterbottom 27293 Garth Tander 26244 Craig Lowndes 23675 Steven Richards 2178 

You can buy an LPG-powered Falcon from as little as $1400 more ($2400 for a Commodore) and they offer the average motorist significant fuel savings.But are they worth it and what are they like to drive?We hope to answer these and other questions in the coming weeks because, after months of badgering, Ford has finally given us the keys to an E-Gas Falcon to put though its paces in the name of economy.As the cost of fuel continues to see-saw, we thought this car would be of particular interest to readers as a low cost alternative to standard petrol engined cars and because LPG or Autogas as it's known is relatively cheap to buy.Ford's Falcon is available in E-Gas form with XT, G6 and G6E grades _ all at a premium of $1400 each.Our test vehicle is the middle of the range G6 E-Gas 4.0-litre automatic priced from $41,390.LPG or Autogas as it is known is a combination of butane and propane gases stored under pressure in liquid form.The two gases are generated as part of the oil refining process and generate less carbon than petrol _ 19 per cent less CO2 per kWh, 30 per cent less than coal and more than 50 per cent less than coal-generated electricity.A third smelly gas called ethanethiol is added to the mix so that leaks can be easily detected.LPG-powered vehicles can be distinguished by a small red sticker on their number plate.Most readers will be familiar with the technology from taking taxis, 95 per cent of which operate on LPG.The reason is of course is that their cheaper to run, but the impression is not always a favourable one.It should be remembered however that taxis lead a long and very hard life and that the “taxi pack” as it's known in the trade sees the standard upholstery swapped for hard wearing vinyl.Although LPG is cheaper to buy, it is important to note that you burn more of the stuff than petrol over any given distance.For example, the Falcon G6 petrol model is rated at 10.5 litres/100km while our test G6 E-Gas is rated at 14.9.In percentage terms, it uses an average 42 per cent more for every 100km travelled.Because it burns more fuel, the LPG model is fitted with a larger fuel tank (93 litres versus 68) _ to give it the same sort of range.But some space must be allowed for expansion, so the tank can never be fully filled.The trade off for the larger tank is found in the boot where there's a bloody great spare wheel taking up valuable luggage space.Looking at average fuel consumption for the Falcon, the petrol model has a theoretical range of 648km and the E-Gas, 624km.At the time of writing, the price of unleaded petrol in Sydney was $123.9 a litre while Autogas was 64.9 cents.Doing the maths, it means the petrol model will consume $13.10 worth of fuel per 100km and the E-Gas, $9.67 _ making the LPG model 26 per cent cheaper to run.We can see the LPG model emerges as the clear winner, but there are some other considerations.The Falcon engine produces less power when converted to gas and that the E-Gas model makes do with an old tech four-speed auto, instead of the current five or six-speed unit.It's irritating but of less consequence than the fact the E-Gas model misses out on electronic stability control, a technology that has been proven to prevent single vehicle accidents.Ford is quick to acknowledge this and it is working on the problem, hoping to offer DSC as it calls the technology with E-Gas models in the first half of 2009.The 4.0-litre straight six E-Gas engine itself is basically a carry over from the previous model with some minor changes designed to improve economy.New inlet and exhaust systems have been fitted, along with a re-tuned throttle map and optimised engine calibration.With dual independent variable camshaft timing (DIVCT), stronger conrods, and harder valves and seats (the latter required for use with LPG), the E-Gas engine produces 156kW of power at 4750rpm and 371Nm of torque at 2750rpm.In comparison, a standard petrol engine produces 195kW of power and 391Nm of torque.Although it doesn't have the punch of the petrol engine, the performance penalty is not sufficient to outweigh the cheaper running costs of LPG.And, after driving the car for several hundred kilometres, it really doesn't matter anyway. 

Making his MarcosMarcos Ambrose had a good weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway in Nascar Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events. He finished ninth in Saturday's Nationwide race and backed it up with 21st in Sunday's Cup event.Ford boss moves onFord Racing boss Ray Price will move on at the end of the V8 Supercar season. He will become service engineering director for Ford Asia-Pacific and Africa. A replacement has yet to be named, so Price will remain until a handover is made. Price has overseen the introduction of the FG Falcon racer and three Bathurst 1000 wins in his time in charge.Seton back in a FordGlenn Seton returned to racing last weekend in a Ford. The longtime Blue Oval racer, and dual V8 Supercar champion, has spent the past two years as an endurance driver for the Holden Racing Team. But he got behind the wheel of his Ford Capri to win the South Australian Historic Touring Car Cup at Mallala. It was Seton's first visit to the track in 10 years, but he won three races to take the honours.Stoner surgery successFormer MotoGP champion Casey Stoner has had successful surgery on his injured wrist. The Australian has troubled by the injury since mid-way through the season, but held off the operation until now to carry out testing on the 2009 Ducati at Valencia last week.Rossi to test FerrariFerrari has confirmed MotoGP star Valentino Rossi will test its Formula One car. The Italian world champion expressed a desire to sample the F1 racer at the season-ending MotoGP race. Ferrari has revealed that Rossi will test before the end of the year, but hasn't revealed where. Rossi and Ferrari have said the test is just for fun.Adelaide changesOrganisers of Adelaide's popular Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar street race have revealed a number of changes for next year's event. New temporary pit facilities will be erected for 2009 and every grandstand will be covered. Section of the track will also be resurfaced.Meidecke's mountainGeorge Meidecke and navigator Daniel Wilson have won this year's Mt Buller Sprint. Meidecke raced his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX to the win in 10 stages up the famous mountain. Former Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst was second in his Subaru Impreza WRX, just ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo of Kevin Weeks. 

Instead he put a hand on the throat of his two title rivals, posting an important confidence-boosting victory in the opening race of Round 11 at the Gold Coast yesterday.In one of the most exciting races of the season, Whincup held his nerve over a torrid last six laps to hold off Holden's Garth Tander and Ford's Mark Winterbottom and extend his championship lead over them both.Whincup now holds a 47-point advantage over Winterbottom, with Tander a further 43 points behind.Just as importantly, the Team Vodafone driver now holds the upper hand going into race two and three today in a round that looks set to have a huge bearing on this season's championship.Whincup started from pole yesterday and led for virtually the entire 27-lap race.But he was forced to hang on for dear life late as Tander and Winterbottom filled his mirrors late in the race — the trio snaking through the Surfers Paradise street circuit in a nose-to-tail white-knuckle ride.Whincup, who led the series last year going into the Indy round before his season came unglued, will now also take an important psychological boost from his win.With his nerves tested at every turn throughout the final few laps, the 25-year-old didn't miss a beat, especially as Tander — the man who beat him to the title last year — loomed large.V8 SUPERCARS(Circuit 4.5km):Race one (27 laps):1. Jamie Whincup (Ford)2. Garth Tander (Holden)3. Mark Winterbottom (Ford)4. Todd Kelly (Holden)5. Russell Ingall (Holden)Race two (27 laps)1. Jamie Whincup (Ford)2. Garth Tander (Holden)3. Mark Winterbottom (Ford)4. Lee Holdsworth (Holden)5. Steven Johnson (Ford)Race three (27 laps)1. Jamie Whincup (Ford)2. Garth Tander (Holden)3. Mark Winterbottom (Ford)4. Rick Kelly (Holden)5. Todd Kelly (Holden)Round 11 overall1. Jamie Whincup (Ford) 300 pts2. Garth Tander (Holden) 2763. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 2584. Todd Kelly (Holden) 2185. Russell Ingall (Holden) 2026. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 1807. Steven Johnson (Ford) 1788. Will Davison (Ford) 1689. Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 16810. Steven Richards (Ford) 154Championship points (after rd 11):1. Jamie Whincup (Ford) 2616 pts2. Garth Tander (Holden) 25413. Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 25104. Craig Lowndes (Ford) 21035. Will Davison (Ford) 20336. Steven Richards (Ford) 19887. Rick Kelly (Holden) 19408. James Courtney (Ford) 19069. Russell Ingall (Holden) 166610. Steven Johnson (Ford) 1649 

New Ford Australia president Marin Burela believes FG Falcon is undersold and plans to reverse that both at dealer level and with potential customers.Battling the fallout from last week's job cuts and falling large car sales, Burela believes the big-six segment is not dead — and nor is the Falcon.Burela has already met many of the national dealers and is taking on board the critical feedback regarding what needs to be done.“The FG Falcon is building its share in the large-car segment — even though that segment is reducing and has been reducing over recent months,” Burela says.Despite rave reviews, FG Falcon sales are down 6 per cent compared to the same time last year.Burela acknowledges the segment is a “critical” one for Ford and “one that is very difficult” in the current circumstances.This year Falcon sales trail Commodore by more than 13,000 vehicles and the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 have outsold it in some months.At 11 per cent of the total market, Burela believes the large segment has bottomed out.“Our objective is to ensure that we promote its (Falcon) virtues, strengths, quality and everything about the car that makes it what it is,” he says.“That's what we're going to do, targeting our fair share of this reduced segment.”He is also adamant that Ford will continue to make cars here, while not being specific on the ongoing future of the Falcon.“We're committed to making sure that every step we take will put us on a solid and firm foundation so that we can actually build a very viable business going forward,” he says.“We're here to be viable, to be profitable and to be here for the long term.” 

It is clear, as the economy tightens and petrol and diesel prices remain volatile, that owners are looking at squeezing more of their precious dollar out of a tank of fuel.LPG, or autogas as it is known, is becoming more popular as it can save car owners up to 50 per cent off their fuel bills. You don't need a calculator to work out the benefits. Depending on where you live, unleaded petrol costs around $1.50 a litre versus 70c a litre for LPG.And the resulting savings have convinced more than 500,000 Australian motorists to switch to LPG, according to the chief executive of LPG Australia, Steve Woodward.“There is an amazing amount of interest in LPG,” he says. “And it's growing each month. Last year there were 95,000 conversions, 75,000 in 2006 and 35,000 in 2005.”The LPG vehicle-conversion scheme has also just been extended to 2015, which provides some long-term reassurance for prospective customers. Woodward says it wasn't so long ago that many consumers thought of LPG cars as “bombs on wheels”.“That's long gone,” Woodward says. “The demonstrated safety of an LPG vehicle is now well established.”But he says that despite wider acceptance, there are still misconceptions regarding both the fuel and the conversion process.“The biggest issue that we need to address is people asking, `Can my vehicle be converted',” he says. “The short answer to that question is yes. Everything's being converted, from Rolls-Royces to Bentleys down to Fiat 500s.”And like all consumer items, it pays to shop around. Cost is another factor, and the biggest thing that determines the conversion cost is a vehicle's age.“An older vehicle manufactured before 2004 should cost about $2500 to $3200, depending on the car,” he says. “More recent cars with Euro III and Euro IV emission technology are a bit more — $3500 to $4500, and some could be a bit more than that.”The newer systems also have improved liquid injection systems that deliver more power, improved economy and driveability. However, not all companies use the latest technology.So, again, it pays to shop around to find what's best both for your hip pocket and your engine.Smith says that most problems with LPG conversions relate to poorly installed systems.“It pays for people to find out as much detail as they possibly can,” Smith says.One of the most respected suppliers in the country is the Australian LPG Warehouse, which has more than 400 installers nationally. The LPG Warehouse recommends three different LPG systems for vehicles, depending on their age.The first and cheapest is a traditional venturi system, a budget-priced unit suitable for pre-2003 cars. Next is a sequential vapour injection system for vehicles newer than 2003, while the newest premium JTG liquid-injection system can be used for current year model vehicles and has better power than petrol injection systems.Woodward says the payback period for an older and newer car is different but one thing is certain: owners will still save in the long run.“It depends on kilometres driven, too,” he says. “If you're doing 20,000km, the payback period is about six months.”Another factor in the rush to LPG is the fact it is excise free. And LPG cars also command higher prices on the used market.“An LPG car will get $1500 to $2000 more than an identical car that is the same make, model and same condition and kilometres,” Woodward says. “This makes it a big attraction for both small and large fleet operators.”Woodward is also of the view that growing consumer knowledge will increase the demand for factory-fitted LPG cars.“Until the only manufacturer that's done that successfully is Ford, and they're underpinned by the taxi fleet,” he says.Ford has a dedicated E-Gas Falcon sedan and ute, while Holden now has a dual-fuel LPG Commodore. A dedicated E-Gas Falcon XT starts from $37,890 and, with 10 LPG models, the G6E tops the batting at $48,390.Holden is using LPG as part of its alternative fuel push on its cars. There's dual-fuel LPG in the Omega and Berlina sedans and the Omega ute. The LPG Commodore Omega sedan will set you back $33,990 and the Berlina $42,690.Over 12 months, both the Commodore and Falcon deliver running costs that rival the small four-cylinder Toyota Corolla.And just like Ford, which now sells 25 per cent of its Falcons as E-Gas cars, Holden is expecting a significant sales boost.The bottom line on the Holden move was a $1500 price cut on its dual-fuel LPG cars from September 1, helping drive renewed interest in the Commodore. In fact LPG may well prove the large-car segment's saviour.SNAPSHOTSubsidies available$2000 toward the cost of an LPG conversion of a new or used motor vehicle for non-business use and $1000 toward a factory-fitted LPG vehicle for non-business use.Can I convert my car?Almost all unleaded petrol-fuelled vehicles can (subject to luggage space limitations) be converted to LPG. Systems range in price from about $2500 to $4500 installed.What are the savings?Working on a price of 65c a litre for autogas and $1.40 a litre for unleaded petrol, a Holden Commodore driver travelling 28,000km a year on autogas will save $2020 ($38 a week), according to LPG Australia. A Toyota HiAce van travelling 40,000km a year on autogas, meanwhile, will save its owner $2886 a year, or $55 a week.Go to lpgautogas.com.au for more information and a handy calculator to work out your cost advantages.OTHER CHOICESDieselGrowing in popularity every month. Car buyers are discovering ultra-frugal economy, strong torque and low emissions. Common rail diesel engines have a more efficient operating cycle than spark-ignition (petrol) engines. This results in less fuel energy being consumed to produce the same amount of propulsion energy. Many new diesel cars are fitted with particulate filters and other technologies that make them environmentally cleaner. EthanolIt provides greenhouse gas reductions beyond what's available from fossil fuel technologies, but costs more to produce. It is mostly sold as a 10 per cent fraction (E10) of petrol locally but some E85 — 85 per cent ethanol — vehicles are available. At this dilution, the greenhouse gas benefits are slight and fuel economy gains are questionable. Cars that run on higher concentrations must have special fuel lines and other plumbing.ElectricAll-electric cars may end up being our future commuter vehicles. Zero noise and no exhaust emissions. But the batteries, even the latest lithium-ion ones, are heavy and take up space. Questionable environmental impact plugging into mains power to recharge.HybridsThese are growing in popularity but some diesel engines are actually more fuel efficient than hybrids, which must carry around a heavy battery pack. Plug-in hybrids and range-extender hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt are expected to make good city cars.HydrogenTechnology is in its infancy but zero emissions make hydrogen attractive. However, it is an expensive long-term proposition because of storage and infrastructure requirements. About 80 per cent of the world's hydrogen comes from natural gas or oil too. This means CO2 emissions are produced but offset by the fact CO2 emissions are reduced through the use of hydrogen to power a car. Hydrogen storage in vehicles needs further work. A stainless-steel tank in a car containing the hydrogen also needs to be super-insulated to keep the contents at -250C.

Estimable fellow in many respects the tall host of Brit Top Gear is, admittedly. Though he may never be able to hold his head up in public after what Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse did to him:Indeed, when it comes to what he derides as “flappy paddles”, Clarkson’s more wrong than whoever decided that the FG Falcon was the car to rescue Ford Australia.Steering wheel – or steering column – mounted gear shift selectors take many (sometimes ergonomically irksome) forms. The only logical configuration is where the left one is for downshifts, the right for up. In almost everything thus equipped, there is of course the option of simply leaving them alone, with gearstick in drive to do its automated thing.That’s a bit lame, though, isn’t it? Whether the transmission’s a torque converter auto or a twin-clutch jobbie like DSG – or any one of the seemingly endless new variations thereof – why not deploy a bit of the old DIY? Seems pretty vacant not to use that left one in particular to, say, engine brake especially if your hands need never leave the wheel to do so.This is the point at which the real-men-only-drive-crash-boxes-brigade grunt something along the lines of “If yer wanna change gears, why doncha buy a proper manual”.Well, chaps, I own one and, perversely enough, I wouldn’t swap it. But I’m also aware that something in the region of 90 plus per cent of those other drivers you might happen to dimly perceive on the road would rather undergo unanesthetized root canal therapy than use a clutch pedal and a gearstick.And as much as those whose sleep is fraught with fantasies about ripping ‘round Bathurst in the car numbered “05” might like to dream otherwise, the best flappy paddle set ups swap cogs quicker and slicker than we lumpen mortals can aspire. Not only do they engage gears about 1000 times faster they do so without emission spikes – a big deal for heavily regulated Euro carmakers these days and of increasingly consequence down this way. In the case of twin-clutch set-ups, they out sprint a conventional manual from 0-100km/h while using less juice in general running.So when a reviewer lamented recently that driver involvement is being removed from the equation, well, of course it is. We’re not that good.And anyone who imagines they can do better in their proper manual really does have their left hand on it.  

 – while Jack is still visible in the Classic Car scene - we Australians as a bunch of hero worshipping sports nuts do not think about Jack Brabham anywhere near enough. Stirling Moss is a British legend and lauded by all (and rightly so), he won virtually everything but a world championship. Brabham won the World Championship three times in an era of many outstanding drivers and numerous tragic accidents. Even more impressive he is also the only driver to ever win a World Championship while also being team principal in his own car. That will certainly never happen again.Even though we named Sir Jack an Oifficer of the Order of Australia just this year we need to get the Brabham name back in the Australian sporting cult conscience, - we cut nuts need to ensure our sons and daughters know who Jack is and what he achieved. I know I haven’t actually mentioned Brabham to my son and daughter in any conversation, we talk about Lowndes and Brock and Schumacher but Brabham has never come up. That needs to be fixed.After Bernie Ecclestone brought and sold the Brabham team, the team and the name went through some pretty dodgy ownership periods and a number of seedy deals and legal battles. Thankfully though I believe Jack was able to eventually re-acquire the rights to the Brabham name.So here is an idea. Holden has it's relationship with Elfin through HSV and Walkinshaw. Ford Australia - wake up. Besides Lowndes and Bathurst you have nothing. There is talk of you dropping the rear-drive Falcon - here I have something for you - it's a 6 inch nail, the final one for your coffin.Now if Ford Australia were to partner with Brabham through FPV we could have another Ford v Holden war. Elfin v Brabham. Two great Australian names going head to head. This should be a more extensive deal though than the Ford America – Carroll Shelby relationship; I would like to see a competitor to the new Elfin and a second model – a competitor to the Lotus Elise. Wouldn’t that be cool - a race series for small lightweight rear-engine 4 cylinder road race cars. Lotus v Brabham.Dream on. Ford Australia won't do anything that exciting they will just continue to die a slow death and you will all soon be driving Toyotas.Back to Jack - here are some quick facts to embed in your brain for the next pub trivia quiz night;World Champion ’59, 60 and ‘6614 F1 wins, 10 second places and 7 thirds from 129 starts.On the podium 31 times or almost one out of every four races over a 15 year career13 Pole positions and 11 fastest laps. Rod Halligan

Not all the new cars at the show are designed strictly for the road. They may be based on the standard production cars, but there are a number of race cars on display that offer some colour and speed beyond what the showroom can offer. Some are the genuine racers, some are mock-ups, but all offer a little spice to the show.Ford’s new FG V8 Supercar is yet to debut on track, but the show car is on display at the Ford stand. Subaru’s new Impreza STi World Rally Car that debuted in August in the hands of Aussie Chris Atkinson is set up in tarmac guise, while Toyota’s Australian Rally Championship Corolla sits alongside the TRD V6 Hilux Heroes stunt truck, as well as a Toyota Formula 1 car.New maker Isuzu has teamed with Bruce Garland to attack some off-road safaris, while on a production scale, George Miedecke’s Hyundai Tiburon.PlayStation’s influence infiltrates a couple of cars too, with the Motor Storm Pacific Rift monster truck and a Mitsubishi Lancer that houses a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue simulator.