V6 For Falcon

[tquarrell]

I don't think it is such a bad thing. Ultimately R&D of ford globally will make a better engine than australia only R&D. And I wouldn't be ruling out a twin turbo so soon, they have already developed a 311kw (415hp) and 550+nm (400ft lbs) referred to as "twin force" complete with direct injection for the lincol MKS in the states, check it out http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/13249/...rain-page3.html

[Guest]

So do you guys think the first V6 XR6 will be Super Charged?

[Dagabond]

I don't think it is such a bad thing.

Tell that to the hundreds of workers that will be out on the ear after umpteen years of dedicated service and loyalty......

[f-wolf]

Tell that to the hundreds of workers that will be out on the ear after umpteen years of dedicated service and loyalty......

Labor calls for Aust car industry review

By Chris Uhlmann

Posted Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:49pm AEST

Updated Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:26pm AEST

Labor is calling on the Government to rethink its plans to drop some car industry support.

Speculation that Ford might shed 600 jobs from its engine factory in Geelong has again focused attention on the sorry state of Australia's car industry. Labor is calling for the Government to rethink its plans to drop some of its support for the industry but an observer says the industry needs less mollycoddling, not more.

Australian car makers are struggling to stay afloat, even though they survive behind a tariff wall that adds 10 per cent to the cost of foreign cars and enjoy billions of dollars in tax breaks and government subsidies.

Profits and local market share are falling, a higher dollar is making exports more expensive and big cars are hard to sell in a market hungry for smaller, greener models.

At stake are the 81,000 jobs directly tied up in the car and component industry, as well as perhaps 400,000 more that feed off the industry.

Car making is vital to the economies of Victoria and South Australia. The stakes are so high that governments, particularly the Federal Government, provide massive support through the 10 per cent tariff wall and as Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane points out, billions of dollars in tax relief and handouts.

"By lowering tariffs and providing the industry with $7.3 billion worth of assistance, we've allowed that industry to become internationally competitive, which in the long term will be the difference between the industry surviving and not surviving," he said.

Mr Macfarlane says the Federal Government's assistance has developed a Camry or a rear-wheel drive GMH that can be sold anywhere in the world.

"The money that we provided last year to Ford as extra assistance is specifically targeted at developing a left-hand drive vehicle along with the fact that, of course, right-hand drive vehicles can be exported as well," he said.

Inquiry pledged

But Labor industry spokesman Senator Kim Carr says it is time to recast the Government's plan to lower the tariff barrier from 10 to 5 per cent by 2010.

"What we're saying is upon that election, we will immediately establish an inquiry into all aspects affecting competitiveness of the industry," he said.

"This is something that the Government should do right now but the Government has refused to do.

"We had a parliamentary inquiry last year that on a bipartisan basis said it was time to have a look at restructuring the assistance packages.

"This Government has sat on its hands and has assumed that things that worked in the past are going to work in the future. The world is a very different place.

"The Government has already legislated for tariff reductions and the Government has said that there's no need for change. We're saying that there is a need for change and to look at the full package."

'Mollycoddling'

Institute of Public Affairs work reform unit director Ken Phillips believes that the Australian car industry has a future but what it needs is less support, not more.

"If an industry is going to survive, it survives because it's got its act together and it's not relying on government to get its act together," he said.

Mr Phillips says the future of the car industry lies within niche markets.

"China and India are just throwing all concepts of manufacturing, of business, throwing everything of the last 100 years out the door and putting it into a different scale. All we need to do in the manufacturing area is to discover niche markets," he said.

"With the scale of the markets overseas, the niche market, any niche market that you can pick is larger than the entire Australian market.

"So the future for the car sector is discovering, like everyone else, those niche markets.

"I'm not underestimating the scale of the problems they've got at the moment but if you look out into the future, there's no reason why the industry shouldn't have a long-term viable future."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07...ection=business

[f-wolf]

Ford may axe 600 jobs in Geelong plant cost-cutting

Samantha Stevens | 14/07/2007

Ford finally admits that the future of one of its biggest engines - and the plant that makes them - is in doubt.

Ford announced today that its Geelong engine plant, which makes its stalwart inline six powerplant, is under review.

The operations plant has been running at 70 percent capacity for some time, and while the review is set to ensure the company?s future, it may come at the expense of the plant?s 600 workers.

We are looking at alternative business strategies to be more competitive, like any business would,? said Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary.

?We want the engine facility to be running at 100 percent capacity. We recognise that the large car and SUV markets have declined rapidly in the last 18 months ? for the last decade really ? and we need to make decisions that will not only help us in the short term, but well into the future.

?We are investigating alternative fuel strategies, and economising production costs across a broad base of products."

McAlary admitted that diesel was the first and most obvious fuel alternative for the company.

Two weeks ago, Ford launched its first diesel passenger car, the Focus TDCi, and have predicted a conservative sales split of 10 percent - mainly due to its manual-only transmission. Ford would not comment on the persistent rumours of a larger diesel engine for the Ford Territory, and its implications for the Ford Falcon.

And as for the highly-anticipated 2008 Falcon, codenamed Orion, McAlary assured Wheels that there will be no ?alternative arrangements? when it comes to its six-cylinder engine.

?The 2008 Falcon is well through its development, and will be what everyone knows and expects a Falcon to be. And it will be hot ? you can quote me on that."

While it is business as usual for the plant?s 600 workers, they face a tense few weeks while the big decisions are made.

?We have informed our employees, and will come to a decision as quickly as possible," said McAlary.

"It could take weeks, or we could reach a decision as quickly as Monday morning.?

Edited 14/07/07 02:59 AM by f-wolf

[Dagabond]

This will be a major blow for the entire Geelong community and not just those affected from loosing there job's.

[macka'sxr6t]

This is just another step towards Australia becoming a third world country.

Telstra

Quantus

NAB

CBA etc

just to name a few and the list is getting longer every day, all out-sourcing to India etc, while Australian families struggle to find full time employment. I mean real full time employment not permanent part time or casual agency type employment that you see advertised in every paper or employment web site.

The Howard government and business in general, especially multi national companies will not be satisfied until Australian manufacturing and it's workers are earning less money and reduced working conditions, equivelant to Singapore, India etc. After all this is what work choices is all about reducing us to work for less.

The only way that Australia can compete is to reduce costs they say. It's always the worker that gets the sharp end of the stick, while the company fat cats increase their salaries and bonuses and pat each other on the back thinking that sacking 600 workers will stop the bleeding.

Australia is a small and limited market and will never be able to compete on a price per unit sale against the likes of Hyundia or Kia. unless we are all prepared to have their living standards.

I don't know what the answer is but this in INMOP is certainly not a step in the right direction.

The government sits on it's hands pocketing billions in fuel excise and refuses to lower it, at what cost to the community. We are beginning to see that cost, the cost of fuel is the main factor why people are turning their backs on the large aussie 6 cylinder engine.

Do Ford really understand how many of their loyal ond ongoing customers they are allieniating. If

people walk away from Ford if they follow through with this decision and I believe many will, there will more heart ache for Ford workers still to come.

Sorry to make an off topic post but I just had to vent my spleen.

Edited 14/07/07 09:56 AM by macka'sxr6t

[wiresquire]

Some more info on the Duratec 35 twinforce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Cyclone_engine#TwinForce

I can't see them retro-fitting this in Orion, so I guess that means the XR6T for the model after Orion by default would have 321kw and 542nm.

[Iconic Bionic]

So do you guys think the first V6 XR6 will be Super Charged?

Hope not, XR6T to XR6S, just dont sound right?

Some more info on the Duratec 35 twinforce.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Cyclone_engine#TwinForce

I can't see them retro-fitting this in Orion, so I guess that means the XR6T for the model after Orion by default would have 321kw and 542nm.

This link lists the Falcon as one of the possible futiue cars to have this V6 engine and I think its already a signed deal.

[Guest newl]

just to name a few and the list is getting longer every day, all out-sourcing to India etc, while Australian families struggle to find full time employment. I mean real full time employment not permanent part time or casual agency type employment that you see advertised in every paper or employment web site.

Struggling to find full time employment? Come on. If people are having trouble getting jobs, they're not looking. There's more work out there now than anyone can shake a stick at.