Ford Falcon 2010 News

There has been another poor month of sales and a backhanded slap from the brand's global chief.Alan Mulally ignored the Falcon while painting a clear picture for Ford's future products at the Geneva motor show.He is putting the emphasis on globalisation under a program called One Ford, which is likely to mean a Ford Taurus from America under the Falcon badge in 2017, at the same time as the Falcon slumped to 18th in the February sales results with a total less than half the best selling Mazda3.Ford has only given a commitment to the local Falcon until the end of 2016 following a government-backed $103 million cash injection in January, similar timing to General Motors' current plan for the Holden Commodore.The Falcon and Commodore are both facing a downsizing crisis, as Australians flock to small cars and compact SUVs, as well as integration into worldwide development plans that call for an end to unique small-volume models tailored for individual countries."The family is now really becoming clear to everyone," said Mulally, the CEO of Ford Motor Company."You look at the Ka, the Fiesta, the Focus, the Fusion and the Mondeo, and of course then the Taurus and then the Mustang, the Escape, the Edge, the Flex, the new Explorer, the Expedition, the new Ranger, the F-Series, the E-Series and the Transit and that family now is a complete family that serves 100 per cent of the markets worldwide."But what does Mulally have to say on Falcon? "We love the Falcon," he said in Geneva, continuing to run a line he has spruiked to Australians for more than three years. "It's a real good vehicle for us ... we're going to provide the things people want in all the different segments."Mulally's comments sparked a predictable response from Ford Australia, which has been firefighting at global motor shows for more than two years. "There is nothing new in this. It's a beat-up," said Neil McDonald of Ford Australia.While the future of the Falcon looks tough, Mulally's time at Ford is earning him huge rewards including more than $34 million worth of stock for his performance in 2009, reported on Tuesday to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.Mulally earns a salary of $1.9 million and banked a $9.4 million cash bonus last year, as well as a $33 million win on stock options.

Despite the worst showroom performance in the car's history during 2011. Sales of the family-sized Ford fell to just 18,741 cars last year, less than a quarter of its all-time high of 81,000 in 1985. The poor performance comes after three years when Falcon sales hovered around 30,000 cars, and is a 36.5 per cent fall over the result for 2010 despite the late arrival of a facelifted FG model towards the end of last year and plans for a four-cylinder model this year. "There is no impact. In fact, we just launched the new FG Series II," the sales and marketing director of Ford Australia, Brad Brownell, told News Limited. "We're putting our money where our mouth is, and investing in the future of this product. I see that the glass is half full. I'm positive." Brownell's comments come despite bad news from India, where Ford's global product chief Derrick Kuzak has cast doubt on the future of the Falcon and Territory beyond the current model cycle at the opening of the Dehli motor show. The Falcon's result came at the announcement of the official VFacts sales figures for 2011, which saw an overall total of 1,008,437 deliveries for the year. The result was a 2.4 per cent drop over 2010 but still only the fourth one-million year on record, with a similar total forecast for 2010. Toyota was confirmed as overall number one for the nighth straight year and the biggest change was the end of the Holden Commodore's 15- year run as Australia's favourite car. It was unseated by the Mazda3, by just 812 sales, as Australians continued to desert big cars in favour of more fuel-efficicient compacts. "While Australians keep buying more cars, the cars they buy are getting smaller. The demand for sport utility vehicles was up again - an increase of 3.8 per cent - which is a phenomenal result suggesting that Australians are embracing SUVs as the new family car," said Ian Chalmers, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

The new Ford FG Falcon MkII gets front fascia redesigns, revised rear badging, new alloy wheels and chrome grille finishes across the range, with G6E and above adding new projector headlamps, black mesh accents for XR6s and other minor treatments.There’s more in the cabin, with a new instrument cluster , upgraded audio systems, and a new Interior Command Centre (ICC) with an 8-in colour touch screen on all Falcon sedan models except XT (where it will be available as an option) and on XR6 and XR6 Turbo models (but also an option on the entry-level XL).All audio systems – base, prestige and premium – have been upgraded with the inclusion of a new USB input facility to play MP3 audio files.  In USB mode, the user can play and browse all MP3 files through the audio system.Safety has been hiked with the addition of side curtain airbags and rear parking sensors across the entire sedan range and head/thorax-protecting side airbags as standard equipment across the full Falcon Ute line-up.A new stability control system – including traction control, emergency brake assist and ABS – will be added as standard on the entry-level Falcon Utes.Under the bonnet, EcoBoost engine direct injection and turbocharging technology promises the sedan range more economy, power and performance with low CO2 emissions.Ford says that -- similarly to recent turbodiesels -- the smaller EcoBoost petrol engines use a common-rail high-pressure direct injection fuel system to deliver “a precise amount of fuel in the exact spot for fast and complete burn”. More details on the Falcon EcoBoost engines will be available closer to their launch early next year. Chances are it will be around the same output as the Volvo version of the engine which generates 177kW and 320Nm. Like the Volvo and Ford's own Mondeo, it is also likely to be teamed with a six-speed Powershift, twin-clutch robotised manual gearbox.The EcoBoost technology is spreading through Ford around the world, and will be available in 80 per cent of Ford global models by 2013.

The dedicated gas Falcon is also good news for anyone hit by the rising price of petrol. The EcoLPi liquid phase injection promises zero compromises for the Falcon's six-cylinder engine, right up to the XR6, with  27 per more power and 10 per cent more torque than previous E-Gas LPG system and fuel consumption cut by 12-15 per cent. The new-age LPG system is coming a little late, a delay put down to the engineering load at Broadmeadows for the global T6 pickup development program, but nothing like the six-month overrun on the EcoBoost four-cylinder Falcon that won't hit showrooms until January 2012. Ford says it is using the most up-to-date LPG technology available, with much-improved operation and driveability than the previous ventur-  style vapour system fitted to its E-Gas Falcons. The heart of the system is an injection system that is similar to a conventional petrol engine, using a high-pressure fuel rail that delivers liquid LPG directly to the intake port. So there is no gas conversion before the liquid is fired into the cylinder for combustion. The system is also more controlled and efficient, which provides the boost to performance while also cutting consumption and CO2 emissions. "Falcon EcoLPi offers customers the power, torque and overall engine performance they expect from a traditional Aussie six ... while at the same time delivering the fuel costs of a smaller car," says the president of Ford Australia, Bob Graziano. Ford has yet to reveal the exact economy of the LPG system or the pricing.

BRITISH driver Ben Barker has won the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship by the smallest winning margin in the series history and with the closest top three in series history. The 19-year-old scored the fastest lap in the final at Sandown Raceway last weekend by five one hundredths of a second claiming a bonus point and clinching the title from Mitch Evans. Barker's title is the third in three years for the dominating Adelaide outfit, Team BRM, and the third consecutive title for British-born drivers. Barker scored 220 points to Evans's 219, with Tom Tweedie on 208. Barker wasn't informed of his win until well into the cool-down lap following the race. "I couldn't believe it. It was a huge relief. I didn't know I had won and didn't know who had fastest lap so it was an amazing feeling to know that I had done it," Barker said. Tim Macrow won the race ahead of the three title contenders with Barker in fourth.BRISBANE teenager Chaz Mostert dominated the Formula Ford races at the Gold Coast 600 with pole position and a clean sweep of the three races to extend his championship lead to 83 points and his race-winning streak to six. The 18-year-old also secured a full-time drive in a Miles Racing Falcon in the V8 development series next year. He had his first race in the development series at Bathurst this month finishing fourth for the round. "Doing the development series next year seems to be the best way to go to get into the V8 Supercars," he said.There are two rounds to go in the eight-round Formula Ford series and 122 points up for grabs.QUEENSLANDER John Martin has wrapped up the Superleague Formula season with victory in two out of three races at Navarra in Spain, claiming more than $140,000 in prizemoney. Martin, 26, also charged from 18th to sixth in the reverse grid second race in his Beijing Guoan FC machine while his Alan Docking Racing (ADR) crew scored the fastest pitstop. It was the sixth time the 2006 Australian Formula Ford Champion had stood on the top step of the podium this season. The championship was won by Davide Rigon for (RSC Anderlecht ahead of Craig Dolby (Tottenham Hotspur) and Max Wissel (FC Basel). Martin was ninth in the series but fourth in the prizemoney with $516,000. He will return in 2011 with ADR.STUART Kostera took a clean sweep of race wins in the Australian Manufacturers Championship at Sandown at the weekend to clinch the title in his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X. The West Australian took the title lead from Garry Holt (BMW 335i) who crashed out in the first corner of the first race and finished fourth in the second race. Kostera's teammate Inky Tulloch was second in both races, ahead of Jake Camilleri in his Mazda 3 MPS. Darren Hossack and James Sera finished one-two in the three Kerrick Sports Sedan Series races, with Sera scoring enough points to secure the title despite missing the opening round. Roger Lago wrapped up the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge after series rival Matt Kingsley crashed out in qualifying.THERE were three different winners in each V8 Ute race at the Gold Coast 600 at the weekend. Chris Pither won the first race and the round, rookie Rhys McNally claimed race two and series leader Grant Johnson won race three to extend his lead over Jack Elsegod by 86 points with one round to go at Sydney in December.PAUL Stokell won his first overall round of the Mini Challenge at the weekend in the Gold Coast 600. He scored a third, second and first place with former V8 Supercar racer Glenn Seton second for the round and local Beric Lynton third. The championship will come down to the wire in Sydney in December with series leader Chris Alajajian winning race one, but fourth in the second race and retiring with suspension damage in the third race. He leads Stokell inTHE absence of Chad Reed from the second round of the Australian Super X at the weekend allowed three American imports to dominate. Kevin Windham, Josh Hansen and Justin Brayton took out the open supercross on a slippery Canberra Stadium track. Best Australian was Jay Marmont in fourth. Hansen now leads the championship race followed by Brayton and Marmont in third. Reed won the first round in Newscastle with a one-off ride on a Honda, but flew back to the US last Sunday to stitch up a deal for the next season with either Honda or Yamaha. He is expected to miss this weekend's round in Launceston. Defending lites champ ion Matt Moss grabbed the holeshot and won the race to retain top slot.SEBASTIEN Loeb had already secured his seventh World Rally Championship in the previous round, but underlined his domination with his seventh victory of the season and 61st in his career by leading the Rally of Spain from start to finish in his Citroen. He was 35.3 seconds ahead of Petter Solberg with a slim 5.8 second margin over Loeb's teammate Dani Sordo. You Tube drifting star Ken Block finished ninth to secure his first WRC points. The final WRC round will be held in the UK next month.WAYNE Gardner's motorcycle racing legacy will continue with his son, Remy, following in his wheel tracks. The 12-year-old had his debut road race at the weekend in the Honda Racing Corporation NSF100 Trophy Worldwide Mini Bike race at Albacete Circuit in Spain. He raced against 35 other riders, but grappled with the reverse gear pattern shift and missed out by three places on the final for the top 18 riders. However, he finished fourth in the consolation final. "I loved battling against everyone. It was so much fun, I couldn't believe it," said the former World 500cc Champion's son.

The Australian new vehicle market year-to-date is up by 15 per cent over last year's recovering market and could again top the one-million-unit mark.Every brand in the top 10 was up on 2009 sales tallies to the end of August, which recorded 82,122 sales - 12 per cent better than August 2009, an increase of about 340 vehicles per day.The year-to-date 2010 market of 695,666 vehicles is running ahead of the same period in 2009 by 15.2 per cent or 91,823 vehicle sales.Holden's VE Commodore is in runout ahead of the Series II going on sale in and remains the top-selling vehicle in the country.Holden's executive sales and marketing director John Elsworth said the strong Commodore sales - including a big increase in Ute sales last month - suggested continuing Commodore success and Cruze outsold Falcon for the second time this year."The local manufacture of Holden's best sellers is a real boost for local manufacturing in South Australia and our national automotive industry," he said.Toyota remains the clear market leader by more than 50,000 sales and senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said the company's results were due to a number of factors, include strong retail offers in a competitive market."The improving economy, supported by solid business and consumer confidence, was also significant," he said.Passenger car sales increased by 1586 vehicle sales (3.5 per cent) over the same month last year.The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) market was up by 4543 vehicle sales (32.5 per cent), led by increases of more than 25 per cent last month in all segments except large, which rose 15 per cent in August.The Light Truck Market, increased by 2746 vehicle sales (22.6 per cent) in August, contributing to the segment's eight percent increase over 2009.The Heavy Commercial Vehicle Market slipped by 39 vehicle sales - or 1.7 per cent - over August 2009, but in year-to-date terms heavy trucks are up by four per cent.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was a strong August result with improved private and government fleet sales."The figures show sales to private buyers remain solid (up 20.9 per cent) and there has been a lift in new car purchases by government fleets (up 21.7 per cent)," Mr McKellar said."There is no evidence in the August data to suggest customers were distracted from their normal buying habits due to the election and the current political uncertainty," he said.TOP 20 VEHICLES FOR AUGUST (YTD 2010)  TOP 10 BRANDS FOR AUGUST (YTD 2010)MARKET SEGMENTS AUG  (YTD 2010, +/-)PASSENGER CAR SALES FOR AUGUST  (YTD 2010, +/-)SUV SALES FOR AUGUST  (YTD 2010, +/-) 

I might not be racing a car, but I'm racing around doing a lot of PR as are most of the drivers.  And the teams are also playing catch up on work, plus catch-up on a well-deserved break.Our workshop has plenty of work to do building a brand new race car for Skaifey and me for Phillip Island in September and Bathurst in October.  The benefit of this break is that we can also rotate our staff through some holidays to catch up with some well-deserved rest because they worked right through Christmas last year to get our new Holdens built.  So we basically have a skeleton crew on all the time at our Banyo headquarters.Mark is really excited about the new race car.  We both have to get comfortable in the car which is difficult for him and me because he has longer legs and a shorter torso than me.So getting the seat, steering wheel and pedals in a comfortable position for both of us will end up as a bit of a compromise.  I will have to stretch a bit more to the pedals, but I'll be closer to wheel.We drove together for HRT in 1999 and had a two-stage steering column we could push or pull about an inch, which is something our team is looking at.  Obviously you can't change the seat which is anchored down, so our legs will be a bit compromised for space, but we've got away with it in the past.Speaking of car-building, it's good to see V8 Supercars has now started building two prototypes to iron out any problems before the teams start building their race cars.  It's definitely a good concept and will make racing cheaper.However, with the chassis and components identical and only different Ford and Commodore shells, there is some skepticism among the fans about retaining that all-important Ford-Holden rivalry.  The teams will also have a challenge coming to terms with some of the technical issues such as the 100kg lighter weight and independent rear end.I hear they are thinking of staying with the spool diff, but having a custom housing so we can swap in a Detroit Locker or Salisbury. Interesting to hear that we may get those options for varying circuits and conditions.Our team, along with FPR, HRT and SBR have been testing various diffs to get the feel of where they work and where they don't, how they hook up and how they change the feel of the car.  Either has its pros and cons. It doesn't matter to me which one they go with.We've given our feedback and now it's up to the category to make their decision.  The idea is to allow more passing, particularly for drivers to dive down the inside into a corner and still have enough turn to be able to avoid running into the side of the car they are passing.All drivers are scared of that because you don't want to gain a place only to cop a points penalty through contact.  The other reason for the possible change of diff is to minimise the amount of damage our cars are doing to the tracks.The initial cost of all the car of the future changes will be huge, but in the long term it will be cheaper on running costs.  It should also make it safer with bigger wheels and brakes, and lighter cars.I was surprised and delighted at the weekend to see that Valentino Rossi has made a comeback to MotoGP just weeks after breaking his leg.  The sport really needs a charismatic rider like him and it was almost a fairytale comeback with a fourth place, denied of a podium by our very own Casey Stoner.No doubt he would have had the best doctors, best prep and best recovery, but it still takes an enormous  amount of personal courage and talent to come back so quickly after the biggest accident of his career and then to perform so well.  What a star.I'll also see a few F1 stars when my wife, Nat, and I fly to Europe for the Spanish GP in August.  However, I'm a little disappointed because I have to fly home before the Sunday race for a rookie day and test day the next week.  It would have been nice to see Mark Webber win another race, but at least we will be there for the practice and qualifying.

A Mustang is a wild brumby in the USA but also one of the all-time best muscle cars; the LandCruiser does just what the name says, even if the land is the worst of the Australian outback; and the Enzo is a tribute to the man who founded the world's best-know supercar company, Ferrari.But the name game can go badly wrong.  The Nissan Cedric was never going to be a hit in Australia with a name that creates a picture of an aging uncle Arthur in a cardigan, Taurus is tough in the USA but was always going to flop against the Falcon, and the Skoda Roomster has just been dumped after failing to find a home down under.Holden was careful to avoid the VD in its Commodore line, but why did it start with the VB and not the VA? And what about the Statesman, which went well as the WB but was never updated into the WC?  Just this week I was following a Citroen Jumpy delivery fan in Portugal, and wondering if the name was a reflection of the driver's behaviour or the way it runs on the road.The craziness goes on and on, like the Citroen Picasso people mover which is anything but an oil painting.  Today's showrooms also have cars whose names have more numbers and letters than a cryptic crossword, with just as much meaning. Who really knows the difference between an A7 and a C350?But head back in history and there are some absolute clangers.  Henry Ford named the 1950s Edsel after his son, but is now recorded as one of the biggest flops in blue-oval history.  Japan has given us everything from the Daihatsu Rocky and Rugger to the Honda Ascot and Acty Crawler and on through the Isuzu Big Horn to the Subaru Justy.Nissan created the Tiida name from nothing, even though it claims it has something to do with waves breaking on a beach, and Lexus is even a made-up brand name, in contrast to Mercedes which was named after an early Daimler customer's daughter.  Over in America, the AMC Gremlin was a flop, the Dodge Neon never went up in lights, Plymouth Reliant never lived up to its promise, and the Lincoln Town Car was so big it needed its own postcode.Even some of the names which have worked create more questions than answers about their creation.  The Kia Mentor is more likely to need one, the Honda Jazz is not much of a music machine and the Suzuki Cappucino was too frothy to sell in Australia.Some names also paint a picture because of their history.  Mention Celica and lots of people in Australia think hairdresser.  Ask about the Nissan GT-R and you'll hear about Godzilla.Camry is shorthand for fridge-on-wheels, Kingswood is classic sixties kitsch, and then there is the Goggomobil.  So, what's causing a Rukus today? The Toyota Rukus, for a start.We could also get the Nissan Cube, which is as boxy as its name, although Nissan Australia is also pushing for a return of the Pulsar badge which worked so well before the silly switch to Tiida.  Right now we have the Skoda Superb in Australian showrooms. If that's not a name which creates a serious expectation then we don't know our Falcodores.When Toyota was looking for a new name for a mid-sized car alongside the Camry it thought it had the ideal choice. It settled on Centaur - the mythical man-horse - because it sounded tough.  But no-one at Toyota Australia had taken into account a nasty incident in World War II during the battle for the Pacific.A hospital ship called the Centaur was sailing towards Brisbane when it was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. The idea of a Toyota Centaur sunk even faster.  The Centaur badges were crushed, all the paperwork was changed and so was the advertising. The Centaur quickly became the Avalon for Australia.  How do we know? Carsguide made the call to Toyota to warn about the problem. Japanese cars have always led the way in the silly-names race.  How about the Mazda Bongy Brawny? No, not the name for an off-road tough SUV, it was the badge on the back of a city delivery van with a 1.3-litre engine.Everyone has heard the story about the Mitsubishi Starion, and whether the company's sales team actually meant to call the turbo coupe the Stallion.  And then there is the Pajero. It's called the Montero in Spain, because Pajero is the word for something usually done alone in private.

DANIEL Ricciardo scored the biggest victory yet in his career when he won the Renault 3.5 supporting race at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Perth youngster qualified on pole and beat home the series leader, Russian Mikhail Aleshin, to also move into second place on the points table.CAM McConville starred in his first serious hit-out since retiring from full-time racing in the V8 Supercar championship, dominating the Fujitsu Championship round at Winton last weekend. McConville -- who took his only "main game'' win at Winton - scored two wins and a second to take maximum points ahead of Steve Owen and Nick Percat, as he used the weekend to warm up for endurance co-driving work with the Holden Racing Team at Phillip Island and Bathurst.GLENN Seton is back for Bathurst in October, joining the Kelly Racing driver roster of Jason Bargwanna, Todd and Rick Kelly, for the V8 Supercar endurance events. Seton, now 45, will be making his 26th start at Mount Panorama and is still searching for his first win, with his final co-driver at Mount Panorama yet to be confirmed.JACK Perkins will join Tim Slade in his Falcon for Phillip Island and Bathurst. The two youngsters are great mates and will drive a car in the Stone Brothers Racing stable.SIMON and Sue Evans took top points at Coffs Harbour in the latest round of the Australian Rally Championship, benefiting as Scott Pedder -who won the first of two heats in his Mitsubishi Lancer - rolled late on the second day, in a similar mishap to the factory-backed Honda Civic of Eli Evans.ASH Walsh used a pair of wins to take round honours in the Australian Formula Ford championship at Winton, though a slow start to the season means he is still only third in points, behind Chaz Mostert and Nick Foster. Mostert won the other race and Liam Sager took the hard charger award.GRANT Johnson and Andrew Fisher finished first and second in the V8 Utes round at Winton and hold the same positions in the championship pointscore. Johnson, from Perth, won two races, with the third going to Gary Baxter of Adelaide.SIR Jack Brabham is already confirmed as special guest at the Christmas party for 20 Victoria car clubs that will be held at the Powerhouse in Albert Park on November 27. The three-time world champion follows previous guests Harry Firth, Jim Richards and Larry Perkins at the annual event, which is backed by Shannons.

It's the driving force in the latest range of FPV Falcons and the pack leader comes with the promise of more than 330 supercharged kiloWatts.  Coyote is the American codename for the all-new V8 engine to be used in the next generation of Ford Performance Vehicles cars and the scale of the change is as obvious as the front-end alterations on this test car.Caught during a freeway run from FPV's Melbourne base, the pictures show a car with hugely improved front-end cooling and a giant bonnet bulge to clear the supercharger fitted to the Coyote powerplant.  A new nose will definitely be necessary for the upcoming FPV GT, although the supercharger installation could be done without a major bonnet change.The arrival of the Coyote is likely to signal a major change in the links between Ford Australia and FPV, with the Broadmeadows brand expected to dump V8s from its regular Falcon family - and to kill its XR8 model - as it switches to a combination of the new turbocharged four and its historic inline six for its family favourites.FPV will go alone with V8 power, installing two variations of the Coyote V8 to create a model mix similar to the GT and GT-P combination it has used in the past.  No-one at Ford or FPV will discuss the companies' engine plans, or the timing for model upgrades, but the blue team is definitely about to take the high ground on home-grown performance.The supercharged 5-litre Coyote, thanks to an all-new lightweight alloy design with twin-overhead camshafts, should have more than 330kW of power - and perhaps as much as 350 for the GT-P.  Coyote power will mark the first time FPV has won the local horsepower war, trumping the current 325kW benchmark set by the HSV GTS Commodore.