What was wrong with XR8?

[SSD-85]

I think poor FG XR8 sales were almost entirely caused by the poor perception of the B-series ones. It had to live with that stigma. But thats my speculation.

[anto]

i wanted to buy one but the dealer had none available at the time, not even a demo..settled for an XR6 as I needed it asap and i was primarily to be the shopping trolley for the mrs.

A friend of mine managed to get one a few months before me and it was an awesome car, so much so that after driving it, it made me want an FG.
Theyre quick, damn quick cars for a daily hack. Anyone complaining about the lack of grunt is on crack ! they arent the fastest things out there but plenty fast enough.

Id even buy one now if the last few remaining 5.4s were priced a little cheaper, especially considering theyre outdated now..I have looked at a few "demo"s here in Adelaide and some of the prices theyre asking are pure fantasy! they had a black one at Jarvis Gepps cross for 50k!!

Im envious of how cheap and readily available the SS equivalnts are for all the bogans...

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by anto

i wanted to buy one but the dealer had none available at the time, not even a demo..settled for an XR6 as I needed it asap and i was primarily to be the shopping trolley for the mrs.

A friend of mine managed to get one a few months before me and it was an awesome car, so much so that after driving it, it made me want an FG.
Theyre quick, damn quick cars for a daily hack. Anyone complaining about the lack of grunt is on crack ! they arent the fastest things out there but plenty fast enough.

Id even buy one now if the last few remaining 5.4s were priced a little cheaper, especially considering theyre outdated now..I have looked at a few "demo"s here in Adelaide and some of the prices theyre asking are pure fantasy! they had a black one at Jarvis Gepps cross for 50k!!

Im envious of how cheap and readily available the SS equivalnts are for all the bogans...

Agreed, a ZF 290 in a straight line is a beast, no questioning that (actually so was the 260 and 3v..certainly not what I would call "slow" by any means)...the prices are still very high for a car that technically doesnt exist anymore. The GS 302's still are very expensive considering what you can buy a GS 315 for now.

12 months time they will be great buying.

[Chopped]

Because people were buying the turbo instead.

Most of the buyers of V8s went for the Holden offering (better value IMO) and those that did buy the Ford V8 spent the rest of their time defending their decision to buy one.

[ray38l]

Considering the gs is basically an xr8 how did the sales figures of the fg xr8 compare to the gs? Does the gs sell alot more then the xr8 did? If it does it could be that the xr8 name just wasn't working anymore. Obviously its not an exact comparison considering the new v8.
I think it was a case of the xr6t stealing sales from the 8.
There is no shortage of people buying v8's as can be seen by how many people buy commodore v8's.

its too hard to pin point one exact reason for the xr8 demise because really it was a combination of many things.

[burnz]

I allway's thought that people were holding off till the miami became standard in the lineup.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by ray38l

There is no shortage of people buying v8's as can be seen by how many people buy commodore v8's.

v8 commo's sell because there is no performance alternative. when ford released the xr6t they basically caniballised the xr8. the xr8 was only bought by those who still wanted that sound and characteristic that only a v8 can offer. it doesn't make the xr8 a bad car.

on AFF many people equate sales to mean a product is good or bad. that may be true to an extent, but not with xr8. (even the 'heavy nose' was a misconception that was largely carried over from b series and only really noticed on a track)

as an aside, holden only offer the v8 in calais v and ss models. seems if you want a v8 holden you still have to stump up at least $50k on road barring any discounting.

[fairBA]

The problem is that we have some guy in America telling us what they want us to buy instead of listen to what we want to by.

[ray38l]

Originally Posted by prydey

v8 commo's sell because there is no performance alternative. when ford released the xr6t they basically caniballised the xr8.

on average 40% of commodores sold are v8's, so when the xr8 existed did the v8 and xr6t equal around 40% of falcons sold?
Its easy to say that commodore buyers pick the v8 due to lack of choice but i think it comes to Marketing.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Dash GT, We hear the term G8E bandied around here a lot, but its kinda a moot point - basically no-one bought BFII V8 Fairmont Ghias, so there's your answer.

would they if it had the same engine as the XR, like the G6ET?

[mytgxl]

Originally Posted by fairBA

The problem is that we have some guy in America telling us what they want us to buy instead of listen to what we want to by.

yer I agree with you totally! If ford really gave a ***** they would do what holden did! And put a poll online for those of us that actually buy there product & see what we the the buyer would want!

They would get one hell of a shock if they did ! If I wanted a 6 I bloody well would of brought one you gooses! If you don`t give me an eight I can always change camp to holden If they give me what I want!

[Polyal]

Um guys....dont think that Holden dont have guys in the US pulling the strings.

[Windsor220]

1. The XR6T hurt it since the BA days. Back in the AU and the XR8 was king but even before that the LS1 started the rot.

2. Its had a negative rep attached to it since the above. How many times in magazine tests did it out perform or equal the SS but they said it "felt" slow. Was always the untalked about model. Everyone got on the XR6T ans SS bandwagon.

[Bud Bud]

Don't forget Holden can and does share development costs over its whole product line making the V8 far more viable within their line up. The SS is just their hero version.

While the 3 valve Fairlane was just not up to the same levels of power as a standard ls1 in a Calais, the 4 Valve was only available as a stand alone entity in the XR8 only as well.

Perhaps the 4 valve should have been made available across the whole product range (bonnet bulge and all) in the first place.

Bud Bud

[BLUEYBA]

So Ford has confirmed that there is no more XR8?

[stang65]

No they have not.

[Smoke Pursuit]

No they havent.. but if it does not come with FG2 then its pretty obvious it wont be coming back...

Only 4 more months... sigh.

[HUNTER8]

Originally Posted by Chopped

Most of the buyers of V8s went for the Holden offering (better value IMO) and those that did buy the Ford V8 spent the rest of their time defending their decision to buy one.

Really???? I can't even think of a time I've had to defend my decision to buy an XR8.

[Supercharged]

When I ordered the Nitro FG in April 2008 the premium fuels were getting close to $2.00 per litre and my thoughts were along the line of trade in value in 3 years time.
I ordered the Turbo’s (Breeze in Aug) as my thoughts were if fuel prices stayed high the lower consumption of the turbo would result in better trade in value.
The XR8 was on the shopping list and I did look long and hard but the turbos won out, had they had the Coyote it may have been different but had it been supercharged then that is what I would have had and to hell with the fuel price and resale values.

One thing that has always puzzled me and that is the sport maxx tyres Ford stick with, they often loose out in ¼ mile runs and the like due to traction problems, it would be quite easy to partly fix this by simply adding an optional extra like premium tyres at say an extra $1200.00. If that was done all the demo and press cars would be fitted with tyres with good grip and just about any really keen buyer would opt for the up-grade and they would make more from each sale as the tyres wouldn’t cost that much extra.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by flappist

Or better still based of the amount of public transport locally available, those in the cities pay more than those in the bush as those in the bush have no choice but to drive.

100% agree, rego should be way higher for 4X4s and cars registered within inner Melbourne suburbs and people should have to pay congestion taxes to actually drive within.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Supercharged

One thing that has always puzzled me and that is the sport maxx tyres Ford stick with, they often loose out in ¼ mile runs and the like due to traction problems, it would be quite easy to partly fix this by simply adding an optional extra like premium tyres at say an extra $1200.00. If that was done all the demo and press cars would be fitted with tyres with good grip and just about any really keen buyer would opt for the up-grade and they would make more from each sale as the tyres wouldn’t cost that much extra.

You'd think Continental tyres would be a factory fitment on their upper cars, like they are with the Fiestas, $250+ per tyre there on an $18,000 car.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Polyal

That is a horn looking car.

I agree.

However, unless you walk up real close and have a damn good look at the badge, you would have no idea whether that is an XR6, XR6 Turbo, or XR8...not enough difference between the models. "Bonnet bulge", you say? Who notices. It's a bulge, and once again, unless you saw the two side by side, not many people except the enthusiast would notice.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

No they havent.. but if it does not come with FG2 then its pretty obvious it wont be coming back...

Only 4 more months... sigh.

Not the case at all. Ford have said they are working out what to do with the XR8, and due to money and time constraints its more likely if the XR8 was to return it would be in 2012 after all the other new releases have hit the market. I think all the other projects have taken precedence and the XR8 has been put on the backburner until engineers and money get freed up to finish it.

It would be extremely unlikely to be available at the launch of FG2.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Not the case at all. Ford have said they are working out what to do with the XR8, and due to money and time constraints its more likely if the XR8 was to return it would be in 2012 after all the other new releases have hit the market. I think all the other projects have taken precedence and the XR8 has been put on the backburner until engineers and money get freed up to finish it.

It would be extremely unlikely to be available at the launch of FG2.

Which when you think about it, it makes sense.
I am a believer that we will see the XR8 back in Ford's line up, it's just other project's like you mention have taken precedence.

[doktoravalanche]

You're all looking at this too deeply!

Nothing wrong with car! Too many people here talk about 'em not enough people buy 'em!

The industry needs people to buy new cars..... that simple........if people on the Ford forum aren't buying new Fords, fat chance of anyone else purchasing! If everyone on here was driving a BF or later it could all be very different!

Go on shoot me down!

[vztrt]

I drove plenty of B-series XR8's. They were a nice car and fun to drive.

For a road car they had the presence, the sound, adequate power & comfort.

This was with a 260 motor that is bagged but for a car that's a bit special and looks cool it was great. I'd take one over the turbo for those reasons.

Seeing as the FG would be better it would be a good car. But I remember the media bagging it from day one.

[BLUEYBA]

I don't understand why we are talking as if its not coming back.

[stang65]

Because if people can`t have it now they think the worst.

[Cúl-Báire]

It's all in the marketing in my opinion; as said previous the Holden SS is marketed much better, at a demographic that will actually buy them and comes with the options that a "sport sedan" should...

[FGX-351]

I always prefered the boss's midrange punch over the LS motors.
Makes for much more of an entertaining drive.