RIP FPV: Ford Australia Axes Performance Arm, Brings Back Falcon XR8, but Not For Long

After pre-announcing the death of its Australian manufacturing operations and consequently, the Falcon series in 2016 earlier this year, Ford's local arm is now winding down its Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) division, which was born in 2003 to compete against Holden's rivaling HSV sub-brand.

The Blue Oval said that FPV will be shut down in late 2014. It what will undoubtedly be a small comfort to fans of the brand since the Falcon will be axed in 2016, Ford said it would re-introduce the Falcon XR8 to its lineup next year.

No details have been released, but it is reasonable to believe that the new Falcon XR8 will use the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine found in the FPV GT, in which it delivers 335kW (476hp or 483PS) at 5,750rpm and maximum torque of 570Nm (420 lb-ft) from 2,200-5,500rpm.

You can read FPV's official statement on the matter below:

[From FPV]

"As a loyal Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) fan, we want to inform you directly that late 2014 will mark the end of a celebrated era as we retire the FPV brand.

The retirement of the FPV brand will make way for the return of the Falcon XR8 sedan to the Falcon line-up. We are excited about the return of the XR8 as we have received a large number of requests to bring it back.

We have a wonderful history going back 12 years as FPV, and of course many years before that in our performance relationship with Tickford. You have been a part of this journey, this history and we thank you for your loyalty and support in making the FPV models and engines celebrated successes.

We will stand behind you and your FPV, offering service, parts and technical support for many years to come.

We understand that this news may not be what you have wanted to hear. However, be assured that we have planned a series of actions during 2014 to ensure the final FPV models’ iconic status is appropriately celebrated. We look forward to sharing more details of those plans next year.

We thank you for your support of FPV."

Thanks to John L. for the tip!

PHOTO GALLERY

Aussie Ships 1972 Valiant Charger to the U.S. for Drag Racing

While unknown to the masses here in the States, the Chrysler Group's Valiant Charger is one of the most iconic sports coupes to come out from the land Down Under. One of them was recently shipped to the U.S. to take part in the 2013 Drag Week – and not just any Charger, but a very potent specimen built by John Faraone.

We don't know if it still holds the record, but at some point, the 1972 Charger with the 572 cubic-inch (9.4-liters!) twin-turbocharged V8 engine held the record for Australia's most powerful street car (see second video) with over 1,900 wheel-horsepower!

During the drag races and after overcoming some technical issues, Faraone's Charger broke into the 7 second range for the quarter mile run. See the action clips in the video below.

VIDEO

Just Some Aussies Hooning Around in an Abandoned Factory

You might not know it yet, but large and empty buildings can actually be an ideal place to burn some rubber and engage in what Australians and New Zealanders like to call hooning.
The crew from LuckyBelt explains:
"Last month we were lucky enough to have access to an old empty factory for the afternoon the day before it was knocked down in Perth, Western Australia. This was the result."

Read more »

Watch Real Life Mad Max Terrorize an Australian Driver During an Extreme Road Rage Incident

With all the incidents filmed on Russian roads, (you can head over to Jalopnik for some of the best dashcam clips of 2012 – we're preparing our own list, too), we rarely say this about a road rage incident, but WOW.
There's road rage, there's psychotic and then there's "this windshield ain't going to stop me punching your face" kind of rage, which makes Mad Max and Toecutter look like Care Bears…
We only get to hear and watch one side of the story in this incident as the perpetrator has yet to be interviewed, or captured by the police, for that matter, but here's what went on.

Australian Police Warns About Apple iOS 6 Maps After App Directs Drivers to the Desert

In September, Apple decided to ditch Google Maps from its iOS 6 iPhone operating system in favor of its own navigation app. From a commercial point of view, it surely makes sense to promote your own products instead of those of your rivals.
Obviously, the folks at Cupertino should have ensured that their map app was accurate before making it the sole option for iOS6 users. In Australia, police have gone as far as to warn drivers of using Apple's map app.

Badass FPV Falcon GT RSPEC with Supercharged V8 is Australia's Most Powerful Highway Patrol Car

Aussie cops have a knack for hunting down anything on the road that rolls on four-wheels and is load, fast and…furious, but we have a hunch they would prefer to do so while driving the same kind of automobiles themselves…
One of the cars they would love to get their hands on is a bespoke FPV GT RSPEC in police trim, billed as "the most powerful highway patrol car to hit Australian roads". It is the 150th built GT RSPEC and appropriately, it commemorates the NSW Police 150th anniversary.

Blown up Tank Arrives in front of Kim DotCom's New Zealand Mansion

Even though Kim DotCom, otherwise known as Kim Schmitz, is currently behind bars awaiting possible extradition to the United States after a New Zealand judge denied an application for bail on Wednesday, the founder of the popular file-sharing website MegaUpload continues to make headlines for reasons not related directly to his case.
After his amazing collection of luxury cars were seized by police last Friday, we thought that would be the last we heard about DotCom's toys.
Apparently, we were wrong as it has been reported by several New Zealand newspapers that after his arrest, Dotcom's mansion received delivery of a…full-size inflatable replica of a Russian T-72 tank!

The Price of Parking: Colliers’ Releases Results of 2011 Global Survey

The results of Colliers International’s 2011 Parking Rate Survey are in for the U.S., Canada and the rest of the world, and there are few surprises.
The U.S. national median monthly parking rate is US$155.22, with the highest being midtown Manhattan at US$541 and Renoa at US$45 the cheapest. In Canada, Calgary topped out at US$486 followed by Toronto at $342 USD and Montreal at $305 USD.

2011 Australian International Motor Show Photo Galore

Even though it’s not as famous as its Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo or Detroit counterparts, this year’s edition of the Australian Motor Show, which takes place in Melbourne from July 1 to 10, has some interesting debuts including the Mad Max Concepts pictured above as well as a number of new production and prototype models from the local divisions of General Motors (aka Holden) and Ford.
You can take a look at all the vehicles in our comprehensive photo gallery right after the break. For those of you interested in learning more about the Ford-badged Mad Max Interceptor prototypes, check out our previous post here.

Volvo Unveils S60 Performance Concept with 330HP

Volvo’s Australian arm has pulled the wraps off a conceptual performance version of its S60 sedan. Based on the S60 T6 R Design, the S60 Performance Concept is an Australian initiative and utilizes two partnerships within the Volvo family - Polestar and Heico - for some very discreet upgrades.

New Toyota Yaris Wears a Sport Kit for its Australian Debut at the Melbourne Motor Show

After its world premiere in Japan last December as the Vitz, Toyota is gradually introducing the new generation of the Yaris in other markets around the world. Now, with the European version out of the way, it’s time for the Yaris to make its first appearance in Melbourne at this week’s 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).
Revealed in show car form, the Yaris is fitted with a TRD-like sports kit comprising of a honeycomb grille, a restyled front bumper with larger openings and a chrome trim around the lower grille, side skirts, chunky alloy wheels and a new rear bumper with a diffuser plus a roof spoiler.

FPV’s Murdered-Out Falcon GT Concept with Supercharged Boss 5.0 V8 Debuts in Melbourne

Not to be outdone by rival Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) unleashed its first-ever concept car at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne.
Unlike HSV and its Black Edition Clubsport and Maloo R8s, FPV went for an all-blacked out look for its bespoke GT muscle car, which is based on the local market, rear-wheel drive Falcon sedan.

2011 AIMS: New HSV Black Edition Versions of Commodore Based Sedan, Station and Ute Models

General Motor’s Holden Special Vehicles unit in Australia is following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division as well as more recently, Porsche, with the presentation of a black-themed and named special edition series based on the E Series 3 range launched last September.
Making its world debut at the 2011 Australian motorshow in Melbourne, the SV Black Edition package is offered in the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8 and ClubSport R8 Tourer, which are the sports versions of the Commodore sedan, ute, and station wagon models respectively.

GM’s Holden Readies Rebadged Chevys for 2011 Melbourne Auto Show

It’s a global economy we live in and as such, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise when we see the same vehicles launched under different brands and names in various parts of the world.
Of course, it would be somewhat unfair to Holden if we didn’t mention that it has played a key role in the development and design of several GM products including the 5-door Cruze that will be show in pre-production trim at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place in Melbourne from July to 10.

Aussie V8 Supercar Series Coming to America in 2013

The thundering sounds of Australia’s V8-powered racecars will soon be heard in the U.S.A. as Texas Governor Rick Perry and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, announced today a five-year agreement to bring the famed Australian V8 Supercar series to the new Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas beginning in 2013.
"The addition of V8 Supercars into our lineup at Circuit of The Americas will add to what we already know will be a rich and exhilarating fan experience," said Steve Sexton, President of Circuit of The Americas.

A Mazda MX-5 On Steroids: Australia’s V8 Engined Bullet Roadster

In the late ‘90s, Australian John Bettini unleashed onto the word the Bullet Roadster. What begin life as a heavily modified Mazda MX-5 with an RX-7 13B powerplant gradually evolved into a V8-engined monster like the one you see here that we found for sale in Queensland, Australia.
According to the seller, this was the fifth Bullet Roadster built and the first V8-engined one to roll out of the company’s then new Chinderah, NSW factory. It’s all hearsay, of course, but I’m willing to believe the words of a 62yo motoring enthusiast with arthritic knees. So here goes...
Bullet No. 5 was a special order from a man named George Covacic who supplied a 4.6-liter all-alloy, fuel injected V8 crate motor along with a Tremac 5-speed manual transmission and the differential from a Holden Commodore SS. Like all Bullet supercars, the brakes and suspension came from the Mazda RX-7.

BAIC’s Foton to Enter Australian Market with New 1-Tonne Pickup Truck

The Australian pickup truck market will soon welcome a new player in the 1-tonne segment, courtesy of China’s ever-growing automotive industry. Beiqi Foton Motor Co. Ltd, more commonly referred to as BFC or simply Foton, is a subsidiary of China’s more widely known BAIC and will be represented in the country by Sydney based Australian automotive distributor, WMC Group.
The WMC Group secured the rights to distribute the Foton range of 4x2 and 4x4 utility vehicles with plans for the first vehicles to go on sale in Australia early next year. The Sydney based distributor said Australian Design Rule compliance and testing is currently underway and is due to be finalized within the next two months.

First Drive: 2011 Holden Cruze Series II SRI-V

Appearing soon after General Motors announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the Cruze – which launched in Oz almost two years ago– aims to appeal to buyers that would normally not buy a Holden. Its key competitors in the Australian market are the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and the (European) Ford Focus.
With the recent launch of the Aussie-built Cruze Series II, we thought it was about time we tackled GM’s “game changing” small car. The 1.4 L turbo is said to be the cherry on top of the Cruze cake, and the perfect target for a review. The question is: can it live up to the hype?

Mazda Expands CX-9 Lineup in Australia with Front-Wheel Drive Model

Given that are many buyers are not interested in the merits of all wheel drive when it comes to shopping crossovers, Mazda decided to expand the range of its 7-seater CX-9 in Australia with the addition of a front-wheel drive [FWD] only version available in a choice of two trim levels, Classic and Luxury.
Power for the FWD CX-9 continues to be provided by a 3.7-liter V6 engine producing 204kW (274HP) and 367Nm, mated to a 6-speed Activematic transmission. As you would expect, the FWD version is a tad more fuel efficient than the AWD model returning 11.0 lt/100km instead of 11.2lt/100km.

Volvo’s Pure Electric C30 Enters Production

Volvo is starting production of the all electric version of its compact-size hatchback which, unsurprisingly, is named the C30 Electric. After testing about 50 cars since autumn 2010, mainly internally, the Swedish automaker plans to build about 250 cars by the end of 2012 (or more if there is enough interest), which will be leased in a number of European countries, including Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.