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Thread: Prodrive chief assures dealers over FPV's future

  1. #1
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    Prodrive chief assures dealers over FPV's future

    Prodrive chief assures dealers over FPV's future

    Quote Originally Posted by GoAuto
    By NEIL McDONALD 7 February 2007


    Big blower: What FPV's Territory could look like. Digital image: Chris Harris.

    THE new overseer of Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) has moved to reassure dealers that "steps have been taken" to meet their demands for more performance derivatives from the Blue Oval brand’s stable.

    The managing director of Prodrive Asia-Pacific "automotive technology" division Brian Mears told GoAuto last week that he understood that FPV dealers were unhappy with a lack of new model derivatives, and conceded it was a long wait – more than year – until the next-generation Falcon.

    "No, they’re not happy with it and why would they be? I wouldn’t be," he admitted.

    "(Dealers are saying), ‘I want different product. I want something done about range. I want something done about the power. I want a performance derivative off the parent product that I can proudly drive around and say I’m there and competitive.’

    "What I can say to the dealers in response is that we’ve taken steps to ensure that all of those things are going to happen.

    "It’s not a complex thing unless you want to make it complex. The dealers want sales support, they want all of the support they can get to help them sell the vehicles and we’re going to provide that. That is ramping up. We’ve got a plan."

    Mr Mears also said that "Blind Freddy" could see there was a product gap. While he would not confirm that a Territory-based performance car would be shown at the forthcoming Melbourne International Motor Show, he has dangled the carrot.

    "We can do one of two things: ignore it and hope it will go away and the dealers get more and more vocal, as they should, or do something about it," he said. "We’ve set in place a series of changes that will get us more product.

    "Let’s see what comes out and what we roll out in the next little while and I think in some aspects, certainly in the next two years, we’re going to exceed their expectations."

    Mr Mears would not be pinned down on naming that likely product, only saying that there were "a couple of things that were very exciting".

    "I’ll be at the Melbourne motor show," he said. "I think we need a bit of a talking point at the Melbourne motor show and we’ll just have to see whether there’s one there."
    So a year is too long to wait for a new Falcon. All I can think of is an F6 variant of the Territory, with the top mounted intercooler.
    Last edited by adrenaline; 02-06-2007 at 10:46 PM.
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  2. #2
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    The dealers have probably been watching HSVs go up 47kw, go up to 6ltrs, add a 6spd auto, 20" inch wheels etc., whilst FPVs haven't really progressed at all. I'd be annoyed.
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    An FPV spec Territory could be coming, but i'd put my money on a GTP spec F6. There was supposed to be one coming with upgraded suspension and a few other small things
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    Quote Originally Posted by fpv_gtho
    An FPV spec Territory could be coming, but i'd put my money on a GTP spec F6. There was supposed to be one coming with upgraded suspension and a few other small things
    Isnt it gonna be called the F6 Tempest or something like that???? Regardless of name, the idea doesnt excite me a whole lot - if its in line with the GT-P spec, then all it'll get is the premium brakes, the winged seats and a slightly different wheel design...

    Personally, I wasnt really a fan of the GT-P variant right from the start in 2003. I thought they shouldve had the GT fully equipped. I realise at the time they were targetting the Clubsport and Clubsport R8 respectively on price with GT/GT-P, but now there's the Force models. Personally, I'd have the GT-P dropped, with the GT getting the premium brakes standard, and the Force-8 staying as the luxury car. That leaves the whole FPV range bar the utes above $60K, but there's always the XR's, right??

    The FPV Territory idea doesnt really do much for me either - the regular Territory Turbo is thirsty enough as it is
    Last edited by Monty_Burns; 02-06-2007 at 11:39 PM.
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    Well theyre not going to bring out anything groundbreaking this close to the new models. Just look at the Force 6 and Force 8, the only reason theyve been released this early is to establish the nameplate for Orion.
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    yeh not really impressed at all with FPV of late, an FPV tezza could be cool if it could stick it to porsche cayennes and such but still an extremely limited buyer field on that one.
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    IMO an FPV tezza's a massive waste of space. What will it do that a normal Territory Turbo cant? Look more bling bling? Nobody's going to be throwing these things into corners and trying to see how they go...

    Ive heard some things about the Orion FPV's that sound pretty promising though.
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    ^^ such as?

    bah, HO HO HO

    FPV tezza would have quite a small market, just look how many avalanches you see driving around. I can count how many ive seen ever with one hand.
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    Dont know about anything happening with the HO. What i do know though is Orion as a whole has the BOSS integrated far better than it was for BA, and all models will be 300kw+
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    Quote Originally Posted by fpv_gtho
    Dont know about anything happening with the HO. What i do know though is Orion as a whole has the BOSS integrated far better than it was for BA, and all models will be 300kw+
    Lets hope they distinguish models more so than with the BA / BF range. The current clubbies look nothing overly exciting nor evolutionary in design. Would be good to see the Falcons loss some weight as well
    House said the perfect woman was a man...now im all confused!!

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    Well, that may happen too, but theyre not going to lose 100kg+ unless they drastically change the way theyre built.
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    They could get a fair bit off by ditching the iron blocks on the BOSS
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    Ive heard the cast iron blocks can be up to 3x heavier than equivalent alluminium blocks, but subsequently theyre also about 3x stronger. Something like an LSx obviously doesnt have issues with the lower strength block, but i'd have to wonder with the 5.4's higher piston velocity if its causing a big issue over block integrity.
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    I doubt it. The full on 7ltr LSxs still aluminium blocks, and only the real big horsepower LSxs need/use iron blocks.
    Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death...
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    Theres a LS1 powered IPRA Commode that races that revs well into the 7's and has completed a heap of laps, be it race or practice without one DNF.The alloy block doesnt handle a heap of boost.

    Alloy would be the go for the Boss engine and a stroke of about 3.5 inches so the thing will rev to 6500 instead of throwing a piston through the side.
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