Bruhh! it’s those ugly front end lights that no one liked 🤣 makes the vehicle stand out from any other vehicle I’ve had girls ask me what year is my car (Au xr6 ticky) thinking it was a fairly new performance car no shit they gasp when I tell em it’s more than 20 years old 🤣. The body is also a perfect blend of smooth curves and straight lines. They’re one of the best looking Australian race cars in my opinion.
@@olivia-jadeconlon4734 If you want to get right into the history of Falcons in video games, Need For Speed 3 hot pursuit (1) had an Falcon EL GT, and Ford racing 3 had the BA GT and the XB GT. Then their were various other racing car games that had Falcons like the very popular codemasters series "V8 Supercars 1/2/3" and a one off Dick Johnson racing game that had his AU XR8 at Bathurst.
Love that Windsor goodness. I reckon it's the best sounding V8 you've tested so far. I'd be happy to have any of the Tickford enhanced AU's in my shed.
As a proud owner of a series 3 xr8 I can say I love these cars. These were the last of the 302 Windsor's they were also a result of Tickford being told by Geoff Polites to up the anti and make these cars keep up with Holden's Gen3. So Tickford Enhanced these engines building each one by hand. You will find that that the engine should have the engine builder's name on a plaque on the rocker cover. These cars were now equally as fast as the commodore SS and sounded better to.
G'day Jon ...I'm in love....That is one sweet car...0-100 does not matter.. They are meant for long cruises and touring in comfort . When BA first came out despite bagging the AU looks many of the journo's thought that the best long distance Falcon was still the AU .Having owned both I agree ..Also totally agree that the 5.0 Windsor is a gem of an engine ..The five speed is immense ...What a car and for anyone who hates the AU look all I can say is........... More fool you . They are beautiful . I never ever get sick of driving or looking at my dear old AU Futura Intech SOHC also built 2001 and she just keeps going and going day in day out , no fuss , no hassles . Also a gem ...Your vids are always a priority watch for me ...Just love how you do them ...
My first company car was an AU.... then I got a brand new BA. At first I thought it was so much better...... but in time, I wanted m AU back...... it is the same sentiment as today. Anyone that gives up their AU regrets it in a huge way...... and the numbers of people that once mocked the AU and now wants/has one is growing. There are multiple channels that show this and multiples of people that show it too.... AU's rule and nothing else matters because they suck. ...... spent thousands on my AU in the last 2 years, not to keep it on the road, but to make it go for more decades..... easy to keep them on the road, unlike holdens.
AU XR's are sick, especially the windsors. I have a vid on my channel of me going around winton motor raceway in my AUXR8 5Speed, it was a dream to drive, and it was the quickest in class.
I really love to see this, I only had the S3 SR i6 but I really loved that car, I could get in it, fill both tanks (dual fuel) and drive 1000ks in total comfort. You really can't beat the sound of that Windsor
I had the xr6 they really sorted the front end in those cars. Mine was a Ute it was an absolute joy 2 drive. So lovely 2 drive through corners. It might not be the fastest in a straight line. But it’s the best.
I'm lucky enough to own an XR8 S3 220 manual and what a car they are, i changed over to short shifter and i think it really makes the shifting a lot more practical. You get in it and they just have the best balance of mechanical/electronic feel. Currently building an AU Barra in the same black as this rebel. it will be an awesome car when complete.
I didn’t fall in love with the au until I was given one now it’s my pride and joy. Even though she’s in the she awaiting for some money to be thrown at her. Been in the family since new.
in 2015 I bought an ex AU Falcon taxi with dual fuel for $750 to use on an outback rally with some other Falcons. The car had over 800,000k's on it and was still going as strong as ever. Sadly, the outback rally ended the cars life, and nowadays I very much doubt you could find a running, driving AU for that price. It was one hell of a car for the money and super strong.
Ross, I especially enjoyed this test run, as I have a mere Auto plain XR8 220 in Venom red with 316.000+ k's on it, and still running strong !! Bit of a shame you didn't show the "Hand Built with Pride by J Neves" (the builder of my engine), plaque on the rocker cover (there were 20 engine builders at Tickford doing these special, last and most powerful factory 302s ever, at one per builder, per day). In case you don't know already, these were the special features that the 220kw version received...70MM THROTTLE BODY, PORT MATCHED INTAKE MANIFOLD. IRON GT40P HEADS that were 9.4 to 1 instead of 9 to 1, LARGER 1.94 intake/1.54 exhaust VALVES, YELLA TERRA ROLLER ROCKERS, 4 into 1 HEADERS, FULL-LENGTH DUAL EXHAUST SYSTEM, CUSTOM CAM, LARGER FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, and all engines were HOT TESTED. In the WHEELS magazine dual road test, the little all iron 5 speed 5 litre Windsor was dead even with the all-alloy 5.6 litre LS in the Holden Commodore SS. Thanks again !!!
P.S. I bought mine in APRIL 2021, and I reckon I got it for a steal at $8,400 NZD, here in New Zealand (about $7,800 AUS Dollars). Just noticed this was comment 220 !!
I had to get my detective on here because something doesn't add up. The game Gran Turismo 3 was first released on April 28 2001. The AU serise 2 was available until October 2001, but the game (shown 1:58) was a "platinum" edition. Which means that it (the game) sold at least 400k copy's within the first year of release, and then got released after 12 months with the "platinum" labelling. Ross said that the car had the original PS2 and the game (at 6:43) If that was the case, how could it of been the "platinum" edition of the game which wouldn't of been available until 6 months after the serise 2 had finished production in October 2001? The "original" game must of gone missing just like the original interior, and got swapped out with another version is my guess. No hate just an observation. Love the content, keep it up!! I need a life.....
Back when the series 1 AU hit the market it was a hell of a shock. I think were were just so used to the boxy previous designs. But i had this secret love once the series 2 and 3 arrived. Everyone still hated them but i started really liking the looks of Fairmonts and XR's. Finally got my Fairmont about 14 years ago and the way it drives is amazing. Well engineered car that the public just didnt understand at the time. Still sits in the shed lol I dont drive it much but love it everytime i do. Has clearcoat paint fade so i will probably just leave it till i decide to rebuild it. Zero rust though and interior and panels are immaculate, so shes worthy
Yes! Love it. I had a blue one. Non-rebel. It was auto with selectable modes ie. Eco, adaptable or performance modes. Performance mode made a huge difference to shifts! Should never have sold it! Regarding the performance I was able to run a consistent 14.58 at Kwinana Motorplex on Street tyres. 6.5 sec 0-100km/h. And if you didn't know what made the au2 great was it's hand built engine. If you look closely on the side of the block the engine builders name is engraved on a plaque. The au2 also had a cast iron head which made it strong and a hotted up Cam which gave it a great lumpy idle for a stock car. I used to give my mates grief in their HSVs and could even stay with a BA xr6t!
I sold my one owner venom manual 3 years ago to fund another project.{$14000} I can't say I regret it but the manual Rebel proves that you don't need to have 500rwhp to have an engaging, fun drive. Its was tons and tons of fun to drive. You couldn't help but smile at WOT! I do miss it.
Love it. Would love to see a Rebel BF series on your channel someday. They came officially badged as "Rebel" in NZ in only XR6 form, however in Aus we got XR8 and XR6T formats but without the "Rebel" badge on the back of the car, although they came with the exact bodykit that the Rebel badged ones have (go figure why Ford decided to be so inconsistent).
Just subscribed to your channel. I was living in Oz '98-01 and loved the Falcon/Commodore's. I always liked the Falcon AU version 2 and 3 back then. It has a certain look to it's that it timeless. You are either love it or hate it. Its aged very well. I also like the TS50 and Fairlanes. We don't see them in the U.K. except for long wheelbase versions that are used for funerals/cremations.
the AU was also in Need For Speed High Stakes on the PS1 along with a VT Commodore. And if i remember correctly, you could use them as cop cars in the Australian Police livery
Great review mate.. 7 sec is pretty good considering other higher powered cars you have reviewed that aren’t that much (real world) quicker.. I think from factory they claimed it around 6.4secs Keen to see a vt ss or vx as a comparison.. keep it up bro 👌👌
7 seconds is usual perfomance numbers for midrange sports cars in 90s early 2000s unless we talk about some extreme turbo cars. Also in Practise many of them woupd be slower due to turbo lag and best times requiring extremely abusing clutch dumps like WRX STi(it normally slower than 7 seconds in real world as opposed to specsheet 5.5s)
7 sec I got 5.6 sec in my s3 xr8 manual I have a video of it to but it depends 😅 I guess iv broken to engine mounts to now and one diff and that's not from doing burnouts that's just from launching it ☹
Probably because of those ugly ass headlights and front grill.. I mean some people get a kick out of it but the some might be 5% of Aussies at the time 😂 it’s a mean ass car I’ve been in one my self but the look of the front turns me off everything else is a 👍🏽👍🏽
@@deathtoming2201 I get that the look of the standard AU’s front looks bad no doubt, but I think the front of the XR’s look great, surely I’m not the only one that’s like this?
As time goes on, because of their front-ends, the AU's will become one of THE instantly recognizable Aussie classics & they're a tough comfortable car that'll be used as dailys for many years to come
Yes mate I've still got the game & that car as my favourite,but the real deal here is hard to go past what a beast,like others have said it has aged well indeed,I don't care what anyone says but Aussie classics Ford & Holden will always be hard to beat no matter their age they're just built differently to all the others,loved it Johnny cheers bro.
Great video Jon. Pressed like at about 30 seconds in. Oh man. Black looks so good on these. And that exhaust note from the Windsor sounds great too. Funny detail - the grill on the game car looks more like my happy S1 XR8. Your comment of "fight me" about the car. Haha.
Cars of my childhood! Interesting that 2nd gear is quite short as well. I would have expected it to break the 100kmh mark with it. Nice blast from the past 😎
A kid at school used to get dropped off in a red one of these, it would’ve been almost brand new. I remember knowing it was quite a special machine, to all the other kids it was just a car 😆
biggest problem with a windsor is that they turn fuel into noise more than they do horsepower, i have a base model au s1 with an intech and a base model au s1 with a windsor, intech is very nearly as fast but gets twice the mileage
@@bigcazza5260 Haha, I'm so poor most of my drives are the 12km to and from the BP station for Ultimate 98. $15 buys me 4.5 litres=1 old imperial gallon !!
Always preferred the AU IRS compared to the B & F series Falcons- it always felt far more planted and tram-lined less then the cheap arse "control blade" system
Ross... always great reviews mate....cant buy AU shirts anymore..?... Ive had about 10 AUs including a TL50 and my current TE50 and xr8 manual ute....... Love them..BTW.no Xr8s got the ESS gear changers on the MOMO wheel.. were only designated for the T series autos....keep em coming..
Cool didn't know Ford bundled the PS2 and Gran Turismo 3 with it. My ex boss bought a FPV F6 Typhoon '04 new and said he got a PS2 and Gran Turismo 4 with it which is sweet, especially since that exact car is in the game too, not the V8 Supercar version.
@RossReviewsau yeah Typhoon is such a cool name. Wish Gran Turismo 7 brought back some Aussie cars in an update, just got the PSVR2 and playing in VR is mind blowing. Would be sick to experience driving some Aussie icons that I'd never get to drive in real life haha
@@RossReviewsau did you ever see when they (the normal XR8) came out back in the day the had a dual wing spoiler that differentiated it from the XR6 with the single wing. I wish I could share a picture because this is a horrid description lol. You never see them now days. I like the look of it.
Mate, that engine sounds sooo good! It's like waking up and smelling the bacon in the morning🤤🤤But seriously that car is cool, and now i wish i still had my ps2 so i can jump on GT3 again
@@RossReviewsau The last Factory Windsor's ANYWHERE as they were the last 1,000 castings to leave the CLEVELAND engine plant's foundry. YES, the Cleveland plant, ironically !!
Ford AU TE50 was on one of the earlier PS 2 Game need for speed the one before the Underground series ,It had Lambo diablo,Mclearn F1,F40 and f50 Ferrari and the Manaro then the mighty AU lol,Mexican hoon cartel are very fond of the AU Series ,i worked at a Holden Ford wreckers here in New Zealand,i was a Holden fan till i seen the build quality of the holdens compred with the Falcons was lacking and i soon had me a Ford EL XR 6 manual that the boss did me a deal on and after 6 months it was tricked out with all the best gear ,bits of AU,bits of fairlanes and other falcons which were basically building lego,i ended up with a 40000 km AU block modded to fit with my Tickford XR6 head ,had low km tight AU lsd diff ,was a great car wish id kept it ffs
Some incorrect info in your review All AU2 XR8 sedans got the 220kw from May 2001, ford updated the brochure documenting it. Rebels weren't produced till August 01 thru to October 2001. Leather was an option on Rebels, cloth was standard! The game was meant to come signed by seton and Richards also. I have a sister car to that one. Rebel, Black, Manual, Leather.
Thanks John. Awesome review. It could be the pic but Monsoon Blue is a very dark blue (like your other review of an AU V8) however looks like Blueprint. Anyway, keep the vids coming. Cheers
In my humble and slightly biased opinion, Craig Lowndes' 00 green eyed monster (Gibson motorsport AU) was & still is the most stunning livery on any v8 supercar before or since. Just a shame it didn't have the performance to match the look.
Hi Ross have got a 2001 auxr8 Narooma blue auto with 96000klmsim the second owner it is very geniune car and still has a original paint on it .it very collectable car and standard not modified only got mantra exhaust on it .it is not for sale but I think it would be worth about $35000 and going up in value also I got an auxr8 ute matching Narooma blue 5 speed at the moment if is going to get a close door respray it is going to be a collectable ute one day it is a rare ute because it is one of four in its combination not for sale so I have got a sedan and a ute in Narooma blue ok thanks for this video of a auxr8 rebel liked it much hope to see more videos of the mighty au's ok
I hated the look of them when they came out because I’m a HSV person and owned a 2001 VX Black Clubsport that was much better looking and was faster but today I like the AU
Hehe, same interior exactly as my S2 XR6 HP. Btw what would you prefer the sound of... The XR5 turbo ... Or a cranky v8? I can't decide, been thinking about it for years...
Hahahhaha Ross! your channel reaches out to to many peeps. lol. An Au rebel in the blue is on car sales for 49k. thanks for bumping up the prices of the Au's. hehehe. 😉
Yeah the standard AU's were ugly, but the XR variants were beautiful cars. If only Ford had fitted that front bar across the range it would've made all the difference in sales. I stuck an XR6 front end & BA XR6 17" Alloys on my AUIII Forte wagon, it's just a stocky 4.0 intech ohc, but i regularly get honked at or thumbs up by other falcon drivers. It's hilarious when they see the car go by & realize it's a wagon. I tell people it's a 1 off 😄 And above all, those AU intech engines have proven themselves to be right up there with the Barra as one of the greatest sturdiest reliable engines ever produced in Australia. 325,000km and still goes with no hassles or burning oil.
Ford were always 3 generations ahead on design and build quality but 3 generations behind on V8 performance! when Holden brought the 5.7 from the Corvette Ford really missed an opportunity to respond with the 351
3:57 - Incorrect on three fronts. First, that is Narooma Blue, not Monsoon. Second, Rebel only came in Venom and Silhouette. Third, no XR8 at all came with the ESS auto function, that was T Series only. The blanks where there on all XR8 steering wheels. Bit more research needed buddy.
Beware anyone who wants to buy an Au xr8 or xr6 it has to be series 2 or 3 steer clear of series 1, series 1 has awfully light steering at freeway speeds to the point of being dangerous. I previously owned a series 1 xr8 and tried a series 2 and it felt much safer.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
At the time the VT commodore looked lightyears ahead of the AU but the strange thing is the AU has aged a lot better than the VT
It's probably because too many bogans drive VTs
the AU has aged the best, no doubt about it!
100% agree! The look of a brand new VT with its curved lines was something.. but I’ll always break my neck if I see a clean AU drive past these days
Bruhh! it’s those ugly front end lights that no one liked 🤣 makes the vehicle stand out from any other vehicle I’ve had girls ask me what year is my car (Au xr6 ticky) thinking it was a fairly new performance car no shit they gasp when I tell em it’s more than 20 years old 🤣. The body is also a perfect blend of smooth curves and straight lines. They’re one of the best looking Australian race cars in my opinion.
@@RossReviewsau aus dont age, they limi bash just as hard at 1 million ks as they do at 100 000ks
Was also featured in the PS1 need for speed high stakes Australian edition along with the VT GTS
great game
Yes, and the TS50 T3 was in NFS Hot Pursuit 2
@@RossReviewsau definitely was but didn't age well
@@basingold3651 yes sure was there also was a BA xr8 in juiced 2 Hot import nights but that's the only other falcon I've seen on PS2
@@olivia-jadeconlon4734 If you want to get right into the history of Falcons in video games, Need For Speed 3 hot pursuit (1) had an Falcon EL GT, and Ford racing 3 had the BA GT and the XB GT. Then their were various other racing car games that had Falcons like the very popular codemasters series "V8 Supercars 1/2/3" and a one off Dick Johnson racing game that had his AU XR8 at Bathurst.
Love that Windsor goodness. I reckon it's the best sounding V8 you've tested so far. I'd be happy to have any of the Tickford enhanced AU's in my shed.
Couldn't agree more! id love one next to the typhoon!
🤣
As a proud owner of a series 3 xr8 I can say I love these cars. These were the last of the 302 Windsor's they were also a result of Tickford being told by Geoff Polites to up the anti and make these cars keep up with Holden's Gen3. So Tickford Enhanced these engines building each one by hand. You will find that that the engine should have the engine builder's name on a plaque on the rocker cover. These cars were now equally as fast as the commodore SS and sounded better to.
Right on Yusuf, see my comment above !!
you are right and that's something i forgot to mention! they are all hand built with a builders plaque... truly special motors these.. love an AU
They sound so beautiful too.
I know a bloke who had a red XR8 Rebel in his back yard sadly the rust has got to her :'(
@@shannonstaschik2086 they are worth top dollar now. What a shame
G'day Jon ...I'm in love....That is one sweet car...0-100 does not matter.. They are meant for long cruises and touring in comfort . When BA first came out despite bagging the AU looks many of the journo's thought that the best long distance Falcon was still the AU .Having owned both I agree ..Also totally agree that the 5.0 Windsor is a gem of an engine ..The five speed is immense ...What a car and for anyone who hates the AU look all I can say is........... More fool you . They are beautiful . I never ever get sick of driving or looking at my dear old AU Futura Intech SOHC also built 2001 and she just keeps going and going day in day out , no fuss , no hassles . Also a gem ...Your vids are always a priority watch for me ...Just love how you do them ...
thanks so much mate :) i really do enjoy sharing these reviews.. especially the rare Aussie ones
My first company car was an AU.... then I got a brand new BA. At first I thought it was so much better...... but in time, I wanted m AU back...... it is the same sentiment as today. Anyone that gives up their AU regrets it in a huge way...... and the numbers of people that once mocked the AU and now wants/has one is growing. There are multiple channels that show this and multiples of people that show it too.... AU's rule and nothing else matters because they suck. ...... spent thousands on my AU in the last 2 years, not to keep it on the road, but to make it go for more decades..... easy to keep them on the road, unlike holdens.
The XR Models were a great looking car, especially in hindsight. But the standard AU was what copped the flak! The headlights are everything
Iconic car, I’ve always turned my head when I see a clean one of these bad boys 🤘
they are soo good to see in the flesh!
AU XR's are sick, especially the windsors. I have a vid on my channel of me going around winton motor raceway in my AUXR8 5Speed, it was a dream to drive, and it was the quickest in class.
they are such a fun car to drive and the noise is spot on
Of course the best car model ever made would be used in a game
of course!!!
I really love to see this, I only had the S3 SR i6 but I really loved that car, I could get in it, fill both tanks (dual fuel) and drive 1000ks in total comfort. You really can't beat the sound of that Windsor
Gotta love a Windsor V8 😍
I had the xr6 they really sorted the front end in those cars.
Mine was a Ute it was an absolute joy 2 drive.
So lovely 2 drive through corners.
It might not be the fastest in a straight line.
But it’s the best.
thats it just good driving cars! i tell everyone who hates them to go for a drive in one and it will change your mind
I'm lucky enough to own an XR8 S3 220 manual and what a car they are, i changed over to short shifter and i think it really makes the shifting a lot more practical.
You get in it and they just have the best balance of mechanical/electronic feel.
Currently building an AU Barra in the same black as this rebel. it will be an awesome car when complete.
Now that’s a garage mate! Good stuff
I didn’t fall in love with the au until I was given one now it’s my pride and joy. Even though she’s in the she awaiting for some money to be thrown at her. Been in the family since new.
they really do grow on you AUs.. great cars
Never knew they existed, what a gem!
they are a hidden gem
I've got that game and the ps2.
Good memories mate 🍻
Same! But it's an XR8 race car...
@@MartinJones123 yeah I've got the first and the second v8 super car games.
Sounds amazing on the surround sound 👌 🙌 😅
@@jasonevans977 Cars in games sound awesome with surround sound!
some of the best memories eh
in 2015 I bought an ex AU Falcon taxi with dual fuel for $750 to use on an outback rally with some other Falcons. The car had over 800,000k's on it and was still going as strong as ever. Sadly, the outback rally ended the cars life, and nowadays I very much doubt you could find a running, driving AU for that price. It was one hell of a car for the money and super strong.
oh man i love cheap AU :) haha i got one for a bargain last year and we gave it away on the channel! was a absolute GEM! you gotta love an AU
There is some guy in my area who drives an ex taxi AU and it's still going (might be on it's second engine)
Ross, I especially enjoyed this test run, as I have a mere Auto plain XR8 220 in Venom red with 316.000+ k's on it, and still running strong !! Bit of a shame you didn't show the "Hand Built with Pride by J Neves" (the builder of my engine), plaque on the rocker cover (there were 20 engine builders at Tickford doing these special, last and most powerful factory 302s ever, at one per builder, per day). In case you don't know already, these were the special features that the 220kw version received...70MM THROTTLE BODY, PORT MATCHED INTAKE MANIFOLD. IRON GT40P HEADS that were 9.4 to 1 instead of 9 to 1, LARGER 1.94 intake/1.54 exhaust VALVES, YELLA TERRA ROLLER ROCKERS, 4 into 1 HEADERS, FULL-LENGTH DUAL EXHAUST SYSTEM, CUSTOM CAM, LARGER FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, and all engines were HOT TESTED. In the WHEELS magazine dual road test, the little all iron 5 speed 5 litre Windsor was dead even with the all-alloy 5.6 litre LS in the Holden Commodore SS. Thanks again !!!
P.S. I bought mine in APRIL 2021, and I reckon I got it for a steal at $8,400 NZD, here in New Zealand (about $7,800 AUS Dollars). Just noticed this was comment 220 !!
James husband built my engine. I would love to know if there is any information about the guys who built these great machines
@@yusuf.alajnabi Google AU XR8220kw engine !!
@@yusuf.alajnabi Did you find the Morley builds 5.6 -litre Windsor V8 - Whichcar article ?!
@@arkhsm no I didn't can you put up a link
OH BABY THIS CAR IS SWEET!
one of the best
I had to get my detective on here because something doesn't add up. The game Gran Turismo 3 was first released on April 28 2001. The AU serise 2 was available until October 2001, but the game (shown 1:58) was a "platinum" edition. Which means that it (the game) sold at least 400k copy's within the first year of release, and then got released after 12 months with the "platinum" labelling. Ross said that the car had the original PS2 and the game (at 6:43) If that was the case, how could it of been the "platinum" edition of the game which wouldn't of been available until 6 months after the serise 2 had finished production in October 2001? The "original" game must of gone missing just like the original interior, and got swapped out with another version is my guess. No hate just an observation.
Love the content, keep it up!!
I need a life.....
This car will always be a legend.
One for the history books!
Back when the series 1 AU hit the market it was a hell of a shock. I think were were just so used to the boxy previous designs. But i had this secret love once the series 2 and 3 arrived. Everyone still hated them but i started really liking the looks of Fairmonts and XR's. Finally got my Fairmont about 14 years ago and the way it drives is amazing. Well engineered car that the public just didnt understand at the time. Still sits in the shed lol I dont drive it much but love it everytime i do. Has clearcoat paint fade so i will probably just leave it till i decide to rebuild it. Zero rust though and interior and panels are immaculate, so shes worthy
They really have aged so well! Beautiful beasts
Hell Yes! basicly the same as my S3 except I have full leather and the REX interior package I even have S1 TS50 rims but mines painted in Meteorite.
DAMN! that sounds clean ;)
Green eyed monster is my third favorite falcon. Used to despise them but they grow on you. Go the AU!
it looks so cool that one eh!
My mate got a au xr8 Ute manual. As a weekend cruiser. He loves driving it. He says it’s a awesome car to drive.
Good choice! absolutely love them
I own a bf gtp and tbh , the 5.0 Windsor In the Au's sound awesome. better then my gtp. nice review Ross.
Thanks! they really do have such a sweet note eh!
Yes! Love it. I had a blue one. Non-rebel. It was auto with selectable modes ie. Eco, adaptable or performance modes. Performance mode made a huge difference to shifts! Should never have sold it! Regarding the performance I was able to run a consistent 14.58 at Kwinana Motorplex on Street tyres. 6.5 sec 0-100km/h. And if you didn't know what made the au2 great was it's hand built engine. If you look closely on the side of the block the engine builders name is engraved on a plaque. The au2 also had a cast iron head which made it strong and a hotted up Cam which gave it a great lumpy idle for a stock car. I used to give my mates grief in their HSVs and could even stay with a BA xr6t!
the last true Aussie built V8s! they are such gems and every time i drive one its always a good day haha.. up the AU!
@@RossReviewsau I've still got the engine cover!
@@weekesy5122 good stuff
Another banging video mate any chance you could do a review on more classic falcons like eb Ed ef xr8s would love to see a video on them
I can try! always on the hunt for them..
@@RossReviewsau I would say do mine I have a ef tickford xr8 but not the best and in nsw lol
I sold my one owner venom manual 3 years ago to fund another project.{$14000} I can't say I regret it but the manual Rebel proves that you don't need to have 500rwhp to have an engaging, fun drive. Its was tons and tons of fun to drive. You couldn't help but smile at WOT! I do miss it.
spot on mate! they aint rocket ships but man they can put a smile on ya dial
WOT's where it's at !!
Love it. Would love to see a Rebel BF series on your channel someday. They came officially badged as "Rebel" in NZ in only XR6 form, however in Aus we got XR8 and XR6T formats but without the "Rebel" badge on the back of the car, although they came with the exact bodykit that the Rebel badged ones have (go figure why Ford decided to be so inconsistent).
Just subscribed to your channel.
I was living in Oz '98-01 and loved the Falcon/Commodore's. I always liked the Falcon AU version 2 and 3 back then. It has a certain look to it's that it timeless. You are either love it or hate it. Its aged very well.
I also like the TS50 and Fairlanes. We don't see them in the U.K. except for long wheelbase versions that are used for funerals/cremations.
thanks mate! gotta love these aussie built cars.. some of the best ever made :)
I have the AU XR8 and a modified BA XR6 tubo and I think the XR8 sounds the best nothing like a Windsor 5.0. Thanks for the vid Ross.
its true the turbos are amazing but can never replicate that V8 rumble
the AU was also in Need For Speed High Stakes on the PS1 along with a VT Commodore. And if i remember correctly, you could use them as cop cars in the Australian Police livery
I wanted and still want this car simply because of Grand Turismo!!! And also watching the V8 Australian racing
These are so cool.. especially getting the game with it
Great review mate..
7 sec is pretty good considering other higher powered cars you have reviewed that aren’t that much (real world) quicker.. I think from factory they claimed it around 6.4secs
Keen to see a vt ss or vx as a comparison.. keep it up bro 👌👌
7 seconds is usual perfomance numbers for midrange sports cars in 90s early 2000s unless we talk about some extreme turbo cars. Also in Practise many of them woupd be slower due to turbo lag and best times requiring extremely abusing clutch dumps like WRX STi(it normally slower than 7 seconds in real world as opposed to specsheet 5.5s)
thanks brother! not bad for an old 5 spd ;)
7 sec I got 5.6 sec in my s3 xr8 manual I have a video of it to but it depends 😅 I guess iv broken to engine mounts to now and one diff and that's not from doing burnouts that's just from launching it ☹
Love the review of the Rebel. Sounds really good! Keep up the great reviews.
thanks Peter! really appreciate the support
This shows that Ford was struggling to sell AU's... So they put Gran Turismo 3 as a package! Can't wait for the review!
Probably because of those ugly ass headlights and front grill.. I mean some people get a kick out of it but the some might be 5% of Aussies at the time 😂 it’s a mean ass car I’ve been in one my self but the look of the front turns me off everything else is a 👍🏽👍🏽
@@deathtoming2201 terrible front and especially back
@@deathtoming2201 I get that the look of the standard AU’s front looks bad no doubt, but I think the front of the XR’s look great, surely I’m not the only one that’s like this?
@@slickrick986 yeh only die hard ford fans I know love it
As time goes on, because of their front-ends, the AU's will become one of THE instantly recognizable Aussie classics & they're a tough comfortable car that'll be used as dailys for many years to come
Yes mate I've still got the game & that car as my favourite,but the real deal here is hard to go past what a beast,like others have said it has aged well indeed,I don't care what anyone says but Aussie classics Ford & Holden will always be hard to beat no matter their age they're just built differently to all the others,loved it Johnny cheers bro.
They really are built different 🤘🇦🇺
Great video Jon. Pressed like at about 30 seconds in. Oh man. Black looks so good on these. And that exhaust note from the Windsor sounds great too. Funny detail - the grill on the game car looks more like my happy S1 XR8. Your comment of "fight me" about the car. Haha.
Thanks Allan! You gotta love these machines eh! Glad you enjoyed it
Cars of my childhood! Interesting that 2nd gear is quite short as well. I would have expected it to break the 100kmh mark with it. Nice blast from the past 😎
It may be the age of her or me just a bit scared to really redline it.. was very much on the limit of 100kph in second.. amazing car
Would of been a 6.6 if he did not have to pull third
My lord, the XR front clip looks handsome in black and blue from the ¾ front.
Controversial styling can pay off in the long game.
It’s aged very well!
@@RossReviewsau Funny enough, I'm only now appreciating the VT Commodore. Never took to it at the start.
those wheels really suit it.
They do! Love them
A kid at school used to get dropped off in a red one of these, it would’ve been almost brand new. I remember knowing it was quite a special machine, to all the other kids it was just a car 😆
HAHA that dad was a legend!
@@RossReviewsau it was a Mum, how good!
@@rwd323 oooo now that's DEFINITELY a Milf 🔥👅😈
biggest problem with a windsor is that they turn fuel into noise more than they do horsepower, i have a base model au s1 with an intech and a base model au s1 with a windsor, intech is very nearly as fast but gets twice the mileage
HAHA your are absolutely right but i love that noise too much to care
157 to 175, so no surprise there. Step up to the XR8 mate if you want the great noise AND horsepower !!
@@arkhsm i get 350ks to an 80 litre tank while doing 80, more power is the last thing my windsor needs
@@RossReviewsau intechs can sound better than a winnie tho, right extractors and cam and its sussed
th-cam.com/video/Pkw-5rom3KU/w-d-xo.html
@@bigcazza5260 Haha, I'm so poor most of my drives are the 12km to and from the BP station for Ultimate 98. $15 buys me 4.5 litres=1 old imperial gallon !!
That looks and sounds 5 stars all the way. Absolute beast.
brilliant AU eh!
What a headturner!🤤🥵
ordering a couple of those Au shirts asap! 😁
legend thanks for the support
The AU XRs are just gorgeous cars in my opinion. I've had my black AU2 XR8 for 11 years now. I can't bring myself to sell it haha
love that V8 tune, can listen to it all day
Never late in a V8
Best drivers falcon 👍🏼
;)
Awesome review mate. Wish I had room (and $) for for an AU3 xr8. Miss the ole Windsor. Had the 5L 5 speed in my ED xr8 when I was 18 💨
You and me both! glad you enjoyed it mate.. was a wicked car
Classic, very nice interning car. Sounds sweet as well. Great work bro.
cheers Dom! the sound is always so good
Always preferred the AU IRS compared to the B & F series Falcons- it always felt far more planted and tram-lined less then the cheap arse "control blade" system
100% the AU drives nicer on the road..
AU FALCONS DO AMAZING THINGS
no words are more true!
Ross... always great reviews mate....cant buy AU shirts anymore..?... Ive had about 10 AUs including a TL50 and my current TE50 and xr8 manual ute....... Love them..BTW.no Xr8s got the ESS gear changers on the MOMO wheel.. were only designated for the T series autos....keep em coming..
These cars really give you an AUgasm!
HAHA that they do!
Cool didn't know Ford bundled the PS2 and Gran Turismo 3 with it.
My ex boss bought a FPV F6 Typhoon '04 new and said he got a PS2 and Gran Turismo 4 with it which is sweet, especially since that exact car is in the game too, not the V8 Supercar version.
Amazing car.. love the typhoons too
@RossReviewsau yeah Typhoon is such a cool name. Wish Gran Turismo 7 brought back some Aussie cars in an update, just got the PSVR2 and playing in VR is mind blowing. Would be sick to experience driving some Aussie icons that I'd never get to drive in real life haha
That exhaust note is great.
really does sound good eh
@@RossReviewsau did you ever see when they (the normal XR8) came out back in the day the had a dual wing spoiler that differentiated it from the XR6 with the single wing. I wish I could share a picture because this is a horrid description lol.
You never see them now days. I like the look of it.
Mate, that engine sounds sooo good! It's like waking up and smelling the bacon in the morning🤤🤤But seriously that car is cool, and now i wish i still had my ps2 so i can jump on GT3 again
the last of the Aussie built V8s.. so good they are! PS2 memories unlocked eh haha
@@RossReviewsau The last Factory Windsor's ANYWHERE as they were the last 1,000 castings to leave the CLEVELAND engine plant's foundry. YES, the Cleveland plant, ironically !!
What a car! Such a good looking car in my opinion.
BeAUtiful! haha
Almost every ford person I know is a Full gamer
HAHA gotta love a bit of COD
Ford AU TE50 was on one of the earlier PS 2 Game need for speed the one before the Underground series ,It had Lambo diablo,Mclearn F1,F40 and f50 Ferrari and the Manaro then the mighty AU lol,Mexican hoon cartel are very fond of the AU Series ,i worked at a Holden Ford wreckers here in New Zealand,i was a Holden fan till i seen the build quality of the holdens compred with the Falcons was lacking and i soon had me a Ford EL XR 6 manual that the boss did me a deal on and after 6 months it was tricked out with all the best gear ,bits of AU,bits of fairlanes and other falcons which were basically building lego,i ended up with a 40000 km AU block modded to fit with my Tickford XR6 head ,had low km tight AU lsd diff ,was a great car wish id kept it ffs
Some incorrect info in your review
All AU2 XR8 sedans got the 220kw from May 2001, ford updated the brochure documenting it. Rebels weren't produced till August 01 thru to October 2001.
Leather was an option on Rebels, cloth was standard!
The game was meant to come signed by seton and Richards also.
I have a sister car to that one. Rebel, Black, Manual, Leather.
thanks for the info! was hard to study on this car.. gotta love them
Nick it's me Yusuf tickford lol I can always find you everywhere 🤣🤣🤣😂👍👍👍
Probably makes the AU2 XR8 220kw one of the rarest AUs, being on sale for only 6 months !!
@@arkhsm the AU Xr's are all rare now. There isn't many of them left.
@@yusuf.alajnabi CERTAINLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE B SERIES !!
It first appeared on PS1 in GT2 along with the mighty VT
your right actually!
What a beauty Ross
beAUty AU
Definitely the car I would’ve gotten if it didn’t get my te50
gotta love a TE50!
Add an EL XR6 Manual to your list. I own one and driven it across the the country. Its the best handling Ford ever.
you in melbourne or perth? haha
The AU is by far my favorite Falcon. I have had 4 Falcons and it was by far the coolest of all of them.
i miss my old giveaway AU Forte
Thanks John. Awesome review. It could be the pic but Monsoon Blue is a very dark blue (like your other review of an AU V8) however looks like Blueprint. Anyway, keep the vids coming. Cheers
Thanks for the info! that's what i got on google.. unless they changed the wheels on that car its definitely the Monsoon Blue.
Love the channel always wait for new content keep it up.when your in Melbourne if your keen ive got a ssv special edition g8 to review
oh thanks mate! can you send me a FB message or on Insta.. would love to review it! ill be there soon :)
twin light xr8 was my favourite
its grown on me a lot
Love the au, especially this one, I have a 01 au xr8 220kw bescars
Long live the king🙌 au aussie icon
LONG LIVE THE AU!
These have gotten ridiculously rare
Very
i remeber playing need for speed high stakes on ps1 and that had the au and also a vt...... miss the older games
Gotta love the AU!
simply the best
How’s the focus going lol did u get the clutch fixed can’t wait to see it on the channel
SHHHH lol had to be towed
Rip
au xr models have aged so well
😈🔥🔥🔥
The Mighty AU
the best
In my humble and slightly biased opinion, Craig Lowndes' 00 green eyed monster (Gibson motorsport AU) was & still is the most stunning livery on any v8 supercar before or since.
Just a shame it didn't have the performance to match the look.
i agree that thing was INSANE! absolute beast
Never heard of the eebel but all other V8 models yes in saying that it's a nice car
i never knew about it either till a few weeks ago lol
@@RossReviewsau you learn something new everyday 😁
Shame 2nd gear didn't take it all the way to 100, would have cut the time down even more
I reckon a cam and a flash tune would extend the top end
it was close wasn't it! so fun to row the gears
My thought too !!
Give me the Sega master system II with Alex Kidd anyday! Nice car and review mate but it seems like a bitza to me👍🇦🇺🍻 up da Windsor
shes a bitza but i love it none the less
I still have my xr6 leather seats in good condition I took them out so they can stay in good condition
Smart move for the future
Hi Ross have got a 2001 auxr8 Narooma blue auto with 96000klmsim the second owner it is very geniune car and still has a original paint on it .it very collectable car and standard not modified only got mantra exhaust on it .it is not for sale but I think it would be worth about $35000 and going up in value also I got an auxr8 ute matching Narooma blue 5 speed at the moment if is going to get a close door respray it is going to be a collectable ute one day it is a rare ute because it is one of four in its combination not for sale so I have got a sedan and a ute in Narooma blue ok thanks for this video of a auxr8 rebel liked it much hope to see more videos of the mighty au's ok
good stuff mate! love an AU more will be on the way with the channel
Another great video mate 👍
this was a good one :)
Love the au falcons
UP THE AU!
ik rebel on the newer falcons is the limited ediotion for new zealand but is this rebel also a newzealand edition or is it just the ba/bf
yes i have heard of those ones too.. nice one
I hated the look of them when they came out because I’m a HSV person and owned a 2001 VX Black Clubsport that was much better looking and was faster but today I like the AU
the AU has aged so well.. its design really grows on you over time
Hehe, same interior exactly as my S2 XR6 HP.
Btw what would you prefer the sound of... The XR5 turbo ... Or a cranky v8? I can't decide, been thinking about it for years...
thats a hard one.. i think V8 but man i love the XR5 Turbo
Great Cars, very under rated. Geez this sounds good. But i think this is a S3 not a S2
It’s a series 2 but basically a series 3 (early release)
My dream cars a 94 ef xr8 but with a 220kw Windsor
that would be epic
Hahahhaha Ross! your channel reaches out to to many peeps. lol. An Au rebel in the blue is on car sales for 49k. thanks for bumping up the prices of the Au's. hehehe. 😉
HAHA i did see that pop up he must have watched this and listened to me lol
I love my AU XR8!!!!
UP THE AU!
Yeah the standard AU's were ugly, but the XR variants were beautiful cars.
If only Ford had fitted that front bar across the range it would've made all the difference in sales.
I stuck an XR6 front end & BA XR6 17" Alloys on my AUIII Forte wagon, it's just a stocky 4.0 intech ohc, but i regularly get honked at or thumbs up by other falcon drivers.
It's hilarious when they see the car go by & realize it's a wagon.
I tell people it's a 1 off 😄
And above all, those AU intech engines have proven themselves to be right up there with the Barra as one of the greatest sturdiest reliable engines ever produced in Australia.
325,000km and still goes with no hassles or burning oil.
Getting a muffler delete On my FG GT can’t wait 😛
good stuff mate!
Ford were always 3 generations ahead on design and build quality but 3 generations behind on V8 performance! when Holden brought the 5.7 from the Corvette Ford really missed an opportunity to respond with the 351
Love the Ford n Holden rivalry man I miss them days
Imagine if the AU3s had all been the stroker 5.6 windsor !!
sounds proper awesome
gotta love a windsor mate
Pretty sure the f6 was in gt too
It was in the earlier game
Gonna try to get an au xr8 as my first car! If I don’t get one soon, I probably never will :o
You should
It was much lighter than ba xr8 , had 40 kW less
HA
3:57 - Incorrect on three fronts. First, that is Narooma Blue, not Monsoon. Second, Rebel only came in Venom and Silhouette. Third, no XR8 at all came with the ESS auto function, that was T Series only. The blanks where there on all XR8 steering wheels. Bit more research needed buddy.
Beware anyone who wants to buy an Au xr8 or xr6 it has to be series 2 or 3 steer clear of series 1, series 1 has awfully light steering at freeway speeds to the point of being dangerous. I previously owned a series 1 xr8 and tried a series 2 and it felt much safer.