It’s been confirmed, the new Ford FPV GT F performance sedan – also known as the last ever Falcon GT – will produce 351kW to pay tribute to the original 351-cubic-inch Falcon GT of the 1970s.
Not only does it rekindle the spirit of the GT Falcon, it will also become the most powerful Falcon Ford has ever produced. The power comes from a slightly revised version of the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 seen in the regular GT and GT-P (335kW).
Ford Australia president and CEO Bob Graziano spoke about the iconic figure in a statement, saying,
“I am delighted to confirm that we are going to deliver what our fans have being asking for; a vehicle that pays homage to the iconic Falcon 351 GT.
“Ford’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is an absolute state-of-the-art V8 performance engine, and in the up-coming GT F sedan will deliver more power and torque than even its larger capacity forebear. And we’ve been able to do all of this by simply unlocking the latent performance that’s already there.”
The extra power comes thanks to an updated Powertrain Control Module. Ford says that while power has been increased, engineers ensure no extra load is placed on the driveline or engine components. The peak torque output of 570Nm remains the same.
Ford Australia is still yet to reveal the new model. The company says it will feature design cues of past GT Falcons, with a stealth stripe layout, blackened headlights, and available in five distinct colours; Kinetic blue, Octane orange, Silhouette black, Smoke dark grey, and Winter White.
Other tasty highlights that have been confirmed include a set of 9-inch rear wheels wearing 275/35 Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes, launch control, and retuned suspension for improved track performance and traction.
Ford is producing just 550 examples of the GT F sedan, and 120 examples of the similar, 315kW Pursuit Ute version. Prices for the ute start at $52,990, while the GT F sedan kicks off from $77,990 (both excluding on-road costs). The official debut will take place in June.
Should be a lovely car. Where’s Vermillion Fire? Fail on the colour choices Ford. I’ve been, until recently, a Ford man through and through – for 40 years. To say I’m disillusioned is a big understatement. GT-F 351 will make many Ford fans very happy and the buyers even moreso. It will be the ‘best’ of the FG range ever. I can, however, only say “Far too little, far too late”. Geoff Polites would be disgusted with ‘everything’ Ford Australia of late.