Ford to kill GT Falcon early

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Ford to axe FPV, add Mustang

Sam Hall on the blue oval's decision to cut its performance brand but revive XR8 and Mustang.

Ford's iconic GT Falcon will be an early casualty of the blue oval's decision to shut down its local manufacturing operations.

An inside source has confirmed to Drive that?Ford Performance Vehicles?- the company's official performance division - will be killed off next year when the final iteration of the Falcon is launched.

In a bid to ensure fans of fast Fords are still catered for until?the Falcon is phased out in 2016?- and eliminating the costs to produce new unique visual parts of FPV vehicles - it is understood the company?will revive the XR8 badge?utilising the GT's high-performance components, such as its 335kW supercharged V8 engine, Brembo brakes and sports suspension.

Ford Australia spokesman, Neil McDonald, would not confirm any details on FPV's imminent closure when contacted by Drive.

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"We are not in a position to comment on FPV and any future product plans at this point," he said.

The decision to close FPV early will no doubt prevent the company from?sending off the Falcon without a revived GT-HO, leaving the latest?430kW HSV GTS as the fastest and most powerful production car built in Australia.

Beyond 2016, Ford will then replace the outgoing Falcon with a global product line-up which includes two variants of?an all-new Mustang coupe currently under development. The entry-level pony car will be powered by a twin-turbo V6, priced from about $40,000, while the flagship will be a V8 coupe priced from about $60,000. Our source also indicated the next-generation Mustang will not be built with supercharged powerplants, thereby eliminating the likes of high-powered Shelby models in the future.

It?s believed the closure of FPV will not result in early job losses. After acquiring full ownership of the FPV brand in August last year, Ford made 32 workers redundant and?took the performance brand?s remaining infrastructure in-house to its own operations at Geelong and Broadmeadows.

McDonald did, however, confirm that the company?s global vice president of sales and marketing, Jim Farley, would outline some of the upcoming changes at a media briefing in Sydney next month.

?We can confirm Jim is coming to the event in Sydney ? to look at a range of things moving forward,? he said.

?In terms of specific models, we?re not in a position to comment on that from this far out.?

During the media briefing,?Ford is expected to also outline its plans for replacing the Falcon family sedan. The?Ford Taurus, a US-built mid-size car, is largely expected to shore up the company?s sedan offering. There is also speculation that the?Ford Territory?will be replaced by a closely-aligned, albeit larger, American sibling, the?Ford Explorer.

Ford Performance Vehicles has been an integral part of Ford?s Australian operations ever since it was founded in 2002. The performance bloodline traces further back to 1991, when English engineering company Tickford began a collaboration with Ford Australia to produce high performance variants of the Falcon.

FPV currently produces five Falcon performance variants in Australia: the?GT, GT-P, GS and?F6 sedans, and a GS ute.?

While Ford plans to succeed the Falcon sedan variants, its flagship performance ute will not be replaced. Instead, the?Ranger?will carryover the hay-hauling banner.

The Ford Mustang will be an all-new model?designed for global sales, with its design said to be?inspired by the Evos concept car?which Ford Australia displayed at the Australian motor show last year.

Ford Australia, through Tickford,?converted a small number of Mustangs to right-hand drive?between 2001 and 2003. The last time the iconic muscle car was imported in large numbers was during the 1960s.

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Source: http://www.theage.com.au/drive/motor-news/ford-to-kill-gt-falcon-early-20130716-2q1nh.html

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