Pursuit of happiness no longer

[DJM83]

I find it hard to believe right now, seems as though Ford is going from strength to strength right across the board. And then for 'another' rumour to pop up seems odd. Hope its not true

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

We do not want to go back to the days of the XF model where we lost the V8 and Holden established the hold on the performance car market they still enjoy today. Rumours such as these concern me as I see it as potential that ford is going to make the same mistake again.

They'd be extremely dumb if they did that (at this moment in time), you'd have to wonder what they're smoking to make a decision like that (I'd like some of what they're smoking). though, many of the older generations (who are the people who can afford to buy new FPVs/HSV) are too attached to V8s because thats what kicked *** back in the day, when my generation hits midlife crysis age, you can put your finger on it that the sales will flip more towards the I4/6T, majority of us who like cars are into Jap imports and prefer the sound of a hairdryer compared to the rumble of an 8.

Hell the way the world is going, you can kiss goodbye to HSV/FPV and all other performance cars, because you will be the evil man who hates the environment causing oh so much damage, think of the Audi superbowl ad. Its starting now, car enthusiast = hoon in the media/public eye.

[mr_xr8]

The thing that is strange to me is the fact that coyote seems to be the V8 ford has needed. Why would you start axeing V8 models from the range. This should be ford/fpv's time to get back those markets from xr8 sedan/ute and up through to fpv

[bonspeed]

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

The FG Pursuit / Super Pursuit havent sold like the BA / BF ones did... I believe it..

Thats cos they U.G.L.Y.

[snappy]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

They'd be extremely dumb if they did that (at this moment in time), you'd have to wonder what they're smoking to make a decision like that (I'd like some of what they're smoking). though, many of the older generations (who are the people who can afford to buy new FPVs/HSV) are too attached to V8s because thats what kicked *** back in the day, when my generation hits midlife crysis age, you can put your finger on it that the sales will flip more towards the I4/6T, majority of us who like cars are into Jap imports and prefer the sound of a hairdryer compared to the rumble of an 8.

Hell the way the world is going, you can kiss goodbye to HSV/FPV and all other performance cars, because you will be the evil man who hates the environment causing oh so much damage, think of the Audi superbowl ad. Its starting now, car enthusiast = hoon in the media/public eye.

V8 still are the quickest. All the fastest production cars use v8
a 4t or a 6t will never match a 8t still in this day and age there is replacement for displacement .
I dont know if fpv can make a business case for it but if they want to king of the hill all they need to do is .
1 . Be the fastest in the class (the more they dominate this the more they will dominate sales ) if they also achieve no 2,
2. Have a attractive car

No one wants to buy a performance car that a bit slower then the competition for the same coin . Unless the competition's look bad.

An as for the ute I need the performance ute it the only way i can afford to buy one when i can deduct it . I cant use a sedan as a tax dedution .

[Elks]

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

thats be cause the tub on the FG ute is so fat and ugly

Very true, it's like the tub people never saw the rest of the ute.


I cant see FPV abandoning this segment.

However, if FPV did as posted earlier and put some 10" rims on it would make a difference. They would double their income in parts sales for all the current FG owners.

Perhaps they should rationalise F6, Pursuit and SuperPursuit to just 1 model. with big brakes, wheels, Hardlid as options.

One of the things that amazes me about the speculation is that whatever they are doing must be well and truly locked in by now. FoMoCo and FPV have done a great job of keeping it quiet, being that all vehicles sold after july 1 must meet euro 4.

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by snappy

Your right but there is a lot of people that dont what to spend 70k on a ute and then spend another 5k to finish it off .

Fair call but i know the first thing and usually the only thing i do to a car is put the factory wheels away and put a diff set on to make it look diff from the norm and i know a lot of people who do the same.

Still ford should do something with the ute too sort the awkard looking tub out cos it seem to be costing sales

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Hell the way the world is going, you can kiss goodbye to HSV/FPV and all other performance cars, because you will be the evil man who hates the environment causing oh so much damage, think of the Audi superbowl ad. Its starting now, car enthusiast = hoon in the media/public eye.

That is precisely the reason why economy matters. People want V8's, they want the sound, they want the performance, they want the heritage. They don't want it to cost too much to run and they don't want it to be an environmental nightmare (nor will regs allow it).

Any V8 performance car that can achieve these goals, will flourish in the future, those that don't will falter. Look at the power and economy figures manufacturers such as Audi, mercedes and BMW are achieving, using tech like multi valves, quad cams, DI, FI etc on V8's. Ford has the advantage that they are embracing that tech, it has been a hard road and the Boss has not been the best example but watch this space. The ford V8 has a future as the tech from the high-end cars filters down to access by the masses. Where are GM going to go with their dinosaur, single cam, 16 valve boat anchor? One day they will have to bite the bullet and do the development that ford is doing now with technology to meet with both more stringent regulations and higher expectations of the market in terms of economy, performance and emissions.

Lets face it, buyers that consider the cleveland, small block chev's (pre GenIII) and windsors etc as acceptable performers in todays vehicles are losing their hold on being the majority V8 buyer, this is a new age and the V8 must evolve.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

That is precisely the reason why economy matters. People want V8's, they want the sound, they want the performance, they want the heritage. They don't want it to cost too much to run and they don't want it to be an environmental nightmare (nor will regs allow it).

Any V8 performance car that can achieve these goals, will flourish in the future, those that don't will falter. Look at the power and economy figures manufacturers such as Audi, mercedes and BMW are achieving, using tech like multi valves, quad cams, DI, FI etc on V8's. Ford has the advantage that they are embracing that tech, it has been a hard road and the Boss has not been the best example but watch this space. The ford V8 has a future as the tech from the high-end cars filters down to access by the masses. Where are GM going to go with their dinosaur, single cam, 16 valve boat anchor? One day they will have to bite the bullet and do the development that ford is doing now with technology to meet with both more stringent regulations and higher expectations of the market in terms of economy, performance and emissions.

Lets face it, buyers that consider the cleveland, small block chev's (pre GenIII) and windsors etc as acceptable performers in todays vehicles are losing their hold on being the majority V8 buyer, this is a new age and the V8 must evolve.

Well said, gone are the days where fuel economy is thrown out the window purely in the name of performance....
There are too many options now with acceptable economy without compromising performance... only sound!
Ford are going the right way by embracing REAL technology in their V8's.

[Giant Cranium]

the only ugly thing on the utes is the tray. if they put 20 by 10's from the factory it will be fine.
and it looks so much cleaner that a ba/bf

[Road_Warrior]

Am I alone in thinking this might just be a prudent move?

[snappy]

Originally Posted by captain awesome

the only ugly thing on the utes is the tray. if they put 20 by 10's from the factory it will be fine.
and it looks so much cleaner that a ba/bf

An the racoon eyes on fpv models . Its not the actual eyes is just to many colours.
Take a puple ute i say the other day
It has Light grey eyes
Then orange stripes and hood decal
Then a black grille area
Then big blue badge

Then one more an the sedan the red gt bagde

That 5 different colours just in the front veiw alone a 6 on the sedans
It just 2 full on .

[Giant Cranium]

they best fg fpvs are the black ones. makes them hot.
also i kind of forgot we were talking about fpvs.
the xr8's are the cleanest looking ones (besides the tub)

[mik]

Originally Posted by glavas

ford should just stick to making turbo sixes and leave holden to the v8's. i have only seen 2 fpv utes from memory very ugly in my opinion. theres just something about fpv it has no street credibility. you see a xr6t ute or any kind of ford and you dont even look twice but you see a maloo and its like woohoo a hsv. yes im a holden fan but im not one eyed i own a f6 sedan

your entitled to your opinion, myself i like the look of the fg utes, , the myloo looks over done (the batmobile comes too mind) as for the v8`s i don`t see much performance difference between them , and in that light the boss looks good as its 10% smaller but still makes a good account of itself.

[janddbone]

Another nail...

[FordACE]

Maloo utes are so ugly. As everyone has said, the tub on the ford utes is a bit big, but fill up the space with some rims and it suddenly looks awesome. It's hard to please everyone.

[kezzer]

Well I for one don't mind if they axe the pursuit, I have seen one or two around since they have been released, compared to like 1000 Maloo's, so holden have done something right.

The tub is probably the ugliest bit, from the front on it looks nice as, but the other angles look strange, I actually think the standard xr8/6 models looks better, as they dont clash as much.

[UNR8D]

Yes because clearly the old way was the better way.... 14 sec qtr's considered FAST and cars that handled as well as the average waterfront apartment :

we live in an era where V8's are destroying V10's and V12's... 2 turbo's smacks them around some more, turbo 6's are lighter, better handling, and with a boost increase can give a few lambo's a go in a straight line

You do forget about the XU1's and charges of the era your talking about... few of them made V8's look slow as well :

Also might add, with DSG's and autos like the ZF box, unless you’re doing TOTAL track work.. they change faster than you can, put the power down better, and have less HP loss ;)... just a thought

OT :- be a shame to see them go but at the same time, sales figures speak for themselves, Im surprised the Pursuit Ute did so poorly thou, having said that and after driving a BA and BF pursuit and a VE maloo I can see why the maloo sells well, despite having the outward vision of a brick wall.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by Falc'man

The no n/a (or Ford V8) rumour is still a strong one, only because no insider has confirmed it's existence. It's not to say it doesn't exist; it only means Ford have done well in plugging any leaks.

Both rumours can be true.

In the end I think the models offering will cater for all. It's the badges people are fighting over.

When I first heard about this I immediately thought about the implications to the theories we were subscribing to.
Firstly I would hope FPV would look past previous sales efforts and look at potential sales. Investigate the issues with current models before burning those bridges.
When it comes to ADR testing the FPV product is a mirror of the Ford offerings. It piggybacks on the development cost of the Ford product. The XR8 Ute paves the way for the Pursuit. If there is a new cost consideration at the heart and it’s a cost based equation we have just been told there is another engine option in the Ford range and FPV can’t justify the extra cost.
In having said that, I don't know for a fact that adding a supercharger to the same engine would require full crash testing. Its stands to reason that it would, but that’s a guess on my part. It’s not all glory when new drivelines are added to a range. It can inadvertently have a negative impact on models.
It also means that some of the rumours we have subscribed to, some of the theories, are now much more unlikely to be true.

In having said that, I find it hard to believe. I don’t think it sends the right message for FPV to have this new engine and not have it available in all segments they compete in. It’s potentially damaging to the brand to be left with the F6 against the Maloo.

A backwards step in displacement will be seen as negative in some circles. FPV and Ford will have some work to do re education of the market. Not offering in an Aust icon won't help that cause. While it could be viewed as increasing exclusivity of a premium engine it could also be view in a negative sense as well.
It’s just another example in a long line of save the (insert ford here) campaigns.
Not offering a V8 Ute for FPV is pretty huge.

According to FPV it’s not true, but at this stage of the game I wouldn’t be betting my house on it.

[Gaz]

Hasn't there been an interview with the communications person at ford who confirmed the coyote family will be in a Ford product? Just not in what form?

Loosing the ute will be a blow, I think they just need to simplify their product range.

F6
F6E

GT
GTP
GTE

Pursuit
Super Pursuit
F6 Ute

That's 8 models.. I'd like to see dropping two model to have

F6 - Standard sports version
F6E - Subtle luxo version
F6 Ute
GT - standard sports version
GT-E - subtle luxo version
Pursuit Ute

Then option packs on every model
Sports pack gets you 6 pistons, different wheels and deeper seats. (perhaps give it the R-spec name).



On a different note - does anyone hate the MALOO writing on the side of the maloo's? it looks like a 4th grader drew it.

[XtRmn8]

I love my Falcon ute but I must say that Ford have shot themselves in the foot with the FG. Customers have voted with their feet and now they are going to kill off, what should have been an awesome product.

I have no doubt that the FG is a better car then the BA/BF ute. However they have fallen behind the ball game especially with the FPV range. Mechanically, yes they are good, but visually when compared to the previous model and the main competition the FG ute leaves a lot to be desired. When buying a ute, I do not want silver bling grills or over-sized badges. Give me a car that has tough looks to go with the name.

I just hope that Ford fix the rear offsets with what ever ute they still produce post June. One more thing, look at Omega and XL utes side by side, FFS I thought black bumpers were something from the early 90's.

Cheers.

[XtRmn8]

Originally Posted by Gaz

On a different note - does anyone hate the MALOO writing on the side of the maloo's? it looks like a 4th grader drew it.

Have looked at the Super Pursuit tailgate? Most people don's look twice at something that looks like its riding on stilts.

[4Vman]

Ford and Holden have approched the Ute from vastly different angles with different results;

Ford built the ute as a true work horse.. because that's what it is, the removable tub opens the ute up to infinite tray options and possibilities.
The live rear end makes it a better heavy load hauler than IRS would.
FPV have to work with what Ford gave them, 95% of which cant be changed.

Holden built their ute as a "pretty" "sort of" Work horse... it has limited use and flexibility as a true work horse, its a truly compromised design if you want to use it for "work", i think holden have sat on the fence with the ute to be honest.
HSV have simply adopted a better platform to make a "tarted up" workhorse with...

That's the difference, plain and simple, if by default it makes the Maloo more appealing to some people than the super Pursuit does so be it, you can't change much if any of the Falcon ute's architecture....

[Brute 33]

Well I feel lucky because I actually have a FG PURSUIT UTE in black and it hauls *** and it,s great to tow with and being a manual is nice to get rubber in 4 of the 6 gears .I will be putting it on LPG soon so it,s a really good looking ute and have had people take photos of it at the lights (maybe because it,s so rare).I will be taking it for a drag race soon just to put a number down but from what I have encounted on the street thus far ,well lets say it,s out on it,s own alot of the time.Cheers :

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by HSE2

A backwards step in displacement will be seen as negative in some circles. FPV and Ford will have some work to do re education of the market. Not offering in an Aust icon won't help that cause. While it could be viewed as increasing exclusivity of a premium engine it could also be view in a negative sense as well.
It’s just another example in a long line of save the (insert ford here) campaigns.
Not offering a V8 Ute for FPV is pretty huge.

.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the "sports" ute phenomon has only been around in the last 20 years. You used to get a vinyl interior with the Maloo.

If dropping the Pursuit means a better GT so be it.

However the mind boggles at what FPV could do with vehicle that has tough as nails rear suspension and enough room under the tub for an outrageous wheel tyre combo....

[flappist]

Originally Posted by irlewy86

Correct me if I'm wrong but the "sports" ute phenomon has only been around in the last 20 years. You used to get a vinyl interior with the Maloo.

If dropping the Pursuit means a better GT so be it.

However the mind boggles at what FPV could do with vehicle that has tough as nails rear suspension and enough room under the tub for an outrageous wheel tyre combo....

There is only ONE thing that they want to do.

They want to SELL them for a profit...........

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by irlewy86

However the mind boggles at what THE CONSUMER could do with vehicle that has tough as nails rear suspension and enough room under the tub for an outrageous wheel tyre combo....

That's a consumer choice, FPV wouldnt touch such a mod with a barge pole for so many reasons....

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Brute 33

Well I feel lucky because I actually have a FG PURSUIT UTE in black and it hauls *** and it,s great to tow with and being a manual is nice to get rubber in 4 of the 6 gears .I will be putting it on LPG soon so it,s a really good looking ute and have had people take photos of it at the lights (maybe because it,s so rare).I will be taking it for a drag race soon just to put a number down but from what I have encounted on the street thus far ,well lets say it,s out on it,s own alot of the time.Cheers :

Nice car!!!

I like the standard pursuits more then the supers in the FG range.. The hardcover just makes it look too blown up..

As for the wheel archs on the back been all blown up they dont like posts either :P

[Kamshaaft]

Oh yeah 4Vman? Tell me what you know about dreaming? You don't really know bout nothin! Tell me what you know bout them night terrors every night, 5am cold sweats, wakin' up to the skies??

:p

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by flappist

There is only ONE thing that they want to do.

They want to SELL them for a profit...........

No doubt, but pulling the pin on a model that costs them bugger all makes less sense. Some people will buy them regardless of their performance/looks etc because they want the best ute ford/fpv build at the time. Same theory can be applied for the B series GT sales "success".

This and the F6E are cars in which FPV have spent bugger all on and if there presence is enough to roll over a few more sales then great.

4vman, your right with what has occurs with F v H and their utes; what would make life interesting is what would happen if IRS was an option or standard on XR and FPV models? (personally I believe it should be an option on XR's and standard on FPV's).

The live axel does a great job but honestly it shouldn't be in a FPV car. I know the 'stang lovers want to keep there older setup for racing purposes but we are not like them and they have a million and one options anyway.

Bruet33 nice ride!: