The decade that was

[FTE217]

G6ET my No1 pick, total package !
GT back by name but a pale to the legend to date followed by XR6/T....

[chevypower]

I voted the Territory, it was something new, different and exciting for Australia. It brought the mid-size SUV at an affordable price, still handled like a car. People wanted the practicality of a station wagon, without the boring look and feel of one, it was fresh. Everyone had seen the sedans come and go all the time, another 5-10kw here and there. All the others are really the same car, they are just Falcons. Obviously, every model of the Falcon has different levels of features, specs (including power, torque, engine size), but they're still Falcons, which have been around forever. So I vote Territory. It came fresh, and it wasn't all about the engine, it didn't just come as an updated model, it was completely new (talking about the car overall, not the parts), It was a good alternative for a lot of people to the sedan, station wagon, full-size 4x4, and mini-van, all in one package at a decent price.

[ED Classic]

Xr6T and Territory...THe only 2

[Dave R]

It's a tie between XR6T and Territory.

The XR6 Turbo is definitely the most significant sedan - the G6ET is just an evolution of the XR6T in a luxury package. Without the BA XR6T we wouldn't have the fantastic G6ET that Ford offers today so G6ET is not in the running as far as I'm concerned. G6ET is a great package, probably the best Ford have ever made - but it doesn't carry the significance of the original XR6T which began the whole turbo following and changed the perception that V8s are the only route to high performance.

Then there's Territory, which was a triumph in 2004 and has become a household name as far as cars go. The original marketing was fantastic and the Territory itself was/is an amazing package. However, it's a shame that Ford haven't had the money available to update the package over the past half decade. Regardless, the fact that a 5-6 year old wonder wagon can still compete quite easily in today's market is a testament to how fantastic it really is.

Third place for me would be the FPV range as a whole - it finally gave blue oval fans a real alternative to HSV and has even reached the milestone of outselling HSV in sedan sales from time to time.

[.bazz.]

i love my v8's but voted XR6T. its a cheap entry level performance car, with low costs for easy modifications to turn it, into a weapon on the streets

[BHDOGS]

Id vote the ef/el xr6 its what got me into fords something that looked totally different with the round head lights and rounded body the official start of the ford fight back in my opinion the life raft that kept ford afloat for a little a better after the ea storm and before the au storm haha.

[vztrt]

If looking outside the enthusiast view the Territory.
Its a wagon, a people mover, the handling can be better then the sedans and the IRS is that good that BMW is using it.

If is also a cash cow and saved Fords bum after the AU disaster.

[imugli]

Terry and BA pretty much saved Ford's a*se here, so I'm going with Terry.

[Eaturbo]

Still think XR6 Turbo was the best car done by ford but Territory probably saved Ford bums in Aus

[Luke Plaizier]

Well, I voted G6ET myself.

But I agree with the result - that the XR6T has had the biggest impact, and not just in Australia either. In fact, I consider it to be the blueprint for all upcoming engines in the near term during Fords recovery - Dual Independent VCT with Turbocharging.


Lukeyson

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by MNM96

All you really got was the proper bastardisation of the GT!

I Went out of my way to see if the newie was worthy of the GT badge.... My conclusive results are simply yes!!.. Ask the copper at Pt Wakefield SA.. He'll still remember me..

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

I Went out of my way to see if the newie was worthy of the GT badge.... My conclusive results are simply yes!!.. Ask the copper at Pt Wakefield SA.. He'll still remember me..

Was the copper in a Lancer ?!

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

Was the copper in a Lancer ?!

Dont be silly.. SS chaser parked up.. Helicopter was on standby.......... All was good we had a laugh about it afterward's.. Bloody GT fever!!..

[outback_ute]

I'd find it hard to separate the XR6T, GT and Territory. There were 3 questions in flappist's original post. My answer to the last two might vary depending on who you were looking at influencing or impacting - car enthusiasts or the wider community.

Which Falcon has been the greatest leap forward?
I would say Territory here, for being a new segment, quite a few new technical developments and for the way it was developed and got through the US management, which really reflected on the evolution of Ford Aust more than simply getting 'just another' product approved. The XR6T and GT were both pretty bold moves from Ford - the BA must go down as one of the greatest Falcons ever, even if there were some faults and weaknesses.

Which has had the most influence? Tough call here, the GT & XR6T both brought a lot of blue oval fans out of the woodwork & created a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Likewise the Territory was pretty influential in leading and shaping the crossover market.

Which Falcon has had the most impact? All told it has to be the Territory for mine, they way it changed the face of the SUV/crossover market was a more widespread impact than the close second to the XR6T in introducing another dimension to the Ford vs Holden performance spectrum.

T Series - overall so little impact it isn't funny compared to the return of the iconic GT nameplate. The T3 is still worthy of mention as both the end of an era and a precursor of bigger things to come. Kudos for shading the competitive HSV model at time of launch.

XR6 - don't give it a lot of credit for impact or influence during the Noughties, unlike the early/mid Nineties. It has been diluted as a brand due to losing its differentiation from the mainstream Falcon and becoming the most poplular model - ie selling to more non-enthusiasts because of the better resale equation than an XT.

XR6T - refer above, if we look more at the enthusiast segment than the wider community who probably saw it as just another type of fast taxi & some hopefully noticing it was something new.

XR8 - had a brief flash in the pan when it gained level performance footing with the top of the tree T series cars, and again when the BA was launched with such a technically impressive engine, but that soon faded when it did not live up to initial expectations. Also left well and truly in the shade by the return of the GT as a full-time model.

GT/GT-P - as mentioned 4 or 5 times, massive impact when launched and also shaded the HSV competition at launch (cue overnight 10% power jump and elimination of the 300kW GTS as a worthwhile flagship). Like the XR8, some disappointment with the performance but I think a lot of early comparo's with the much more expensive GTS didn't help things either. Again as with the XR8 the unique local Boss engine suffered from higher costs & more intensive develeopment requirements than GM crate motors.

Pursuit/Super Pursuit - This might be a bit harsh, but the ute 'sidekick' to the GT/GT-P doesn't rate as highly to me. Partly the toe in the water initial approach (ie no higher spec model initially) but also nothing new - HSV Maloo had been around for a decade & as with the sedans it had a T3 predecessor.

G6ET - While an excellent product that has had an appreciable impact, it isn't particularly innovative but rather a logical extension of the XR6T and F6. As mentioned earlier the transition from dowdy Fairmont names to G series has had an impact, even if the change is probably still not familiar with a lot of people. Can't help wondering if an G8E will arrive with the new engines.

F6 - Made a splash when it was announced both as the big brother of the XR6T and also for the unfathomable emphasis on the torque output, and then another when the clutch issue arose. Really came alive with the BF and ZF auto. Will go down as one of the great Fords of all time, and it must be acknowledged as being at the top of the performance tree, but in the wake of the XR6T fewer people would have been surprised by this car than the G6ET or T3 I would think.

Territory - I think I've covered this pretty well above, a real landmark vehicle by Ford and as with the BA Falcon range a fantastic vehicle despite the odd flaw. It has been shamefully neglected, but the sales performance despite that is commendable.

Territory Turbo - as with the F6, I don't think this surprised anyone. Seeing as it reportedly won't return in the next model perhaps the impact has far outweighed the runs on the board, which could indicate it hasn't had the influence it might have, but that could also reflect the reputation as a gas-guzzler which has also rubbed off on the normal Territory.