Limited-edition Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8 Sprint enter production

[csv8]

Limited-edition Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8 Sprint enter production

'Ford Australia has commenced production of its swansong-edition Falcon XR Sprint, if this image is any indication.

First published on FordForums this week, the photo shows a sports bucket seat wrapped in plastic, trimmed in leather and Alcantara and embroidered with a white 'SPRINT' logo.

Ford would not comment on the image, which emerged in a FordForums thread alongside shots of partially-built XR8s inside a production facility.

Nor will it comment on its plan – first revealed by motoring.com.au in November 2014 — to produce limited-edition versions of the XR6, XR6 Turbo and XR8 sedans before Falcon production ceases forever on October 16 next year.

However, we understand an official announcement will be forthcoming after the local Mustang launch in January, ahead of first deliveries of the new XR Sprint models around March/April – before Ford redirects its performance spotlight on the new Focus RS due here mid-year.

As we reported in May, Ford Australia officially signed off a plan to produce a limited-edition, high-performance XR6 Turbo to mark the end of Falcon production and Australia's finest homegrown engine.

Then in June, news spread that Ford Australia had registered three new Falcon trademarks on April 1 — XR6 Sprint, XR6 Turbo Sprint and XR8 Sprint — reserving a nameplate previously seen on the 1993 ED XR8 Sprint and 2001 AUIII XR6 Sprint.

The move suggests Ford will also apply the Sprint badge to the standard XR6 and V8-powered XR8, although there are suggestions the XR6 Turbo will wear a new model suffix not previously seen.

While the XR8 Sprint engine will be unchanged, it's unclear exactly what will power the swansong XR6 Turbo. We'd initially expected it to employ the same 310kW/565Nm 4.0-litre turbo-six from FPV's discontinued FGII Falcon-based F6, which would have minimised development and validation costs.

Now it appears likelier the engine will be a tweaked version of the slightly different turbo-six Ford's latest FG X Falcon XR6 Turbo, which produces 270kW and 533Nm on 91 RON standard unleaded petrol and as much as 335kW/670Nm using its overboost function.

Fitted with a new turbocharger and engine management system, we expect the special XR6 Turbo to eclipse the 335kW/570Nm outputs of the supercharged 5.0-litre V8-powered XR8 (and Holden's 304kW/570Nm 6.2-litre Commodore SS), although Ford is likely to again understate its performance at around 325kW.

But given the XR8 Sprint is mechanically unchanged from the standard XR8, which can stump up more than 375kW in overboost mode and hit 100km/h in about 4.7 seconds (and the fact the 90kg-lighter XR6 Turbo can hit 100km/h in less than 4.5, and the standing quarter-mile in under 12.5), the RSPEC XR6T will of course be quicker than the V8.

Both six- and eight-cylinder special-editions will ride on the same FPV RSPEC chassis as the current XR8, meaning firmer springs and revised sway bars, wider 19x9.0-inch rear wheels, staggered-width Pirelli tyres and six/four-piston Brembo front/rear brakes.

The limited-production Sprint sedans will be visually differentiated by unique front and rear bumper designs, interior highlights, identification numbers and a black cam cover for the XR6T.

It's unknown how many will be built and what they will cost, but expect a premium over the standard XR6 Turbo ($43,490) and XR8 ($53,490).

That should make Ford's swansong XR6 Turbo Sprint – if that's what it's called – not only the quickest and fastest factory Falcon ever, but the performance bargain of the doomed nameplate's 56-year history.

Get in quick though; we hear Ford dealers will need to get their last ever Falcon XR orders in by March.''
http://www.carsales.com.au/editorial...-sprint-100503