performance difference between BA & AU XR8

[FRANCIS220]

hi all i have 2 great cars an au2 xr8 with a 220 motor and a BA mk2 6 i love both cars but would have to say there is not much of a performance differnce between the 2 ive only just bought the xr8 great condition done 60,000 i was assuming 40 more kilawatts would be a big performance advantage but its not, is my BA very fit or is my AU sick has anyone else got any opinion!!!

[clontarf_x]

I would daresay the AU is sick, but you can't really compare the two engines, they produce their torque and peak kw at very different revs

A good way to test is always the kickinthebum-o-meter

[AU-MUSTD]

When l upgraded from an au 3 xr8 to a ba 6 l too felt no performance drop thats why l went the 6 and not 8. Very similar in towing capability too which is what was done with both.

[galaxy xr8]

It's very imbarassing to hear this for us AU XR8 owner's.

[FTE217]

Nah it's not so galaxy xr8, BANA6 spin around 150ish at the rear the last I knew, my now sold XR8 had 178rwkw so they never scared me unless they had a snail bolted on LOL....

[Scott]

I had a MkI NA XR6 after a 200kw Pursuit, the 6 was overall a noticeably quicker car but took forever to get off the line with the auto. A manual would've been much better.

The Ute was my favourite (incl my GT-P), it was a sideways machine that had a real nice feel to it in any conditions. The XR6 handled very, very well in any measure but was underpowered for the great suspension package which often left you trying too hard. Give me the Ute back...... I loved that little guy. sob.

[galaxy xr8]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

Nah it's not so galaxy xr8, BANA6 spin around 150ish at the rear the last I knew, my now sold XR8 had 178rwkw so they never scared me unless they had a snail bolted on LOL....

Mine only pulled around 150 at the rear.

[fordAU]

Something wrong with your 8's guys.

I own a AU 220 manual and drive a BA 6 every day for work and there is no comparison. The AU XR8 would destroy the 6.

Cheers.

[philstoj]

Originally Posted by fordAU

Something wrong with your 8's guys.

I own a AU 220 manual and drive a BA 6 every day for work and there is no comparison. The AU XR8 would destroy the 6.

Cheers.

exactly!

[gtfpv]

the au 2 and 3 with the 220-kw engine was the 1st ford to equal a phase 3 in stock trim 400m in 14.4 seconds . not to be laughed at. a boss 260 stock will do about 14 i think and a 290 around 13.7.

[AU-MUSTD]

Let me clarify my story a little for you xr8 boys. They were utes so mine was supposedly the 200kw which it felt like and both were manuals and a pain in the *** to get a good launch. The ba was a very poor handling car and the steering as dead as a door nail compared to the au and as far as quality and warranty problems go you can figure that one out by my next upgrade which was back to an au.

[Whoosha]

Originally Posted by FRANCIS220

hi all i have 2 great cars an au2 xr8 with a 220 motor and a BA mk2 6 i love both cars but would have to say there is not much of a performance differnce between the 2 ive only just bought the xr8 great condition done 60,000 i was assuming 40 more kilawatts would be a big performance advantage but its not, is my BA very fit or is my AU sick has anyone else got any opinion!!!

Time to give the AU a birthday then a trip to the track for both of them... : .. :eclipsee_

[galaxy xr8]

Well I can not make a real comparision because I have never been in a BA I6 but by the sound's of it it doesn't look good for us AUXR8 owner's.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Well I can not make a real comparision because I have never been in a BA I6 but by the sound's of it it doesn't look good for us AUXR8 owner's.

My AU2 XL V8 ute is a 175kw jobbie. From the work BAs I've driven both are (by the seat-of-the-pants) pretty similar in power and performance (the I6 has the edge) .. just that my ute sounds a lot better than that god-aweful 6-cyl vacuum sound.
My SV8 is a 235kw jobbie .. technically only 15kw more than XR8 220kw .. and it will wipe the floor with a BA I6. It's embarrasing to watch BA XR6(N/As) owners try and outrun the SV8 at the lights (they think it's an Exec).

I have serious doubts that a 220kw Windsor would be embarrassed by a BA I6 N/A .......... and on a personal note, I'd take the 220kw Windsor over a long-stroke plodder 4.0 I6 any day, even if it produced half the horsepower and used twice the amount of fuel.

[Casper]

The V8 is sick. I've driven plenty of BA I6's and, in stock trim, they are the same as an AU XR6 in overall speed.. their weight kills any engine performance increase and getting them off the line is like putting the QE2 into gear. I dont have any trouble beating them in my AU I6, a V8 should have an easy kill.

[Sleeperau]

Originally Posted by Casper

The V8 is sick. I've driven plenty of BA I6's and, in stock trim, they are the same as an AU XR6 in overall speed.. their weight kills any engine performance increase and getting them off the line is like putting the QE2 into gear. I dont have any trouble beating them in my AU I6, a V8 should have an easy kill.

I agree, my mild AU I6 can take a BA I6 & I have driven one for work for a week. I once lined up against a series III XR8 & it was pure embarrasment. I think your Xr8 needs a good tune. Look at the weight of a BA & the power output & you will find they are quite heavy in the power to weight ratio context.

[FordACE]

yeah, it has to be a sick XR8. My brothers AU2 xr8 220 was at least very close to his BA xr6 turbo in accelaration. The XR8 actually felt better because it was a manual compared to the xrT which is an auto. But obviously, with a tune and a few mods the xr6 turbo is a beast.

[EL8TED]

i rekon my EL 2 XR8 would hold off a BA XR6..or an AU series 1 for that matter.. although the BA i6 can be made to be faster for a few bucks less than my wheezer..

[xd5.8l]

Not much of a contest in my opinion. my cars 100kg heavier then a au 220 xr8 and still wipes the floor with the BA I6. Manual I6 is almost a second off the pace which equates to 5-6 car lengths down the quarter.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by EL8TED

i rekon my EL 2 XR8 would hold off a BA XR6..or an AU series 1 for that matter..

How do you figure it would hold off an AU1 XR8? Same power V8's, AU is lighter than EL and more aero efficient.

[EF302]

i rekon my EL 2 XR8 would hold off a BA XR6..or an AU series 1 for that matter...

i've sat side by side with a au1 xr8 in my ef, so i believe that!!!

[5 FTR 5]

Spend a couple of dollars on a AU 220 and scare a few t6 and 260's.The standard 6 isnt in the run even against a standard 220.

[shepv8]

Hey CASPER ,
I thought the AU is heavier than the EL, mainly cause it has a big heavy irs under its butt and a few other things.

My brother has an Auto BA 11 XR6 N/A , and my AU1 XR8 manual is quicker than it in stock form, and heaps quicker with flash tune.

Standard cars 8 6
kW 220 182
NM 435 380
weight kg 1620 1672

figures from motor magazine
So.... how does a heavier car with 38 less kW's and 55 less NM ( ouch!! )
out accelerate the XR8???

[pks54]

whatever tranny the ba i6 has it will not do a sub 15 sec quarter. i know a manual au xr8 220kw will. no comparison guys.
also is this a bum-o-meter test. sometimes you will be supprised how you can be fooled.
the au will eat it!

[XT221]

Your XR8 has got to be sick as there's no way the 6 would be Quicker!!!! Ive driven a few ba 6's and compared to my 220 there's no chance of them beating an a 220. I did have a run with a BA turbo and there was'nt a great difference there (he was slightly quicker).Stick your 220 on a dyno and lets us know the outcome!!

[ReVd_uP]

hands down, an au220 would hand a ba i6 its a$$ all day,..

[Sylox]

Look at the selection of 220 spec xr8's here that are stock/near stock and running everywhere from a 15.2 down to a 13.7. and up to a claimed 207rwkw"

A Manual BA XR6 sedan against a 200spec ute thats stock gets absolutey whooped on the street. So there isnt even a point comparing the 220's as they had more power and torque and around 100kgs less weight in the sedan as the utes never came with the 220.

The BA I6 only deserves praise in turbo form cause in N/A it cant make up for the weight IMHO.

[TCK-098]

well from my moments-
BA i6 wiped its *** clean-BA turbo"standard" i got two car advantage off the line and kept even until we decided to behave.

BA XR8 beat me 2-2.5 car lengths off the line and Au XR8 well the 185 i wipe its *** but the 220 there isnt much in it.

My car is I6 but what it says on paper and how the thing goes when you kick it is totally differant.

[Lukeyson]

i have driven many BA with the 4litre, great motor, very smooth, but i did notice a difference in the low down torque, compared to my 200kw AU's, but i have had the odd run against a mate with a MK2 XR6 manual, me in my AUII XR8 ute manual, and i would walk away from him quite nicely. And the 220's i have driven go a fair bit better that my ute, so i would say your XR is in need of some TLC.

[shepv8]

power to weight ratios in road cars are pretty hard to argue with.
even against a AU1 XR8 with 185 kW and 412 Nm , it has slightly more power and a fair bit more torque against the heavier BA 6.
How can the six possibly be quicker. It dosent really rev any quicker, and has a fairly long stroke so ????????
Dont want to offend any one but it seems that people buy 6's ( N/A, turbos dont count in these arguments) and then spend every cent and minute of their time trying to make them quicker than V8's.Why didnt u just buy an 8 to begin with......