mickq

Hey guys, Wow, I havent been on this forum since the first couple of years the XR6T was available! I have been through a number of XR6T's (240 and 270kw) and VE/VF SS's. Not long ago I just picked up one of the new XR8s. Holy cow, it is one hell of a car! The sound - I am amazed its legal. Sounds like s v8 supercar once those bimodal exhaust valves open. (Draws waaaaay too much attention though!) The braking is great,. The handling is super flat - I am amazed at the handling. I thought it might be more of a straight line beast - instead I got the best handling car I have owned. Its on rails. And the engine is just unreal. Very responsive. Huge power everywhere, especially in 2nd gear and above when the 335kW limit is replaced with 375kw (if its not >30 deg). The power is very linear, and despite the extra power I find it a lot more predictable and easier to drive (including in the wet) than the 270kw XR6T was. So my question is this - is an FGX XR8 forum going to be added to this board??!

Thanks, that's my review Since then I have had the 270kW FG and then another SS which I am driving now. I should write a follow-up review as the FG was a *very* different beast to the 240kW original models! Early next year I will probably try the new SS...so long as they don't wind back the power in aid of fuel economy. I am hearing all sorts of rumours and don't know the facts on the new SS yet. Rumours include: 310kW version of the current engine. 310kW version of the 6.2L engine No idea if they are true though.

Excellent, tanks Senna_T. That was exactly what I needed to know.

Hey all, I'll be ordering a new XR6T soon, in manual. Just wanted to ask a couple of questions about the towbars, in case anyone knows. From what I can see, the Turbo manual towbar is rated for 1600kg. This is the only option....there is no 1200kg rated one for the Turbo manual? And if you can choose either 1200kg or 1600kg, what is the actual difference? Are any suspension settings or similar altered for the 1600kg? It may be that only the 1600kg is available so there is no choice for me to make, but thought I would check just in case.

Jeez - a lot of wankers responded to my post. What a pack of d1ckheads. I notice an interesting trend - most have been on this forum for very little time. How about this - if you cant contribute something of use to a fair question, then move on to the next thread? Even got the stereotypical jab at Expensive Daewoo drivers - what a joke! You really need to get a life and learn to be original. Rprodrive, thanks for your answer. The reason I need to know is that I will be moving from 'endless' fuel to having to factor in an annual amount of fuel per year. That means I need to estimate how much fuel I will go through in an f6. Now given I dont own an F6, but have accurate personal fuel stats on my 2 XR6T's and my SS-V, I provided those stats in the hope that someone could relate that to F6 fuel usage. Why? Well in the words of someone below, "Dah!" (Oh, and Braniac - its "Duh" not "Dah". Duh....). . Given its just about guaranteed that some FG F6 owners were past VE SS and XR6T owners, and may have had similar SS or XR6T consumptions that I have, then maybe someone can come up with a decent estimate of their fuel consumption when they moved to the F6 that would be close to what I would expect. All very logical (I didnt think it was rocket science, but it clearly is for some of you), and its PRECISELY why I took the time to ask a VERY SPECIFIC question, not just another "how much fuel do you use mate?" thread which would likely have resulted in an average figure close to the official FPV figure which is NOT of use to me. Oh, and for those d1ckheads getting all excited about driving on local streets, I dont do much freeway driving. You can drive in a lot of secluded areas and not go on freeways. And fuel use can have a lot to do with what gear and what revs you do - I happen to run high in the revs frequently. Im not the kind of person who changes gear at 2500rpm without good reason. All but one of you guys are going off without thinking. Try thinking instead of a knee-jerk emotional response sometime. I have been at this forum for years, and have never seen such a group of idiots respond to a fair and simple question like that. Well done guys. Keep up your excellent contribution of knowledge to the forum.

Hey all, I have had a couple of T's, am currently driving an SS-V, and am doing the sums to see if I can afford to novate an FG F6. Can people please post some figures on their fuel consumption for standard FG F6's? Note: I am not interested in economical drivers, freeway drivers etc. I drive hard, around local streets. A few points: - Using 98 Octane premium fuel. - In my 2 XR6T's I tended to get 22-24L/100km - in my SS-V I get 22-23L/100 (standard unleaded). - I drive manuals so manual figures are of most use, but auto figures wont hurt either. I am only interested in responses with >20L/100km as they will represent people who drive closer to how I drive. As I find it hard to believe the new F6 would go through less fuel than my SS-V or past XR6T's, anything less than 20L/100km is likely to mean you do more freeway k's or drive less hard than I do, so those sort of figures arent particularly useful to me in this instance. That being said, it would also be interested to know typical consumption at 100-120kmh on freeway cruises. I dont do many, but was astounded that my hard driven T's got 7-7.2L/100km at 120kmh. My SS-V is lucky to get 12L/100k. Any info appreciated!

Bastard! I am seriously jealous. I am currently stuck in an SS-V as I needed a change after owning 2 BA XR6T's. Would LOVE to get the F6 as any car that has so much power it requires skill to put it down definitely interests me. And you even got the right colour you *beep*! If you get sick of it and want to swap it for my SS-V, sing out! I havent been in the new T or the new F6, but have read enough about them to know....

Hey just a hint - if you decide to drive to Melbourne from Tassy, do the later part of the trip on a boat. XR6T's dont float too well. If I were going to do the drive to Melbourne (via the boat....) I would go visit Nizpro in Bayswater area. I know there are a lot of tuners out there, but I must say I have been very impressed with their professionalism and attention to detail. that's not to say there arent other great tuners (there certainly are and many are forum advertisers), but I would never regret using Nizpro if it were me.

The good thing is that you can be sure all servicing was done as per Ford's requirements, and pretty much always done on time. Telstra hounds the staff to ensure its all done right. The car would normalyl have been used 100% for personal use - ie not driven by random people, in a pool etc. The inside may give you an ok idea of how much the person cared for their car. There will not be any cost-cutting like using crap oil etc. Everything strictly Ford and by the handbook. 90,000ks is quite high. The car will normally have been kept for exactly 2 years (plus or minus a few weeks). At some stages they could be 3 years old, but I am pretty sure 2006 models would have been 2 years. Typical Telstra fleet cars will average 25,000km/year. Some higher - people who drive across the planet - and some lower - people who drive it to work. You have one of the higher mileage models there...you should expect roughly 50,000ks to be the average. Generally I have found if you are used to a car, you can quickly tell how hard its been driven when you drive it. When I compared my XR6Turbo with a mates with 2x the ks on it, I couldnt believe how tight his suspension felt - felt like it was new! Mine on the other hand.... If I were in your situation I would look for one with lower k's on it that's also in good nick, even if it meant you spent an extra $1k or so, its likely money well spent. That being said, if you know a bit about cars and can tell it seems like it hasnt been thrashed, and especially if lots of those k's are highway k's (which at 90k in 2 years they just about have to be) then it may be an OK one to get.

I found them to be terrible in my first 2 experiences. 1) Pick up new black T there: there were numerous small scratches and scuffs on it, which they had painted over with a plain black permament texta. You could see the telltale purple tinge from it in the right light. Not a paint pen or proper method - black marker. Nice one guys - my first new Ford and that's what I found. 2) Took it for a service there. They got about 1/4 of the things done they should have, claiming they ran out of time - meaning subsequent visits were needed to get what they should easily have got done in a day. They also told a mistruth (I am being nice...) on one thing which was annoying. A couple of things I think I worked out: a) they, like very few ford service centres, are actually owned by Ford. I get the feeling they have big incentives to keep warrantee claims low (hence they deny things frequently) and get massive throughput. Anyone able to confirm that Ford own them? b) Ask them about the volume of cars they service in a day, and it will become obvious why they quickly and poorly service some cars - its all about turnover and throughput. The volumes are incredible. Its a mass production line. Rough attempt to work on each car, then go park it and hear comes another. No pro-active things or decent time looking into issues. Easier to report "no problem found". Unlike normal dealers, it appears they dont need to worry about reputation as much. A captive audience with people working in the city, and company owned as well. As a result from my 2 experiences I personally found they cut corners, treat your car like a number, and just dont cut it compared to other service centres. I have had great luck with Strapp Ford in Kew (moved somewhere else now I believe, or only have their other dealership). Fantastic people, awesome customer service, few mistakes, and in general take the time to get it right.

Yes....because if the new FG doesnt prove to be a decent improvement over the BA, then I will buy out my SS (which I will get for a good price and with only ~20-25k on it and then add twin turbos. Doing that I would have to pay for fuel, tyres etc, but to me it would be better than swapping it for a car with BA/BF power levels....I went the SS to move on from that and am not interested in going back, even if it does cost me a bootload in fuel etc. Besides, while the SS has zero balls down low, it does well up high. Add a couple of turbos to help down low, and I think it would be an absolute beast. (If I had an XR6T now and the replacement FG T was not exciting, I would buy the T out and mod it instead...but I have an SS-V at the moment so no other choice than mod it or return it at end of lease and move on to an FG XR6T standard). Thanks to all those guys who responded (and any who havent yet, feel free to!). Sounds like its quite an improvement over the BA/BF! Will have to organise a test drive when it closer to my car going back. A few months to wait before I bother doing that.

Hey all, I have had one of the first XR6T's, then a Mk2, now an SS-V, and am considering going back to a T as the SS-V has no balls until 4500rpm, and, well, is a Holden. The T's have spoilt me! My question is this: would anyone who has owned a (preferably manual) BA or BF XR6T who now has an FG XR6T (pref manual) write some comments on their thoughts and oberservations? I am mostly interested in whether the power/engine seems better, is an improvement etc. I was getting sick of 240kw whihc stayed effectively the same over the 4 years I drove both my T's.....so is the 270kw version with the new turbo better? If so, where in the rev range and how? The more info the better! If it is too close to the BA's or BF's, I may consider putting twin turbos on my SS-V, but I am hoping - praying - its a decent improvement over the BA/BF. Im just too used to the BA and BF power levels and need a bit more. Sadly modding isnt something I can do due to the deal I get with these cars through work. (Endless fuel, tyres, servicing etc...which all vanishes if I want to mod it).

I am really pissed that the G6E Turbo doesnt come in a manual. Sure most wouldnt sell as a manual, but annoyed that there is no option. I would have test driven one and considered it as an option to a new XR6T when I go to update my car later this year. If the handling wasnt too compromised, I may have got one for a change as I have had 2 T's in the past (SS-V at the moment). Instead, only the T is an option. No matter how good the tranny, its a manualI prefer in fast cars. Autos just dont cut it for me.... Annoyed Ford - dont decide transmission types for your customers!

I have no doubt it will be correct. I can tell you this much too...you have seen the wheels figures of 0-100 for the XR6T as 5.1 or 5.2 seconds.....you aint seen nothing yet! The auto is capable of better times than that, as Im sure will become proven by a mag soon, and Im not even going to talk about the manual with launch control!

Hey guys, I had a chat with someone "in the know" about the new 2008 XR6 Turbo, and have put a post on my blog with the answers to some of the questions I asked. Some may find it of interest. It covers: - High level info on the changes made to the turbo - Launch control in the 6spd manual - Edits - and whether Ford can tell and have implemented changes to stop it. - iPod integration Click here to view.

Guys, Not sure if you guys have seen this, but just in case you havent, check out some of the mechanical specs for the Gen V engine, and some dates too. Good to know a little bit about what everyone will be taking on soon! Its likely Expensive Daewoo will roll out these engines in very similar format, because slowly but surely they are aligning exactly with the world platforms. Not all bad - its annoying when we get de-tuned versions of the US engines. Lets hope Ford ups the ante with a V8 with better torque and power than the current ones....and continue to wind up the boost on the sixes too! Gen V info

All photochops eh? Well compare the ute photos I published 19 days ago here with the official photos you can find here and tell me again that the ute photos I published ages ago are photochops!

Thanks for the feedback guys, its great to see so many people enjoyed reading it. As of a minute ago, 766 visitors from FordXR6Turbo.com, which just goes to show how popular this site is. No problems doing a 3 month review...will write up a mini one once I have put a few more k's on it. Obi, dont judge the SS by how much it pushes you back in your seat - it doesnt do that the same as the T does. As you have seen, when you look at the speedo you cant help but go "sh1t!" because it gets to speed much faster than expected - and I think faster than a T for sure. I cant comment on the Expensive Daewoo auto, but have zero doubt the Ford 6 speed auto is likely to be much better.

Hey guys, You seen these photos? http://www.itsnbits.com/index.php/2007/08/02/108/

Well guys, its time! Thanks for your positive feedback and also your patience. I will be posting it all in one mega post too, but its probably easier to read one bit as a time as its around 7000 words for all 4 parts. I have taken a quite different approach from normal reviews. I am trying to include that real world info that makes all the difference when you are on the road, with one on your tail! A little later than anticipated, but without further delay, here is: Part 4: SS-V Performance vs XR6 Turbo PS please leave some comments at the bottom of the article - when this hits the Expensive Daewoo forums you can be sure they will, so wave the big blue flag!

Part 4 running a bit late guys...sorry. Will start preparing it tonight (its already typed in a Word doc, just needs tidying then preparation for posting) with the hope of getting it out tomorrow (Tues) night. I really want to hit the streets and test a couple more things in detail, so need to get motivated to do that after work tomorrow. Lots of visitors to the site reading parts 1, 2 and 3 which is great. Sure are many readers at fordxr6turbo.com! To give you some idea of the popularity, if you do a google on ford xr6 turbo The Digg.com post linking to the first part of my article that someone poosted is on page 1! And a direct link to my site is on page 2 of the results. that's amazing....its a term found on zillions of pages as its a very well known car and been out for ages. From nothing to first page in 3 days! My condolences to the other 105,000 pages mentioning XR6 Turbo ...! Same results if you search on Expensive Daewoo SS-V. Frankly, I like the idea of Expensive Daewoo fans wanting to research an SS-V almost being guaranteed to read my review

Thanks Buf-Phoon and dingah2. Apologies about the way I did it....it meant one mega-post (which would have taken another week or two to get done if I managed to motivate myself) or else forcing myself to do it in a few smaller easier-to-eat chunks over this weekend.... which I finally got around to doing to ensure once one part was posted I then had pressure on me to get the rest done quickly. (It worked!) Fingers crossed by late tonight it should all be there. In the next couple of days I will make one mega-page with the whole lot on it too, so people dont have to jump pages. Anyway, I have just posted the 3rd part which covers mostly handling and braking, so go suss it out! Things start to get very interesting from here to the end. Read Part 3: Driving Overview Hopefully later today (most likely evening some time but worst case by sometime Monday night) I will get to post the really important (and final!) part 4 on the site: engine and performance comparison. Its reasonably detailed so I need to double check some things before posting it.

Hehe...I just finished typing that bit up! Part 3 may go out tonight. There is a part 4 too, which talks in detail about XR6T engine vs SS-V...which is good where etc. Part 4 tomorrow some time in the arvo/evening.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I ordered one before I test drove one for three reasons: 1) It was just after release: I could not find any to test anywhere. 2) I didnt want an XR8, didnt want another XR6T (unless Ford boosted its power which they didnt) and I was pretty confident that at a minimum the SS-V would be quick, so would likely be an ok change of scene anyway. Interestingly I was in a similar situation when I bought my first T: none were available to test drive, there were just about none on the roads (used to have crowds gathering around mine when I came back to the car in a shopping centre in the early days!). Also I did a lot of reading of reviews. I was interested in quick cars, and as soon I read all the reviews with comments like "forget the WRX...the next cult car....massive torque.....great handling" etc I decided to take a leap of faith and order a T - something I never regretted. I was in a similar situation with this car...and again took a leap of faith. (It was that or order a 3rd T!) Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, here is Part 2: First Impressions! Will be tryng to get the hard core 3rd part out some time tonight. PS I just noticed some code appearing around the photos when I checked the review in Internet Explorer for some reason...will get to the bottom of it a bit later. I have been reading it in Firefox which renders it properly without issues.

Thanks....I think people will find it all quite amusing and also interesting once its all posted. I put a fair bit more detail in than a normal review covers. Money back if tomorrow's part 2 doesnt make you crack at least one big grin