Road TestCar reviews - FPV - GS - sedanFPV modelsOverviewFord Performance Vehicles GS might use a dated Boss V8, but it is still a classic9 Apr 2010 WHAT a last hurrah for the brilliant 5.4-litre Boss V8 the FPV GS is, a limited-edition Falcon XR8-based entry-level sports sedan introduced in Australia towards the end of 2009. A slight power drop does nothing to diminish the visceral appeal of the US-made but locally revised engine, which is matched beautifully to the sophisticated FG chassis. Strong yet gentle with an appealing, reserved nature, the FPV GS is more than a retro image builder, and deserves to join the legions of other classic fast local Fords in this country. Model release date: 1 September 2009 to 1 October 2010 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelYOU must go back more than 30 years to find the last Ford with a GS badge, worn by the slow-selling two-door XC Hardtop from 1976 to 1979. The last official two-door Falcon passenger car, the GS Hardtop was lumbered with the same leaf-spring live-axle rear suspension as all of the other big rear-drive Aussie Fords of the day, but at least the XC-and-a-half ‘facelift’ of April 1978 saw a sort of ‘Radial Tuned Suspension’ modification to bring the Falcon in line with the HZ Holden cars of the time. Mainly a stripes and fog lights special, the GS Hardtop was available with three engines – a 4.1-litre in-line six, a 4.9-litre V8 (302 cubic inches in fact), and a roaring 5.8-litre ‘351’ V8. Gearbox choices were either a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic. |
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