2009 Ford Falcon 'FG01' V8 Supercar - Images, Specifications and Information

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Based on Ford's all-new FG Falcon XR8 sedan road car, the new Blue Oval weapon will feature a striking 'Nitro' blue with white themed livery.

"There has been a lot of excitement at Ford surrounding the launch of the new FG Falcon road-going series, and that excitement has certainly extended to the development of our new racecar," said Ford Racing Manager, Ray Price.

"Aside from the obvious lines and aesthetics that we've inherited from the FG Falcon XR8 road car, the adjustments to create a unique and functional V8 Supercar have come together into one extremely well rounded vehicle.

"We're absolutely ecstatic with our new FG01, overall the car just looks a tougher package."

Three major teams worked closely with Ford to ensure accuracy of design, packaging and technical elements.

FPR, Triple 8 (T8) and Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) played a pivotal role in building the FG test car which is called T2 internally - T1 was the test car for the BA/BF V8 Supercar model.

FPR undertook the overall design and build of FG01. As the official Ford homologation team, T8 was involved in the development of FG01 and were responsible for technical compliance of the vehicle within the TEGA 'Blueprint specification'.

Additionally T8 contributed its aerodynamic expertise, designing and supplying components for testing.

SBR assisted with various technical elements of design and integration and additional Ford teams have monitored the development of FG01 since its inception.

TEGA specifications control all dimensional aspects related to V8 Supercar length, width, height, weight, wheelbase, wheel track, suspension mounting points, front bumper and rear wing positions, plus a number of secondary mounting point positions.

The FG01 build involved a number of complex processes including the floor, cage, internal structural panels and external finish panels.

A major design consideration was to ensure that the maximum amount of BF mechanical components could carry over into the new FG chassis to assist with cost control and minimise redundant parts.

The cage and floor are assembled together in a master jig which provides dimensional points for the body to be built. This method gives structural integrity without relying on exterior panels for safety which allows for quicker, more cost effective crash repairs.

Safety-wise one significant change involved moving the driver seat as far inboard as possible, creating a noticeable gap between the seat and driver door.

This adjustment required using part of the transmission tunnel for seat and seat belt mounting points, and required the steering column and pedal box to be moved further inboard to accommodate the new driver position.

FG01 features a strengthened roll cage at the driver's door area to minimise any side-impact intrusion which combined with the shift in seat position provides an optimum level of driver safety.

"A priority of the new V8 Supercar was it had to be less expensive to build as a new shell, and less expensive plus quicker to repair in the event of an accident," said Ray Price.

"Subsequently Ford's new V8 relies less on welded panels for strength than the BF, allowing for swifter removal and replacement of damaged pieces.

"We achieved this through a comprehensive design strategy where the floor and cage were built up as an assembly and the exterior panels fixed to the car rather than welded.

"Additionally, both crash cans and sacrificial structures have been incorporated which can be easily replaced after an accident.

"The overall functionality of our new racecar combined with its look will ensure the Ford teams are able to continue building competitive, race winning V8 Supercars."