.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The Ford Falcon will bow out on a supercharged and turbocharged high after confirming two limited edition Sprint models with blistering performance.
Talk about going out with a bang.
Ford will end 91 years of car manufacturing in Australia with two of the fastest Falcon sedans it has ever built.
As the last of their breed, the limited edition Falcon XR6 Turbo Sprint and supercharged XR8 Sprint models are likely to become future classics.
With performance to rival a Porsche, Ford fans are already wondering if the company has built enough.
The XR8 Sprint is $59,990 for the six-speed manual and $62,190 for the six-speed auto
Just 1400 will be made, including 500 XR6 Turbo Sprints for Australia and 50 for New Zealand, and 750 XR8 Sprints for Australia and 100 for New Zealand.
Ford has a history of leaving its diehard fans wanting more.
There is a 12-month wait for the new Mustang because Ford only thought it would sell 1000 of those but 4000 orders came in.
Ford fans were also left short on the Falcon XR8 sedan released 18 months ago because demand was double the number of cars Ford planned to build.
The numbers that will get car geeks excited are 325kW/576Nm for the Falcon XR6 Turbo Sprint and 345kW/575Nm for the Falcon XR8 Sprint.
However there is a secret “cheat” mode that automatically boosts power to a staggering 370kW/650Nm for the XR6 Turbo and 400kW/650Nm for the XR8 Sprint when outside temperatures are ideal.
The “overboost” function lasts about 15 seconds in each gear, meaning customers are actually getting more power than they bargained for, providing the outside air temperature is less than 25 degrees Celsius.
However, Ford has limited the outputs of both engines to 650Nm to protect the hero status of the last ever Ford Falcon GT released in 2014, which had 351kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
Importantly, the fast Fords will come standard with the biggest brakes ever fitted to a Falcon.
-wide.jpg)
Ford dealers told News Corp Australia they had already taken orders for the special Sprint models before pricing was announced.
Perhaps that is why Ford has ramped up the price. The XR6 Turbo Sprint is $54,990 plus on-roads (up by an eye-watering $11,500) and is available with six-speed automatic transmission only.
The XR8 Sprint is $59,990 for the six-speed manual and $62,190 for the six-speed auto, an increase of $6500.
The Broadmeadows production line and the Geelong engine and stamping plant will fall silent forever in October 2016.
The Falcon has been made at Broadmeadows on the northern outskirts of Melbourne continuously since 1960, but Ford has been manufacturing cars in Australia since 1925.
.jpg)
