 revealed at Sydney's Motor Show |
revealed at Sydney's Motor Show |
 Ford Falcon XT - BA MkII |
|
14th October, 2004
"The BA Falcon represented a big step forward for Ford Australia when it was introduced in 2002. Now the new BA Falcon MkII is destined to build on the success of that model," said Ford Australia President Tom Gorman. "With the launch of BA, the XR range of performance vehicles reignited the passion of driving enthusiasts around the country." "The new cars combined an outstanding mix of superb driving dynamics with a range of powerplants including the exhilarating XR6 Turbo and the heady four-valve Boss 260 V8." "XR led the showroom charge in the BA range, increasing sales mix from 6.8 per cent of total Falcon sales in 2002 to more than 27 per cent in 2004. "Now our new six-speed manual transmission, fine tuned by the FPV engineers to provide optimum performance, adds another jewel to the performance line-up," Gorman said. Performance Vehicle Planning Manager Gordon Barfield said the arrival of the new Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission heralded a new era for the high performance Ford models, offering improved launch feel and access to better acceleration during overtaking. Barfield said the impending launch of the Ford Performance Vehicles F6 Typhoon initiated the search for a new performance transmission engineered to cope with high torque outputs. Ford and FPV engineers found the answer with the T56 transmission, also used in other performance vehicles such as the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ford Mustang Cobra R. “This gearbox fitted every element of our criteria. It has six gears and the torque capacity that we require, but more importantly we could engineer the gear ratios we wanted." "Customers told us they wanted a six-speed transmission that offered real benefits in terms of driving performance. They didn't want an extra gear ratio that was virtually redundant in Australia with our speed limits." Barfield said a key element in choosing the T56 was the ability to provide unique ratio sets for each engine to match the different torque characteristics. The final drive ratio in the XR8 has changed from a 3.23:1 to the 3.46:1 already available in the FPV GT and GT-P. The XR6 Turbo also benefits from a shorter final drive, moving from 3.46:1 to 3.73:1. The XR8 ute now also gets the same final drive as the sedans, shifting from the 3.23:1 to the 3.46:1. These changes were designed to use the six-speed gearbox to its maximum advantage. Barfield said the engineers adopted a philosophy of setting the first and sixth gear ratios, and then matching the mid-set. “We needed a sixth gear that was useable at legal highway cruising speeds and a fifth gear that was tractable around town at 60km/h. “Customer feedback showed us that the spacing in the original XR8 gearbox potentially affected our performance, particularly at launch. “Therefore, with MkII we locked in the bottom and top ratios and then looked at making the mid gears work efficiently. “However, the different power characteristics between the XR6 Turbo and XR8 and the different final drive ratios meant that the gearboxes required unique first gear ratios." While the need for better ratios was the main requirement, the engineers didn’t want to take any steps backwards in terms of quality, driveability and user friendliness. "Customers applauded the shift feel and quality in the five-speed TR3650, particularly for such a large high-performance car, and it was important we maintained that feel in the T56. “We had the objective of making sure the shift effort, shift precision and overall shift quality was as good, if not better, than with the TR3650,” Barfield says. Adding double synchros on all forward gears and linear bearings on the shift rail has maintained gear shift quality. In addition, engineers have incorporated direct shifters for a more precise action. One issue the adoption of a six-speed gearbox raised was the location of reverse. "With reverse gear located next to fifth, we engineered an electronic lockout system which prevents reverse being selected on the move. "The engine management system automatically enforces the lockout when it reads the car is travelling at more than 5km/h." Reverse gear has a synchro to ease engagement. Barfield said a number of changes were made to the standard T56 transmission,
including:
Barfield said the XR8 MkII would also benefit from a suspension upgrade. "Firmer spring rates have sharpened the steering response on the XR8 with a flatter ride and nimbler handling, designed to further improve the athletic nature of the car," Barfield said. Spring rates on the front suspension have been increased from 70 N/mm to 80 N/mm, while the rear spring rates have been upped from 38 N/mm to 41 N/mm. Gorman said the MkII update built on the inherent strengths of the BA program. "The award-winning BA Falcon not only gained critical acclaim but won a host of important motoring, engineering and safety awards as well. "More importantly it spearheaded a revival in the sales fortunes of Ford Australia built on providing product that inspires passion and confidence in the market. "It also heralded a new era in motorsport with Marcos Ambrose reclaiming the V8 Supercar championship for the Blue Oval. "MkII represents a further development of the BA Falcon with the changes driven by customer demand for extra features." Creature comforts such as cruise control and automatic headlamps are now standard throughout the Falcon range and power adjustable pedals are standard on Futura. Futura safety levels have also been boosted significantly with the MkII version now boasting side airbags as standard equipment. The Falcon Ute range also features heavily in the MkII upgrade, with new creature comforts, alloy rims and exciting new paint colours. "This update signals Ford Australia's intention to continue providing locally designed and engineered product that motivates people into Ford showrooms." Gorman said the BA Falcon MkII would deliver a truly exhilarating driving experience with its comprehensive mix of locally engineered design excellence including:
"Of course, the MkII comes complete with the Intelligent Safety System that won the coveted Gold award at the Society of Australia Engineers Excellence Awards in 2003," Gorman said. Employing a number of sensors, the system monitors information such as driver seating positioning and crash severity. In an accident this information is fed to the Advanced Restraints Module (ARM), which instantly decides how best to deploy modern safety technologies such as dual stage inflation airbags, front seat pyrotechnic seat belt pretensioners and energy seat belt retractors. Other safety features include; anti-intrusion (collapsible) brake pedal on automatic models, front and rear impact management body structure and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution for improved stopping performance and steering control. Falcon also remains a leader in the technology stakes with a number of Australian firsts:
MODEL BY MODEL BA MkII XT Sedan and Wagon
BA MkII Futura Sedan and Wagon
BA MkII Fairmont
BA MkII Fairmont Ghia
BA MkII XR6
BA MkII XR6 Turbo
BA MkII XR8
BA MkII XL Ute
BA MkII RTV Ute
BA MkII XLS Ute
BA MkII XR6 Ute
BA MkII XR6 Turbo Ute
BA MkII XR8 Ute
The new alloy rims on the XR6 and XR6 Turbo Falcon retain the classic five-spoke design while Fairmont Ghia boasts an elegant new diamond-turned nine-spoke alloy. The highly acclaimed Falcon palette is enhanced even further by the MkII update, with the addition of four exciting new colours. Shockwave is inspired by the BA Falcon's success on the track, adding a wave of uninhibited excitement to the athletic exterior of the Falcon, while Blaze is a rich metallic gold that is bold and daring. Velocity is a youthful blue epitomising stand-out performance and enhances the sporting nature of the XR range while Rapid is a searing hot yellow, not for the faint hearted. MkII customers will also enjoy an expanded range of accessories, with the addition of several roof storage options now proving popular in the Territory range. The Falcon MkII can be optioned with a bike carrier, canoe/kayak holder, 375 litre or 405 litre roof luggage box or ski/snowboard carrier. Inside, a new 15-litre 'Day Tripper' car fridge is now available, while the addition of a games adaptor ensures the optional REX3 DVD system can play the latest Xbox, Playstation 2 or Game Cube video games. "The Falcon MkII offers superior value that exceeds expectations and is both desirable and attainable, whether you yearn for the performance of the XR6 Turbo or the refined comfort of the Fairmont Ghia. "With features such as IRS, cruise control and the award winning Intelligent Safety System, the Falcon MkII value proposition is unmatched," said Gorman.
Falcon BA MkII specifications
1/ Figures obtained from controlled laboratory tests conducted
by Ford Motor Company of Australia Ltd to comply with Australian Design Rule
81/01 BA Falcon MkII recommended retail pricing:* Falcon XT sedan - $34,255 *Pricing excludes dealer delivery and statutory charges | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Ford Falcon XR8 - BA MkII |
