FPV News

Ford delivered some good news this week with confirmation that the Focus will be manufactured at its Campbellfield assembly plant in Melbourne from 2011.It is a ray of hope for the workforce of around 5000 left at Ford Australia following the decision last week to cease production of its six-cylinder engine plant in Geelong at the cost of 600 jobs.The Focus development will add 300 jobs and help secure Ford's future in Australia.The Focus small car which is currently sold in Australia is sourced from South Africa with that operation told the news on Monday that it will no longer make the Focus post 2010.Australia will make hatch and sedan variants for right-hand-drive markets only with South Africa and New Zealand the initial recipients of an export program that will grow with more countries announced closer to the start of assembly in Melbourne.“It's a big opportunity for our local supply base as well as a big opportunity for us,” Ford Australia president Tom Gorman said.“As you can imagine this is a watershed announcement for us.”The Victorian and Federal governments will contribute $20 million each to the project where petrol and diesel Focuses will be made in Australia with imported powertrains. It is expected volume will reach 40,000 a year with 25,000 for Australia and the rest exported.There remains a chance Focus production could overtake Falcon numbers.“You have to keep a close eye on that,” Gorman said. “If we can pick up our volume in terms of overall market share with the Focus it's conceivable.“But at the moment what I like is that we have four very strong products . . . still a very important Falcon, Ute and a very important Territory and from 2011 it will be a very important Focus.”The small car market in Australia has more than doubled on the numbers when Ford pulled the plug on its Laser in 1998 which the Focus ended up replacing when it first arrived here in September 2002.“Ten years ago the small car market was less than 100,000 units and it will probably be 220,000-225,000 at the end of this year.”Ford says engineering and design for future Focus models will continue to be driven out of Europe.But there could be a chance for Ford Australia to have a greater say in product development providing Focus can grow with the “localisation” of the product.“We are a major player in Focus not only in the region but globally,” Gorman said.“I think as we raise our volume and we do better in terms of market penetration we can expect to have more of an input.”Gorman has ruled out niche variations of the Focus for Australian production but admits there is an opening for the Ford Performance Vehicles arm to develop a fresh warmed-over variant along the lines of the current XR5.“With FPV we've always talked to them about extending their reach,” Gorman added.“There is nothing to say we wouldn't have some desire to do stuff with FPV outside of the Falcon and Falcon Ute.“Once you localise, it gives you a whole range of opportunities that don't exist today.”Gorman defended the timing of the Focus deal, saying that it was not signed off until last Friday, two days after the grim news about the Geelong engine plant.“We weren't in a position to finalise the project until Friday.“It's a little early to judge morale (within Ford).“We're trying to be sensitive to the fact we made a very difficult announcement last Wednesday and there are 600 people whose lives have been dealt a little bit of a shock . . . more than a little, a big shock.“We're going to be working with them carefully on redeployment and retraining where necessary.“It's not a feeling of there's a big celebration here at the moment.“I'd say it's relatively muted at the moment given that we made a tough announcement last week.”

Mitsubishi, Ford and Holden all showed off production or concept cars that are designed to move fast and get the blood pumping.But the big news came from Toyota, which launched its new TRD performance brand in Australia at the show.The launch of TRD represents first time Toyota has marketed under the TRD banner anywhere in the world. It is timed to celebrate the car manufacturer’s 50th anniversary of involvement in motorsport globally.Several models sporting new TRD livery were unveiled at the show, including an Aurion and a HiLux concept car. There are several more models on the way.Also previewed at the Toyota stand was the new Corolla hatch and a new Corolla rally car, which is based on the new production model to be launched soon.Mitsubishi opened the show with a Lancer concept “Sportback”.But Ford and Holden went all-out in the performance stakes. Ford revealed a new Fiesta XR4 which will be on sale in July this year. It will feature a variant with a two-litre diesel engine – the first diesel car to grace Ford Australia’s line-up.Also on show was a 40th Anniversary GT from FPV.Holden tried to top that with the unveiling of a Chevrolet Camaro concept car which attracted great interest from the assembled press. It was the first time this car had been seen in Australia.The company said although there are no plans to launch the Camaro here, it was on the stand in Melbourne to gauge customer reaction. The implication was that if interest is strong enough it may launch here.

Holden has re-engineered and re-aligned its entire performance car range with the introduction of the VE Commodore, introducing a new model – the SS V – as the performance flagship.In response, Ford has upped the ante on the BF Falcon and its highperformance Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) derivatives.And if that's not enough, 2006 saw Chrysler introduce the stove-hot 6.1-litre V8 powered 300C SRT8, which represents the biggest and most powerful V8 engine you can buy in a muscle car today.HOLDEN COMMODORE PERFORMANCE MODELSHolden's flagship muscle car gets a new designation with VE – it's called the SS V. Below that is the SS, which roughly equates to the outgoing VZ Commodore's SV8 model. And, at the entry level is the SV6, which gets the high-output version of the 3.6-litre V6.There's no mistaking the performance intent of SS V, with its huge wheel arches, in-your-face front air dam and purposeful rear wing. Inside is a new touch – a racestyle flat-bottomed steering wheel and jet fighter-style instrumentation.It's powered by the L98 6.0-litre V8 producing peak outputs of 270kW (5700rpm) and 530Nm (4400rpm).(VE's engine is very closely related to the VZ's L76 6.0-litre, which produced 260kW and 510Nm.) The L98 is standard on SS and SSV (it's a $4700 option elsewhere in the range). What's changed dramatically is chassis refinement. The VE performance models offer levels of turn-in, steering feedback, grip and driver involvement that's up there with some very capable Euro cars – most of which can't hold a candle to 270kW either.SS V rides on 19-inch five-spoke alloys shod with 245/40 Bridgestone Potenzas, while SS and SV6 share 18-inch slotted five-spoke alloys and 245/45 Potenzas.SS and SS V are available with six-speed transmissions – both the manual and auto are six-speeders – and the auto is a slick-shifting masterpiece. SV6 gets either a sixspeed manual or five-speed auto.You want performance? Both V8 models will shatter six seconds to 100km/h and go on to annihilate 14secs for the standing 400m.Comparable times for the SV6 are 7.5 and 15.5sec respectively. Quite simply, the new VE doesn't hang around.HSV has an over-riding desire: To stand alongside elite luxury brands like BMW and Audi with its head held high. And now, with its VE Commodorederived vehicles, it can. The brand wants – needs – customers to see it as a stand-alone marque, separate to Holden.The new E-Series GTS and Senator are exactly the right vehicles for those buyers. GTS is boldly a performance car, rolling on massive 20-inch alloys (the biggest ever fitted to an Australian production car) and equally huge tyres.Rears are massive 275/30 section Bridgestones, while fronts are 245/35. The slightly more subtle and rounded Senator has Europe even more directly in its sights – and cars like the BMW 5-Series need to be worried.Visually stunning without being gaudy, both are instantly differentiated visually from Holden's lineup. Power and torque are up, albeit modestly, to 307kW (from Holden's 270) and 550Nm (Holden: 530).But the biggest news with these cars is at each corner, beneath theskin. They share something with the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and new Audi TT – HSV's elite entrants boast Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension.This allows them to change from ultra-taut supreme handling machines to super-smooth cruisers at the flick of a microchip.HSV's entry-level E-Series offering – Clubsport – lacks the miracle of MRC, but it packs exactly the same underbonnet punch as GTS and Senator.Priced in the early-$60,000s, it's around $12,000 easier to slip into – about midway between Holden's SS V and HSV's GTS.FPVNothing Holden can offer in the sixcylinder department can hold a candle to Ford's prowess with tweaking big kilowatts from its in-line 4.0-litre six.Producing an amazing 245kW in standard trim inside Falcon XR6 Turbo, thanks to a turbocharger with intercooler, Ford Performance Vehicles ups that to 270kW in its hi-tech F6 Tornado ute and Typhoon sedan.That's more power than the straight six-powered BMW M3, and although the Beamer lacks a hairdryer, there is the not-so small matter of the $80,000 extra, above the price of the Typhoon, you must spend to acquire one.FPV's Force 8 is powered by the quad cam 5.4-litre Boss 290 V8, which manages near-HSV outputs despite having 600cc less engine capacity.FPV's 'Force' models, like HSV's offerings, are aimed squarely at corporate executives who want an Australian-built alternative to European luxury marques, according to Ford boss Tom Gorman.Both FPV models are available exclusively with the world-renowned, slick-shifting ZF 6HP26 high-torque six-speed automatic transmission, which manages to snatch sophisticated shifts in the face of awesome grunt from both engines. Both models also boast supreme stopping power thanks to Brembo brakes – four-piston callipers at the front and single-piston callipers at the rear. An even more powerful Brembo brake system with six-piston front callipers and four-piston rears is optional.CHRYSLER 300C SRT8If you really, really want to stand out in a performance car, plant your rear end in one of these babies. The Chrysler Street and Racing Technology (SRT) version the 300C knows no equals, and boasts exclusivity-factor up to here.With a class-leading 317kW and a 0-100km/h time in the mid-five-second range, plus a competitive $71,990 pricetag, the Chrysler 300C SRT8 is the first SRT vehicle to be powered by a 6.1-litre Hemi V8, which offers not only Australia's biggest muscle car engine, but 25 per cent more power than the 5.7-litre standard engine.With 20-inch alloy wheels, performance-tuned suspension and Brembo brakes, the 300C SRT8 is engineered with stopping power to match its incredible capacity to accelerate.Since going on sale in its 5.7-litre V8 and 3.5-litre V6 guise the 300C has carved an unprecedented 30 per cent share in the sub-$100,000 large segment. The 300C SRT8 is the second SRT branded vehicle to be sold in Australia, joining the high performance Crossfire SRT6.The 2006 Chrysler 300C SRT8 connects with the road via a new wheel and tyre assembly consisting of 20-inch forged alloy wheels shod with high-performance Goodyear F1 245/45 (front) and 255/45 (rear) threeseason asymmetrical tyres.Power-adjustable sport seats with suede inserts are standard up front – they're heated, naturally, and come with memory functions.

THERE could be a future movie star waiting to be discovered in your garage. A sports management company has branched out to find cars for movies, television shows and ads.Vantage Management opened its Star Cars arm last month and wants to expand its books. It's now looking for some new talent, director Shan Railton says.He says someone could have the next "General Lee" or "Mad Max Interceptor" parked in their driveway."If you think about all the ads on telly or the movies or even basic photos for magazines, they all have to come from somewhere," Railton says."The criteria is any car or thing you couldn't find in a standard car lot or rent from Avis. It might be a classic or something rare, or something outrageous. It could be a new FPV or Monaro, a WRX or an old Dodge pick-up."The cars don't even have to be in good condition. We needed a car for someone who was supposed to be down and out, and the car had to match. All we can say is we probably don't need any white Commodores, unless it's a 1978 white Commodore in perfect condition."Railton says Star Cars works much the same way as a fashion model agency. Vantage gets a call from a film or magazine production company and checks its books for a car to match. Once a match is found, Vantage works out a deal.Its cut is 17.5 per cent as an agent fee. The owner's only commitment is to turn up with the car at the agreed time and place."If you have a car that fits our very wide criteria, there is no reason why you wouldn't register it," Railton says. "It costs owners nothing except their car's time."If someone wanted to use your car I'd get a brief of where, when and who is going to drive it. We email that info to the owner and it's up to them to say yes or no within a certain time."Some production companies want their own people to drive the car, but that, of course, has to be part of the contract. And someone on our books who doesn't want to accept a job, doesn't have to."Railton says the system works for everyone. Production companies save time and money and clients can make money. How much usually depends on the value of the car."It's a sliding scale based on the insurance value of the car and the job," Railton says."We had a job involving street machines on the Gold Coast, but there had to be 80s cars and they had to be American. That job was $400 a day for each car, and they were just parked on the street. That's about the cheapest job because it's not worth it to us or our clients to do it for less than that."At the other end of the spectrum, we had a car used for three months. The production company spent $30,000 fully restoring it, then paid the owner $15,000 for the job."Feature film work (Vantage found cars for House of Wax, which starred Paris Hilton) makes up about a third of all Star Car jobs.The balance is split between TV shows, ads and magazine photo shoots.So you think your car is up to it? Check www.vantagemanagement.com.au

Ford's performance arm copped a bit of flak when it announced plans for the Typhoon, with claims that it was "bastardising" the hallowed Aussie performance car genre.Much of the criticism funnily enough seemed to emanate from the Holden camp which does not have a turbocharged power plant of its own.But really, what's all the fuss about?After all, HSV happily produced and marketed the supercharged XU-6 VT Commodore in 1996, didn't it?The future is all about smaller, more powerful engines and five minutes behind the wheel of the Typhoon is enough to convince the most vocal critic that this car deserves to wear the FPV badge.Heck! On paper and on the road, the Typhoon in our estimation has got the wood on V8 stablemate the Falcon GT.The only bit that they haven't managed to engineer into the turbo is that wonderful V8 exhaust note.Available in manual form only, the Typhoon is priced from $58,950, in line with the company's policy of producing uncompromising performance at an affordable price.That's $2400 less than the manual GT – and apart from the GT badge you're not missing out on much.The Typhoon's exterior styling with smallish badges and lack of striping is somewhat understated and we believe could be more overt.The kind of people that drive these cars are not what you'd call shrinking violets.Inside, there's also room for something fancier, particularly with the ordinary dash treatment.Metal starter and gear shift knobs look the goods but get extremely hot if left sitting in the summer sun.And, while on the subject of sun, tall drivers will find the lowered sun visor obstructs vision, even with the driver's seat set to its lowest point.On the road the Typhoon feels lighter and more agile than the V8, although in reality there is only about 50kg difference.The force-fed 4.0-litre DOHC straight six cylinder engine cranks out an impressive 270kW of power and whopping 550Nm of torque from a low 2000rpm, compared to the V8's 290kW and 520Nm from 4500rpm.That's more torque and from much lower in the rev range, which as we all know is the stuff that performance is made of.The Typhoon with a shorter first gear has incredible get up and go, punching through the gears to what surely must be a mid-five second time for the 0-100km/h dash.Think WR-X and then some...In fact, if you do the sums, the power to weight ratio of the Typhoon is 6.6kg per kW, compared to say the top of the line STi Rex which comes in at a 7.5kg.In theory at least, it makes the Typhoon a quicker car, but of course other factors come into play.Apart from the lift in power, most of FPV's tweaking is reflected in the superior handling of the car.It's this rather than straight line performance that makes it so much more desirable than a standard XR6 Turbo.The car sits low and flat with big sticky tyres that hang on for dear life.Traction control is provided and can be switched off if desired but we found it much less intrusive than the standard system and assume this has been the subject of some refinement too.Twin centre mounted, driver orientated dash top gauges show turbo boost and oil pressure.The close ratio six-speed Tremec manual transmission has been specially engineered for the car and is light and easy to use, with an electronic lockout for reverse.The twin plate AP Racing clutch also has a light action, but a couple of the motor magazines have managed to fry a clutch (we're not surprised).Blue caliper performance 325/303mm brakes are standard while red caliper 355/330mm Brembos are optional.Standard equipment includes FPV badged sports with a "suede feel" bolsters, dual climate airconditioning and a 150 watt six stack CD sound system.