Go Auto - Ford blows XR8

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GO AUTO

Ford blows XR8

Supercharged Coyote V8 to power XR8 and FPV in Ford Falcon’s 50th year
6 April 2010
By MARTON PETTENDY
FORD’S first blown XR8 will mark the 50th anniversary of Australia’s Falcon in 2010, according to official Australian Design Rule documents.

Federal vehicle certification information obtained by GoAuto reveals Ford Australia has received formal homologation approval for an XR8 Falcon ute powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8 that delivers 315kW at 6500rpm.

The document clearly states the XR8 will continue to be Ford Australia’s sole V8 Falcon model and, although ADR approval does not guarantee any given model will reach production, the news backs recent indications from Ford that it will not axe the lauded XR8 nameplate, as has been widely speculated.

In fact, it suggests that up to three versions of the first supercharged V8 in Ford Australia history will power Falcons – the 2010 XR8, Ford Performance Vehicles’ upgraded eight-cylinder models and possibly a born-again Falcon GTHO next year.

Apart from being the most the powerful version of Ford Motor Company’s new all-aluminium Coyote V8, which debuted in naturally aspirated 5.0-litre configuration in North America’s 2011 Mustang GT in late December, the all-supercharged V8 line-up would be a first for Ford.

Ford confirmed its current cast-iron 5.4-litre Boss V8, which in its current form does not meet stricter new Euro 4 emissions regulations that come into force on July 1, would be replaced by an all-new V8 from the Coyote engine family.

The Blue Oval would not comment on rumours that a supercharged version of the 5.0-litre Coyote will power FPV vehicles – let alone the XR8 – but has confirmed the $21 million it invested to upgrade its 50-year-old straight-six to meet EU4 standards includes the successful turbocharged engines that power XR6 Turbo and six-cylinder FPV models. The Territory’s 4.0-litre six already meets the Euro 4 standard.

From top: Ford's normally-aspirated Coyote V8, Ford XR8 ute, Ford Performance Vehicles GS and Holden Special Vehicles GTS.

As previously reported, Ford’s Campbellfield-based performance partner FPV is understood to be developing what could be the world’s first supercharged application of the Coyote V8, which would give it the opportunity to resurrect Ford Australia’s famed GTHO badge – backed by a top-shelf derivative of the homegrown Coyote super-V8.

FPV general manager Rod Barrett said in August that 2011 would be the most logical time to do so – 40 years after Allan Moffat won Bathurst in a Falcon GTHO.

While FPV has admitted it came close to developing a supercharged version of the 5.4-litre Boss engine for the FG Falcon, Australia’s blown 5.0-litre V8 should emerge in September – well ahead of a twin-turbo Coyote V8 believed to be under development in Dearborn.

While FoMoCo has a history of producing supercharged V8 Mustangs, it is a move that puts Ford Australia at odds with its parent company’s global movement towards lower-displacement turbocharged engines, under the EcoBoost banner.

The US market’s new Ford Taurus SHO employs a twin-turbo version of Ford’s 3.5-litre Duratec V6 to deliver 272kW and 475Nm, but Australia’s first taste of EcoBoost technology should come in the form of a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that will deliver about 175kW and 310Nm in Ford’s first four-cylinder Falcon next year, making it lighter but only slightly less powerful than current 4.0-litre Falcons.

The standard 32-valve 5.0-litre Coyote V8 in the Mustang GT delivers 307kW and 529Nm of torque – more power but less torque than FPV’s new entry-level GS model, which runs a detuned 302kW/551Nm version of the Boss V8.

But a blown 315kW Australian-made version – which could deliver about 550Nm by employing the same Walkinshaw Performance supercharger kit that is available for Holden’s V8 – would represent a substantial performance increase over both the GS and Ford’s outgoing XR8.

By matching the 315kW/551Nm outputs of FPV’s current Boss V8, the blown 5.0-litre V8 should easily out-perform the current XR8’s 5.4-litre Boss V8, which itself is topped by an FPV-assembled DOHC 32-valve cylinder-head to deliver 290kW at 5750rpm and 520Nm of torque.

More importantly, although it is unclear if performance increases will also come from a Euro 4-compliant Holden V8, the new supercharged XR8 will be more than a match for its direct rival in the Commodore SS, which comes with a 6.0-litre pushrod alloy V8 that currently delivers 270kW and 530Nm.

Aided by Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) and both six-speed automatic and manual transmissions, the XR8 sedan and ute’s lighter and smaller-capacity force-fed V8 could also match the real-world fuel economy of Holden’s Chevrolet V8, which in automatic guise is fitted with GM’s AFM variable displacement system.

Expect the all-alloy Coyote V8 to contribute to a total weight saving of about 55kg, with the 2010 XR8 Ute’s tare mass listed at 1785kg – down from 1840kg for the current XR8 Ute.

Un/braked towing capacity continues at 750kg/1600kg (750kg/2300kg for the auto).

While a new 3.7-litre V6 makes the 2011 Mustang the most economical Mustang ever, the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 returns highway fuel consumption as low as 26mpg (9.0L/100km) in the 2011 Mustang GT manual – better than its most direct rival in Chevrolet’s Commodore-based, 6.2-litre Camaro SS.

Our sources also indicate the GT version of FPV’s blown Coyote V8 will produce peak power output of 335kW and up to 600Nm of torque, eclipsing the performance of HSV’s Corvette-sourced 6.2-litre V8, which offers 317kW/550Nm – or an Australian benchmark-setting 325kW in the flagship GTS.

Potentially, next year’s born-again GTHO – which is expected to emerge as part of Ford’s FG Series II range – could deliver up to 400kW, meaning its torque peak may be limited only by the ZF auto’s maximum rating of 650Nm.

While Ford has already ceased XR8 production, effectively discontinuing the model until its successor arrives, our sources indicate Ford’s triple-pronged supercharged V8 strategy will not begin to emerge until late in the third quarter of this year.

Ford is building up stocks of naturally aspirated and turbocharged six-cylinder Falcon models in the lead up to the mid-year EU4 production cut-off, but a steady supply of new supercharged XR8 and FPV models could still be up to six months away.



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