Ford’s final Falcon rear-wheel-drive sedan for the Australian market will see the return of an ‘XR8’ performance variant in lieu of the current lineup offered by in-house tuner FPV. Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F], which has announced plans to end production in Australia by 2016, will be introducing a facelifted Falcon swan song in 2014, but there won’t be any FPV versions, meaning the company will be wound up.
Instead, the revived XR8 will be the performance range-topper when the facelifted Falcon goes on sale late next year. Powering the car will be the same supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 currently offered by FPV. This unit is based on the engine in the Mustang GT and is supercharged to the tune of 450 horsepower. Other FPV mechanicals at Ford’s disposal include a turbocharged 4.0-liter straight-six, Brembo brakes and sports-tuned suspension.
Ford is also likely to continue offering its XR6 and XR6T six-cylinder models, which may also benefit from a few upgrades from the FPV parts bin.
News of FPV’s demise first made headlines when Ford took over complete control of the company and let go much of its staff. The good news is that FPV won’t be going out without a bang. In a statement, Ford said it was planning a series of actions during the coming year to ensure the final FPV models celebrate the brand’s iconic status. Further details will be provided at a later date, but perhaps one of those actions will see Ford revive its most-storied Falcon nameplate, GT-HO.
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