SSbaby

What about balance, handling, braking, fuel consumption? I'm not into the quick thing as much as I want the thing to brake and handle properly. But if the engines got grunt, I tire of the car fairly quickly if it's under-engineered and/or driven in a way that expose its limitations.

I woudn't worry too much about it... unless you have one on order and are inpatient. I doubt that it's anything that can't be easily fixed before the cars hit the yards.

I've never been a fan before... but even BMW's mighty M3 had to go "V" sooner or later. That's just it, the I6 architecture has packaging issues that on a global scale cannot be justified. Good times ahead I'm sure. I think DI will be standard fare on most non 4 cyl engines come 2010.

They said the same thing about the Expensive Daewoo V8... ha ha, no looking back as I said.

I'm overwhelmed by what I read regarding the fabulous job Ford have done with their 4L T6. It's a shame the Ford world can't find a use for it... but life goes on. Given Ford don't normally boast about future product, the fact that I've read the Ecoboost series of engines (in V6/V8 guise) won't be a backward step is positive news. Given it will be a global engine (Mazda's CX-9 gives us a miniscule glimpse of the new engine) I'm very enthused about what it will do for the new Falcon (whatever form it happens to take - local or global). It's been a long, long time coming but Ford won't be playing second fiddle to Expensive Daewoo in regards to engines, IMO. I say that as a 'Expensive Daewoo man' but like I've said before, I buy what's best. Well I do work hard for my money!

Well, I could go on about the things I don't like about VE... - The centre console looks cheap and nasty. - The graphics on the instrumentation must have been design by someone colour-blind. - The spate of electrical issues. - The clunky suspensions. - The asthmatic V6 and still archaic auto transmissions. - The sheer ignorance by Expensive Daewoo to introduce 60/40 fold down seats on sedans - when VS had these. - The fiddly cruise control stalk. I still recall the bumpers didn't align flush with the bodywork early on after VE's release. I expect more from a vehicle awarded COTY. Anyway, I think I've made my point... Having said that, I still reckon VE is a great car. If we all look really hard, we can be very subjective. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You earn your money, you pays your money...

Agree with Lightning's observations. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the FG's looks. But what struck me were the little things about the car - the car's integrity if you like... I liked the car's (XR's and FPV's) interior, particularly the quality of the interior plastics, the seats were super comfortable and supportive as were the rear seats. I loved the feel of the manual shifter and the general aesthetic appeal of the dash/instrumentation. To me FG is like a BA facelift on appearance but beauty is skin deep as they say! You spend most of the time inside the car. HOWEVER, what blew me away re: FG was the feedback from road tests. Never did I expect such awesome numbers down the strip and around the track while delivering a high quality ride. The turbos are an absolute revelation... I'm yet to drive one yet I'm so excited about the prospect of actually test driving one for the first time - go figure! By all accounts, Ford have shifted the goalposts with FG and nobody (esp rivals) could see it coming.

Personally, I don't believe the claimed manufacturer outputs. We all know the BF F6 was far more powerful than the indicated 270kW. Dyno figures suggest the output was over 300kW. Therefore, the arguments regarding 40 extra kW don't seem to hold water. I think we should wait to see what the F6 is capable of rather than listening to innuendo. Although, it is fun speculating... :D

Thanks mate. I could only hope the T is all I've read about... apparently it's a world beater. I don't think I'd need to be coerced into one if that's the case. Just read on one of the forums that the XR6T leaves a GTS in its wake during a recent Wheels mag test. How good is that!

Absolutely! If the 7.0L W427 is 'only' capable of 12.7s (claimed) then the F6 will definitely pose a few headaches for HSV. Similar (or better?) performance for only half the cost. HSV need to do more than just slap in a GM crate motor and add "Powered by HSV" stickers in the engine bay! As much as I love the GM V8s, the new FPV turbo 6 almost renders the V8s pointless. And yes it hurts to say that!

LOL Thnx for the welcome guys. I'm not jumping ship yet but the fact that I've expressed interest in [reading about] what are indisputably the quickest Aussie muscle cars... ever is a clear statement that I don't care what the badge on the car is. If it's got substance, I'm there! :D Given all the reports, I think Ford fans and fans of performance cars the world over can rejoice with what Ford has delivered with FG. As I said, I can't wait for the official road tests and head-to-head comparos with the arch enemy. I have a mate up north who's had a great experience with his BA F6 - the best car he's owned and never touched it with a spanner. I can't wait to read more about the turbo Fords on the forum. The overall ownership experience seems to be very positive, from what I'm reading. Cheers

Hi Folks Although my nick might suggest it's a little odd that I would join this forum, I've actually sold my much loved SS and I'm now carless. I was considering a VE SS... well that was before the FG arrived. I'm quiet open minded wrt to the badge a car wears, no matter whether it's local or foreign. While I'm still lukewarm on the FG's looks, I'm overwhelmed by the FG XR6T's scintillating performance - I like the look of the G6E turbo best. I just can't wait for the arrival of the FPV F6 as I reckon it will be one of the greatest muscle cars this country has produced. I look forward to having good discussion with you all. Cheers for now.