Ford Falcon GT-F vs HSV GTS 2014 Review
The latest performance car heroes from Australia pay homage to the towering temple of horsepower: Bathurst.
It never should have come to this: test drive the latest domestic high performance cars in Australia. Once Ford's Broadmeadows plant closes in 2016, with Holden's Elizabeth plant following a year later, this will be the last experience Ford and Holden will remember.
Both of these cars at the peak of their careers should be an exclamation point for their brands and a sign that better times are ahead. Instead, their story will end with a period.
Ford and Holden sales may be at an all-time low, but there's still a solid fan base to keep the faith going, even though many people these days drive imported cars to take the family around. Fifty years ago, these two brands represented more than half of all cars sold in Australia. Today, the Falcon and Commodore account for just three out of every 100 vehicles sold.
Some enthusiasts, like our friends Lawrence Attard and Derry O'Donovan, keep buying brand new Fords and Holdens even if the masses don't. But, unfortunately, there are not enough people like them to support local car production.
Once upon a time, when it came to cars, we really were a happy country. Sales of the base six-cylinder versions of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore kept the factories running efficiently, allowing the respective sports car divisions to cram a V8 engine under the hood, tweak it, and add some other "fast movers." bits" (as they are colloquially called) to instantly create a muscle car.
In fact, you may find it hard to believe, but Australia has invented the high-performance sedan. It all started with the Ford Falcon GT in 1967. It was originally a consolation prize. We got it because the Mustang was a huge hit in the US, but Ford didn't import it to Down Under.
So the boss of Ford Australia at the time decided to use the Mustang philosophy in a locally built Falcon sedan, and a cult classic was created. He won on the track and helped Ford steal sales from Holden in the showrooms.
The culmination of the effort was the iconic 351 GT-HO, which at the time was the fastest sedan in the world. Yes, even faster than any BMW or Mercedes-Benz sedan of the time.
The Ford Falcon 351 GT-HO won back-to-back Bathurst in 1970 and 1971. Allan Moffat, who qualified the fastest in 1972, would have won three in a row if he hadn't outdone himself after being molested by a young guy at Torana's Holden named Peter Brock.
It is now clear that the teenagers who grew up in this era are now driving a resurgence in Holden and Ford V8 car sales. Now, in their 50s and 60s, they can finally afford the car of their dreams, except for one problem. Their dreams are going to be taken away from them.
That's why all 500 of the latest (and final) Ford Falcon GT sedans were sold out before the first one was built, let alone delivered to the showroom floor.
The cars were sold in bulk to dealers within a few days, with about a dozen cars left in dealerships across Australia with allegations against them but with contracts yet to be signed.
Anyone having trouble getting their finances in order will be disappointed because most dealers have a line of people lining up to pick it up in case someone's order drops. Meanwhile, the HSV GTS will remain in production until the end of Holden production sometime in late 2017.
Against this backdrop, there was only one place to take these two cars: the tall temple of horsepower, Bathurst. As if the mood wasn't gloomy enough, clouds were gathering as we rumbled into town. Suffice it to say that there would be no heroism today. At least not from us, although the photographer deserves a bravery award for braving the cold in the Antarctic air.
These powerful machines can prove nasty in the wrong hands, but luckily Ford and Holden have had some success making them foolproof.
They both may be the most powerful supercharged V8s of their kind, but they also have the biggest brakes fitted to a locally built Ford or Holden and their stability control systems (technology that compresses the brakes if you slip in a skid). corner) were developed on ice. Which, given today's conditions, is certainly good.
It's incredible how quickly word spreads when we arrive in Motown, Australia. Two tradis followed us onto the track after they saw us passing through the city center. Others rushed to the phone to call their fellow Ford fans. “Do you mind if I take a picture with the car?” Usually HSV GTS attracts everyone's attention. But today it's all about Ford.
Industry experts (myself included) thought the Falcon GT-F (for the "latest" version) didn't look special enough.
The only defining features are the unique stripes, a coat of paint on the wheels, and "351" badges (which now refer to engine power rather than engine size as they did in the 1970s).
But if we focus on the reaction of the crowd, then we motorists do not know what we are talking about. Ford fans love it. And that's all that matters.
Ford also left the suspension intact compared to the previous special edition Falcon GT, released 18 months ago. So what we're testing here is an additional 16kW of power. Ford has also improved the way the GT-F's power is delivered to the road. This is essentially the car that Ford should have built eight years ago when this generation Falcon came out.
But Ford couldn't afford the upgrades at the time because sales were already starting to fall. After all, Ford fans should be grateful for what they got. This is the fastest and best Ford Falcon GT ever. And it certainly doesn't deserve to be the last.
