FPV GT F Driven Review (Part 1)
We headed to You Yangs to sample the last ever GT and
finds that the 351 kW figure is just for starters
Ford has been playing with blue-blooded heart strings in its
slow-bum reveal of the last ever FPV GT. From the 351 badging leak, harking
back to an era when GT-HOs dominated Australian streets (including a
particularly scenic run, up, over and around Mount Panorama), to its
limited-edition stature, the lead-up to the GT F (for Final) launch was pause
for reflection... and the hope that it would be a fitting goodbye.
It’s with this in mind that I approach the entrance to the
You Yangs proving grounds, a place where GTs have been honed for generations.
Close your eyes and you can almost hear the strain of a Clevo belting around
the banked circuit on redline.
FPV GT F front
view
A select group of journos have gathered at the security gate
to have their names signed in and cameras ‘tagged’. There’ll be no photos
beyond here, thanks very much; not of the GT F, or the numerous camouflaged
machines hunting around the premises.
We are ushered into one of several factory- style
facilities, where two vehicles are draped with silky cloth and chairs are
arranged beyond a pedestal. When things get underway, Ford president and CEO Bob
Graziano speaks with genuine passion on the GT F project. Before long he’s
dialling up the anticipation further with a beautifully-shot video, the plot of
which follows the emotional roller-coaster ride of a group of Ford designers
and engineers, along with a dedicated FPV owner, to this moment.
FPV GT F rear view
It is then the turn of those designers and engineers to
detail the GT F. FPV chief program engineer Peter de Leur, who is also running
the XR8 development program, reveals the spec detail. And, shock horror, the
351 kW reference was more a marketing win for the masses rather than a true
power figure. “That 351 kW figure is reproducible in all conditions, even in
Darwin in summer," he says. “But if conditions are right, there’s a
transient supercharger overboost function which can release a maximum of 15 percent
more power, with a similar improvement in torque.” This is more like it!
Adding in overboost brings power to 404kW with around 656Nm
torque. Ford uses the more conservative ECE power rating system in favour of a
DIN measurement, meaning real output all but matches HSV’s GTS. Maximum boost
pressure remains as per Boss 335 spec at 0.8bar, but in GT F it pushes through
the rev- range for longer.
FPV GT F engine
In the interests of longevity first gear can’t access the
extra neddies; instead, the punch is felt beyond 4000rpm, from second gear
onwards. On gearing, de Leur reveals that the heavy-duty Tremec six-speed
manual continues unmodified, but the ageing ZF six-speed auto was upgraded for
GT F, with direct assistance from ZF engineers. “The result is modified [gear]
change points, a more positive feel on upshifts and more
aggressively-calibrated downshifts which can assist during performance
driving,” says de Leur. Translated, it means the auto can grab a downshift
under heavy braking earlier than before; third available from 150km/h rather
than the Boss 335’s 140km/h.
Given its intimate knowledge with the FPV supercharged
engine program, it’s fitting that Prodrive was contracted to assist, its work
centering on the updating the Bosch ECU. “We introduced version 9.0 with the
RSPEC, but that was two years ago,” explains Prodrive’s Bernie Quinn. “It’s an
‘active’ system, and we have updated it with the latest software to make the
most of the GT F’s increased performance.”
