Australia was a wonderful time when these were on the road I miss the 90s. A V8 producing 200kW was considered a s-t ton of power for its day, anything over the 180kW mark was deemed as crazy, nowadays your most basic family grocery getter SUV can produce that and many turbo 4 bangers surpass it, but it was such a gem for its time. Watching the footy on a sunday arvo with your family over and seeing VS Commoders and XH Falcons lined up infront of your house was an epic time that will never be live ever again, and seeing your hothead cousin bragging that his GC8 WRX with his tiny 2.0L engine can smash your old man’s 5.0L V8 boat was some good banter. These days you’ll most likely here how my ford ranger 2 ton diesel ute can smash your toyota hilux 2 ton diesel ute.
And who would think we loved these cars in the 90s and yes it was awesome, and doesn't matter what petrol or diesel weapon you have someone shows up in a Tesla 3 Performance and knocks off 0-100 in 2secs. Imagine sitting in a 8sec to 100 GT like this beauty and telling the driver "in 30 years and electric car will do the same sprint in 2 seconds". You'd be branded a wanker and punched in the guts, without a camera phone to film it! How good was back then, and a great video here too, love these cars of yesterday on the channel 👍
@@kidfreejones 0-100 in 8 seconds back in the 90s was considered peak performance, back then that felt extremely fast but overtime we have become so accustomed to being in cars that have lots of power and can do 0-100 in under 5-6 seconds. As I said, nowadays you have so many hot hatches that pump out over 230kW+ European sport sedans that always exceed 300kW Hypercars that have 500kW+ And now we have electric vehicles that can do 0-100 in 2 seconds and have instant throttle response from a roll on. People have become so use to these high performance vehicles that if their sports car or sporty sedan doesn’t do 0-100 in x amount of time or have x amount of power and torque figures that go crazy and blast negativity all over the car, how many people cried about the Toyota 86/BRZ being slow and not having a turbo, how many people whinge that the latest WRX is has gotten heavier and has become “slower” by keeping the same engine, then you have people crying that the Supra is too overpriced, the very reason such cars like the Supra or Nissan Z is overpriced is because of the people who cry about wanting more power and not enjoying a car for what it’s purpose is meant for, they expect every car to be a straight line drag race weapon. We use to own a VT 5.0L SS Commodore that had the 220kW engine and that car did 0-100 in roughly 8 seconds, today a tiny little 1.6L GR Yaris will leave you for dead, but back then we didn’t care if the car did 0-100 in 8 or 10 seconds, it looked awesome and the sound was orgasmic. Times have changed and technology has advanced so much that we as a human race are never satisfied with what we have, we expect everything to be a 1000hp 0-100 2 second straight line demon.
90’s fords and holdens are the best! Ive had many Fords and have always been drawn back to the E-Series, currently in an EL Fairmont Ghia 4L auto in Oxford green with full tickford body kit. It’s a gem
It's a shame we have nothing left in Australia, however I recall many years ago nobody wanted to touch these things, now everybody wants one, the economics of demand. Great cruiser the GT's.
What a glorious beast! I still miss my first love, a Heritage Green EL Series 2 XR8, manual OF COURSE! Ended up modifying it a bit and yeah it was never a total rocket but it made a very pleasing noise, had plenty of torque from idle, and was a lesson in throttle response! Good times... good times...
a youtuber over in Perth does mostly falcon and commodore (and some JDM) car reviews, look for Ross Reviews, although he is a ex pat Canadian and a little too enthusiastic its good to see the Aussie cars being reviewed.
Bret I found my (now ancient) Wheels and Motor mag and can confirm both auto and manual have 3.45:1 final drive ratio, the BTR 4-speed auto was beefed up materials but gear ratios are pretty much the same as standard, the "adaptive" transmission mode allowed for faster shift cut times between 1st and 2nd and from 4th back to 3rd, that said if you leave it in "Econ" mode the over ride is full acceleration for 1st to 2nd to 3rd for upshift but will hold 4th gear for longer (up to 2,800rpm) so relying on engine torque which this version of the Windsor V8 dubbed "GT90" has a near flat torque curve from 3,000m to 4,500rpm (that is 420Nm) which is more than enough for the 4th gear (overdrive) to pull and maintain speed when combined with the short final drive ratio.
Crazy how far technology has come. Back in these days we had 5.0L V8’s producing 200-220kW and these days a tiny little 1.6L 3cyl turbo GR Yaris/Corolla makes the exact same amount and the majority of 4 cylinder turbo hot hatches and sport sedans easily surpass it in both hp and torque.
Back then the Japanese equivalents had turbocharged 6's making more power anyway. The old E39 and equivalents made as much power from less displacement and were way quicker.
Thanks. The owner is a legend, and he's kept this in such good condition. Yep, totally agree. Although I think it would have no trouble producing quicker results on a better surface as well 👍
I used to work at a Ford Wreckers here in New Zealand sadley we had 1 of the ELGT here it was a RH t boned on drivers side rear with door and sill turned into a triangle lol which was great for havesting parts ,I had a stock auto EL with wind up windows got it off the boss for maybe $600 at 100 a week ,We had a lot of EF EL falcons Fairmounts LTDs ,in the end my white EL was dropped on XR6 supension ,XR6 LSD ,Full black on grey interior ,XR 6 Dash ,EL fairmount alloys ,Red top tickford Head ,slick boot ,Chipped ECU ,Fairmount Console surround ,LTD 2 channel alpine Ford amp,got all the bits for peanuts off the boss lol thing would sit on 220 kph all day and 2 tire fires and it was a nice slide car in the wet
To add to the list, the intake manifold is tubular (rather than a casting) and it's paths, volume and dimensions are almost exactly the same as the XR8(II) cast Explorer manifold. The fuel system is straight out of the Mustang speed parts bin: 24lb injectors and an oversize MAF tube, equaling the same air/fuel metering ratios that would be correct with 19lb injectors and a standard MAF. This might have been to save having to re-tune the EEC-IV ECU (yes, I know it says EEC-V on the airbox, long story) Period reviews suggested it didn't hit it's 200kw advertised power target, but my experience suggests it would have met or exceeded that figure. An EFI 302w at 9:1 compression with GT40P heads, Cobra tubular intake and long tube extractors (basically this) will make that in lazy street trim on regular pump fuel. I imagine they didn't feel fast with the auto box, however. (Also, the factory tune on these things looks like it's designed for towing a caravan, not thundering through a mountain pass with a petrified spouse on your left, and thrilled children in the back) There's a rumor the cam profile was more 'tow than go' too, does anyone know the answer to that one?
I always loved the styling of this model. I prefer fords purely for the durability of the build quality. My 1st car was a XD 351 4 speed toploader. Loved it.
The E Series Falcon/Fairmont have held up so much better than the VN to VS Series Commodore. This version "GT" has the Tickford developed "GT40" engine, some changed over the regular Windsor: - Conrods/pistons - Plenum chamber - Bigger fuel injectors / larger throttle body (both would be featured o the AU T-series 200/220kW engines and later on S3 AU XR8) - cold air induction piping - retuned EEV-V engine and fuel map + more mods to ignition and timing gear. Also the Alloy Heads (bigger valves) from Mustang Cobra of that era, the block other than Pistons and controls is pretty much the same wit the same crank. As Bret says, 200kW and 420Nm might not sounds like much but remember this was 1997, Ford & Tickford pretty much used the same core engines from 1991 (with the return of the EB Falcon S-XR8) and by the end of production in 2002 in the Series 3 AU were extracting 220kW / 435Nm (note: with steel heads designed like the alloy heads from the GT90 engine) all from a NA technically 4.9L V8. By comparison the last "GM Holden" 5.0L (technically 4.9L) V8 in the VT Series I Commodore (there was regular GMH and also enhanced HSV option) were 185kW/395NM (GMH) and 198kW/405Nm (HSV enhanced), GMH then offered the "Gen 3" re: LS1) 5.7L V8 which had 220kW/440Nm, of course HSV upper power/torque but by the the B series falcon/Fairmont Ford then had the Barra 220 V8 (5.4L V8 with 3 valves per cyl and SOHC per bank) and the Boss V8 and the more power full GT version (both 5.4L DOHC per bank 32 valve V8 all alloy engines) but that is another story for another day. Great review Bret.
Needs a 6 SP Manual and 3.9 or 4.1 diff gears! Next step is cylinder head porting, lighter valvetrain and a cam matched to the valve opening and closing events. Would be a surprisingly quick sports sedan.
The Hydratrak was the problem, the torque of the engine was too much for the viscous coupling, the fluid was actually uprated from the 185 kilowatt Clubsport. The fine spline on the L.H. axle would shear off with sticky tires and a boot full of revs.
Who would of thought at the time in 5 years a base 6cyl falcon would allmost match the performance figures, the late 90s to mid 00's was crazy how quickly cars jumped in power, 165kw 5.0 commys to 220kw ls1 etc. Would be interesting to hear from the guys at ford why they did not got with the 351 when doing the gt specials since they did have 351 prototypes kicking around in the ea's. The biggest complaint i have had with the ea to to bf falcons was no matter how new the door seals are they allways had wind noise from door window frame
Loved the video, thank for bringing back memories! I was wondering if the gloves you were wearing were Dents gloves? They have the Royal Warrant of King Charles. I got a set and used them in my car but they actually wore away the edges of the steering wheel where my fingers rested and then the gloves eventually developed holes. My own fault for driving a car which didn't have a classic moto lita steering wheel or something I guess 😂
Ford never provided "factory 1/4 mile times" that said the word was 14.8seconds down the 1/4 for the manual and 15 flat for the auto. The irony is the original EA 26 in Falcon S trim with 3.9L MPEFI 5-speed "T5" manual with 3:23.1 final drive were doing 15 flat also. All comes down to kerb weight.
Towards the end of when cars were cars. Not sure about the looks of that thing, but fits the bill for the Aussie love of big V8's. Myself I would go for a Cosworth Ford. Race track performance and handling. Less GT but way more fun. Love the driving Miss Daisy gloves. My Dad had a pair very similar in the 1960,'s.
Interesting you loved the EL, I thought it was a bit too much after the classy EB GT. They're both an awesome bit of Aussie history though, and that example is an absolutely gorgeous car. The old 4 speed BTR does let it down in terms of acceleration but gee they sound good. I have a couple of AU V8s and they're not quick but they feel muscular and they sound magnificent - and that's one of the big things missing from modern stuff. Boomer moment: my sister has a modern Mach 1 Mustang which is awesome, but i genuinely enjoy driving my XR8 more because I feel so in touch with it. In any case, great to see a car like that on the channel Brett - hope you can rustle some more classics into the mix.
There is some misconception going on here, the EL GT was a Marine Engine fitted with G.T.40 Heads (iron) Tubular Intake, 24lb injectors, and efficient for the time extractors, The EEC V was tweaked slightly and Cobra 1.7:1 Rocker Arms fitted. The EB GT was a different kettle of fish, that engine was fully imported, the first 10 or so were built by Roush, that contract was then given to Watson Engineering in the U.S., both these variants of engine had specific camshafts as fitted by their builders, the EL GT was a totally different camshaft, You stand next to an EB GT @ idle, then stand next to an EL GT @ idle two very different rumbles, to add more mystery some early Sprints got a Roush cam as well. There is nothing fancy about the EL GT short motor, it is the same as an EL XR 8.
@@rwd323 There is a video of my car during a retune on a hub dyno, and doing a lap of Bathurst in 2023, I could only shift into second gear because the Police presence, G.T.Nationals @ Bathurst 2023. Somewhere on the E series owners Club on Farcebook 298 rwhp and 405 ftlbs of Torque was achieved with a standard untouched short block. Heads, Cam, Intake and Exhaust were changed compression ratio is standard EL GT. Now stroker, compression ratio increase, better heads again. Hmm.
@@marsupialpianist1450 mate, from what we can find out Ford Australia changed the Cam specs around late 93, they were searching for a more even torque spread on acceleration, this would have slightly reduced peak horse power. As far as I know there is nothing special about any of the EL Windsor cams, early or late xr8 or G.T., around the AU era, Crow cams did a lot of work with Tickford, the 220 kilowatt cam is pretty good . There are stories of a lot of EL GT Owners swapping out the standard cams with the Ford Motorsport E 303 cam. The only 100 % Guarantee would be to compare Cams on a cam doctor, we could not find any "special" markings on my original EL GT Cam. I will check my records on cam change and get back to you with any helpful info.
@@GregWhitney-r5x -"Motor" magazine did a deep dive of this GT40 engine, (March 1997 edition)< I just re read it and from what I can see the CAM was the standard SVO one (which was different to the standard "HO" version in XR8) what Tickford did changed was the induction set up, so intake pipe. air box, bypass cold air box, throttle body, plenum chamber and valley ports (re: manifold which was a Tickford design), Tickford also changed out the fuel injectors and ignition system, the bottom end also has different pistons and conrods again from the "HO" version. As for the AU XR8 in particular the S3 version, that engine is essentially the EL GT engine which Tickford also used for the "T-Series then TE50 200/220" based versions with two major differences, 1: iron heads and 2 different fuel injectors but Tickford still managed to extra 220kW and 435Nm (however at different revs and less torque curve) over the T-series version. That said all that development was for zero as the Windsor by then was obsolete and Ford had moved onto the the "Romeo" 4.6L QOHC and of course for F-Series the 5.4L Triton (which was dubbed here as Barra 220 VCT) and the Boss QOHC V8 (in 2 states of tune, 260 XR8 and 290 GT) which Ford Australia had there own plans called Seagull and we all know that story.
My father purchased one of the new. To think back I also purchased a brand new WRX when this came out as a 23 year old as my CEO at the time said I could have a new V8 Calais company car or an allowance to buy what I wanted. The poor old (even when new V8) just simply couldn’t keep up with the Subaru as the output from its turbo charged 2 litre was well ahead of its time. A manual with 4 wheels gripping the ground you simply were already away from this whilst it took a deep breath and struggled with wheel spin initially from the lights. I was also racing motorbikes at that time so my real speed thrills were mainly had at Phillip Island. A track that I’ve possibly done around 1,000 laps. Thanks for the memories. 😅 If you could or have already done one of these with a late original shaped WRX then I’d love to see the results. 👍👍😎
It would be nice to see a few more of the older Holden and Ford cars on the channel every now and again. It’s always good to take a look back on the great industry we once had here. How would you say the handling dynamics compare to a modern, more sedate car? Is is quite different or would you say it feels better than some of the cheaper Chinese cars on the market?
Yep, we'll definitely try and test more older cars going forward. The biggest thing I notice with older stuff is how real and natural the steering feel is in older cars. You can really feel exactly what the tyres feel. In a good way and bad way I guess. Modern cars separate the passengers from the road more than ever before. This is mainly due to big advances in refinement and obviously EPS - but those things coincide with efficiency and so on as well. Neither is good or bad in my opinion. Just different. I would say the fundamentals of handling dynamics are always going to be better in a car that has been properly set up, regardless of the era or car brand. If the brand doesn't know what they are doing, then the dynamics will always be bad for that car. And for sure, older cars can handle a lot better than some modern cars. An old E36 BMW, for example, is still in a different league to most of the current Chinese stuff in my opinion (to use your reference). In terms of handling anyway.
Interesting though might have 200 Kws but it's still slower than the base 6 cylinder Auto forte model, I recorded 7.2seconds 0-100 with Gps to 100kmh Road test on 6 cylinder model please!
Most likely it weighed around the 1400kg mark, this car was full of luxury featuresfor its time which adds alot of extra weight, the Forte was bare bones in terms of features compared to this.
indeed 1st gear is 2.39:1 ratio, combine that with the standard 3.08:1 diff .... 1st gear will se the speedometer hot 85km/h ... and yes takes a few seconds extra to get there but then bang into 2nd and the engine pulls like a train so its not all that bad. eats hills for days on end.
It would be a bit quicker due to more ratios, but it might be trickier to get off the line. I think Wheels magazine got 8.1s in the manual back in the day. In the end, this is not really about 0-100 sprints. The GT is more of a grand tourer or for big tracks.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia just found this new channel way better mate! Looking to upgrade I've had a i20n then a manual 2019 i30n now waiting for the next FL i30n and the wife's Tiguan is 7 years old and she wants a x3 🤣
Had mates that were passionate Ford Holden battlers….so I got a Charger just to be a dick lol Was going to suggest a while ago….theres a Aussie guy on here reviewing second hand cars but focuses more on how tjeure holding up and reliability (which is good), but not really performance. Interested in covering these in the manner of these shorter performance reviews? Tho i guess finding the cars might not be as easy
@@gerardcrabb4556 I got 298 rwhp, 405 ftlbs of torque out of my EL GT, no stroker,no compression increase, standard bore. Heads, cam, exhaust and induction mods, got me there easily😉
power has become too easy to get... up to the AU falcon no one sneezed at the straight 6 and the v8 was godly... soon as they brought in the xr6 turbo the n/a became poor spec and the v8 became for the sound not the power.... i really wish they didn't bring out the turbo.
Wheels magazine got 8.1 back in the days, with the manual. But keep in mind you’re comparing 10 years apart. A lot happens in 10 years in technology advances 👍
you are comparing a advanced V60 degree 24-valve Quad cam All Alloy V6 with direct injection again what was then in 1997 considered a dinosaur 4.9L V8, Toyota Australia production Aurion is a quick car which was still slower than the Commodore and Falcon of that era, so keep that in mind. The EL GT and EB GT before it were not about outright speed, they were real "Grand Tourers" which is backed by the fact they were in Fairmont Gia trim, GMH via HSV had the more boy racer options but Tickford was going after executive types with money that wanted a long distance cruiser, in that regard the marketing failed as it took long times to sell both EB and EL GT at dealerships and when the BA GT was produced that is when Ford went all "boi racer" by having the GT variant in standard trim with the GT-P in Fairmont Ghia trim , even the FTE (re: Tickford) T-Series 200/220 & 5.6L Stroker V8 TE50/TS50 were not going after the HSV buyer. Also Toyota and Mitshibishi did play that game with the Supercharged TRD Aurion V6 and the Supercharged 380 Ralliart V6 but they were aimed more at the SS and XR6 Turbo.
@@351tgv the fact it's the Halo V8, more power than the sporty XR8 and the XR8 has more power the the standard V8 Ghia. Like how old of a 4.9 V8 1997 dinosaur? Older than the Falcon six of the time? The Falcon six was considerably better than the Holden Buick 6. Not all 06 Falcon and Holden sixes are quicker than the Toyota six. The Holden and Ford is also have a larger engine capacity and they're RWD can put the power down better.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia yes alot can happen in 10 years. Like if someone told me in 1997 ....in 10 years there will be no Ford Falcon and no Aussie Holden Commodore...I would of not of believed them.
Yes. Sorry for ghosting the other channel. I was planning to do a farewell video as my last video but the new owners wouldn't allow it. I left due to lack of support. This is the new home for all future videos 👍 Hope you enjoy!
Great cars that the Australian motorist buying public fell out of love with. How did we get to the majority of people wanting SUV's ?? And they guys growing up wanting a car with a V8 growl, now wanting a rattly diesel dual cab ute...
Haha fair enough. I thought it was pretty outrageous at the time; pumped wheel arches, real bonnet vents, crazy rear wing. This look was unheard of for Falcons of this period. Even the XD up to the ED series before it were all pretty conservative.
Also known as the poor man's gt ,Claytons, gt, the fairlanes,ltd,were a beautiful car to drive ,spared no expense on the gadgets but we're toned right down in the engine dept
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia - with exceptions to the XD and XE ESP. Lets not forget that Ford Australia did fo a "EA 351-GT" concept car which looked great and was the source code for the return of the EB Falcon S-XR8.
@@fale892 Oh that, yeah it's terrible. Good to test cars on poor-quality roads though as it uncovers any of the car's weaknesses. In saying that, it would be nice to drive this on a more pleasant road as well but I had limited time behind the wheel.
Wow an 8 second 0-100 V8. Super slow for 5 litres of beefy engine. No wonder they stopped making these heavy ugly things. 1.5 turbos have similar performance even.
Keep in mind this is from 1997. Gearbox technology has come a long way as well. Even a torque converter auto of today is amazingly quick compared with 20-30 years ago.
A basic 2.0L NA 4cyl family sedan of today would most likely beat this, but as Brett said this car is nearly 30 years old, for its time it was considered a rocketship and 200kW back then is equivalent to 350kW of today. Technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, give this car an updated transmission and it would shave at least 1.5 seconds off its 0-100. Nowadays people are never satisfied with performance cars, they call the lastest WRX “slow” but they have forgotten that 20 years ago such performance was regarded as very fast. All is relative I guess.
Keep in mind the power/torque curve too. Yes there are lots of modern 2.0-2.5l 4 cylinders that can run 0-100 in a similar time, but when you actually drive them on normal roads they always have to downshift even for gentle acceleration or to climb a hill. Whereas the big 5 litre V8 will just stick in top gear and waft you through the passing lane or up a hill without breaking a sweat.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia hmmm I think some horses escaped as back in the day a stock 3.5L Magna would run quicker and I’m not talking even the VRX, a TH 3.5 with 4spd auto did tho better than those times
Australia was a wonderful time when these were on the road
I miss the 90s.
A V8 producing 200kW was considered a s-t ton of power for its day, anything over the 180kW mark was deemed as crazy, nowadays your most basic family grocery getter SUV can produce that and many turbo 4 bangers surpass it, but it was such a gem for its time.
Watching the footy on a sunday arvo with your family over and seeing VS Commoders and XH Falcons lined up infront of your house was an epic time that will never be live ever again, and seeing your hothead cousin bragging that his GC8 WRX with his tiny 2.0L engine can smash your old man’s 5.0L V8 boat was some good banter.
These days you’ll most likely here how my ford ranger 2 ton diesel ute can smash your toyota hilux 2 ton diesel ute.
And who would think we loved these cars in the 90s and yes it was awesome, and doesn't matter what petrol or diesel weapon you have someone shows up in a Tesla 3 Performance and knocks off 0-100 in 2secs. Imagine sitting in a 8sec to 100 GT like this beauty and telling the driver "in 30 years and electric car will do the same sprint in 2 seconds". You'd be branded a wanker and punched in the guts, without a camera phone to film it! How good was back then, and a great video here too, love these cars of yesterday on the channel 👍
@@kidfreejones 0-100 in 8 seconds back in the 90s was considered peak performance, back then that felt extremely fast but overtime we have become so accustomed to being in cars that have lots of power and can do 0-100 in under 5-6 seconds.
As I said, nowadays you have so many hot hatches that pump out over 230kW+
European sport sedans that always exceed 300kW
Hypercars that have 500kW+
And now we have electric vehicles that can do 0-100 in 2 seconds and have instant throttle response from a roll on.
People have become so use to these high performance vehicles that if their sports car or sporty sedan doesn’t do 0-100 in x amount of time or have x amount of power and torque figures that go crazy and blast negativity all over the car, how many people cried about the Toyota 86/BRZ being slow and not having a turbo, how many people whinge that the latest WRX is has gotten heavier and has become “slower” by keeping the same engine, then you have people crying that the Supra is too overpriced, the very reason such cars like the Supra or Nissan Z is overpriced is because of the people who cry about wanting more power and not enjoying a car for what it’s purpose is meant for, they expect every car to be a straight line drag race weapon.
We use to own a VT 5.0L SS Commodore that had the 220kW engine and that car did 0-100 in roughly 8 seconds, today a tiny little 1.6L GR Yaris will leave you for dead, but back then we didn’t care if the car did 0-100 in 8 or 10 seconds, it looked awesome and the sound was orgasmic.
Times have changed and technology has advanced so much that we as a human race are never satisfied with what we have, we expect everything to be a 1000hp 0-100 2 second straight line demon.
yes I recall when the Gen3 Commodores came out with 220kWs and that blew my mind! How could they produce so much power?!
Well said mate 👍
90’s fords and holdens are the best! Ive had many Fords and have always been drawn back to the E-Series, currently in an EL Fairmont Ghia 4L auto in Oxford green with full tickford body kit. It’s a gem
I remember going to the Sydney motor show in 99 or 00 and seeing the TS50 and Pursuit 250 Ute for the first time, and being blown away.
I miss the Ford V Holden days.
The rivalry was awesome, and it provoked/encouraged the development of some true classics.
Don't we all 😔
How good! ❤
Didn't like it at the time but no realise how much we needed it lol
Was the glory days
It's a shame we have nothing left in Australia, however I recall many years ago nobody wanted to touch these things, now everybody wants one, the economics of demand.
Great cruiser the GT's.
Gotta love the sound of the old Windsors. Almost iconic.
Love the sound of that V8. Cars really have gotten so fast now.
Love these tests of older cars 😊
Beautiful example of an EL GT! Always good to see them in pristine condition yet still being driven the way they should be👍🏻
Great video Brett, I absolutely love seeing these older cars being tested? Well done mate!
This was my favourite Australian made car back in the day .Still one of my favourites.I had a el xr8 185kw .Great car .
What a glorious beast! I still miss my first love, a Heritage Green EL Series 2 XR8, manual OF COURSE! Ended up modifying it a bit and yeah it was never a total rocket but it made a very pleasing noise, had plenty of torque from idle, and was a lesson in throttle response! Good times... good times...
Great video! Please do more of these types of videos on old Falcons. We need more Aussies making car reviews.
a youtuber over in Perth does mostly falcon and commodore (and some JDM) car reviews, look for Ross Reviews, although he is a ex pat Canadian and a little too enthusiastic its good to see the Aussie cars being reviewed.
@@351tgv yeh a little too American (or canadian?) for my liking. 😬 Like supercar blondie, too much hyperbole and adjectives and not enough facts.
Ripper video Brett. Such a special car and this one with so few Kms. Amazing to see it getting fully tested.
Thanks, and thanks to the owner for letting us test it!
i loved this car also, my dad had an EL XR6 which was a bit of a rocket back in the day
Bret I found my (now ancient) Wheels and Motor mag and can confirm both auto and manual have 3.45:1 final drive ratio, the BTR 4-speed auto was beefed up materials but gear ratios are pretty much the same as standard, the "adaptive" transmission mode allowed for faster shift cut times between 1st and 2nd and from 4th back to 3rd, that said if you leave it in "Econ" mode the over ride is full acceleration for 1st to 2nd to 3rd for upshift but will hold 4th gear for longer (up to 2,800rpm) so relying on engine torque which this version of the Windsor V8 dubbed "GT90" has a near flat torque curve from 3,000m to 4,500rpm (that is 420Nm) which is more than enough for the 4th gear (overdrive) to pull and maintain speed when combined with the short final drive ratio.
Crazy how far technology has come.
Back in these days we had 5.0L V8’s producing 200-220kW and these days a tiny little 1.6L 3cyl turbo GR Yaris/Corolla makes the exact same amount and the majority of 4 cylinder turbo hot hatches and sport sedans easily surpass it in both hp and torque.
Back then the Japanese equivalents had turbocharged 6's making more power anyway. The old E39 and equivalents made as much power from less displacement and were way quicker.
Do more vids like this, old cars test 0-100 and 1/4mile.love it.
Thanks. Will try my best 👍
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia are you from Melbourne?
Great review Brett - nice owner to lend it to you! Awesome sound and honestly plenty quick enough for most situations
Thanks. The owner is a legend, and he's kept this in such good condition.
Yep, totally agree. Although I think it would have no trouble producing quicker results on a better surface as well 👍
I used to work at a Ford Wreckers here in New Zealand sadley we had 1 of the ELGT here it was a RH t boned on drivers side rear with door and sill turned into a triangle lol which was great for havesting parts ,I had a stock auto EL with wind up windows got it off the boss for maybe $600 at 100 a week ,We had a lot of EF EL falcons Fairmounts LTDs ,in the end my white EL was dropped on XR6 supension ,XR6 LSD ,Full black on grey interior ,XR 6 Dash ,EL fairmount alloys ,Red top tickford Head ,slick boot ,Chipped ECU ,Fairmount Console surround ,LTD 2 channel alpine Ford amp,got all the bits for peanuts off the boss lol thing would sit on 220 kph all day and 2 tire fires and it was a nice slide car in the wet
To add to the list, the intake manifold is tubular (rather than a casting) and it's paths, volume and dimensions are almost exactly the same as the XR8(II) cast Explorer manifold. The fuel system is straight out of the Mustang speed parts bin: 24lb injectors and an oversize MAF tube, equaling the same air/fuel metering ratios that would be correct with 19lb injectors and a standard MAF. This might have been to save having to re-tune the EEC-IV ECU (yes, I know it says EEC-V on the airbox, long story) Period reviews suggested it didn't hit it's 200kw advertised power target, but my experience suggests it would have met or exceeded that figure. An EFI 302w at 9:1 compression with GT40P heads, Cobra tubular intake and long tube extractors (basically this) will make that in lazy street trim on regular pump fuel. I imagine they didn't feel fast with the auto box, however. (Also, the factory tune on these things looks like it's designed for towing a caravan, not thundering through a mountain pass with a petrified spouse on your left, and thrilled children in the back) There's a rumor the cam profile was more 'tow than go' too, does anyone know the answer to that one?
I always loved the styling of this model.
I prefer fords purely for the durability of the build quality. My 1st car was a XD 351 4 speed toploader. Loved it.
Awesome! First time I’ve heard the EL GT. I still remember when these came out, how they were in all the Motor and Wheels magazines of the era.
How can this be the first time you've ever heard of it but contradict yourself in the following sentence.😂
@@davothegreat9990 I think they mean the sound?
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia bingo
@@davothegreat9990you need your eyes checked son
@southerndiy1 gotcha. Still funny though at the the time. 👍
The E Series Falcon/Fairmont have held up so much better than the VN to VS Series Commodore.
This version "GT" has the Tickford developed "GT40" engine, some changed over the regular Windsor:
- Conrods/pistons
- Plenum chamber
- Bigger fuel injectors / larger throttle body (both would be featured o the AU T-series 200/220kW engines and later on S3 AU XR8)
- cold air induction piping
- retuned EEV-V engine and fuel map + more mods to ignition and timing gear.
Also the Alloy Heads (bigger valves) from Mustang Cobra of that era, the block other than Pistons and controls is pretty much the same wit the same crank.
As Bret says, 200kW and 420Nm might not sounds like much but remember this was 1997, Ford & Tickford pretty much used the same core engines from 1991 (with the return of the EB Falcon S-XR8) and by the end of production in 2002 in the Series 3 AU were extracting 220kW / 435Nm (note: with steel heads designed like the alloy heads from the GT90 engine) all from a NA technically 4.9L V8.
By comparison the last "GM Holden" 5.0L (technically 4.9L) V8 in the VT Series I Commodore (there was regular GMH and also enhanced HSV option) were 185kW/395NM (GMH) and 198kW/405Nm (HSV enhanced), GMH then offered the "Gen 3" re: LS1) 5.7L V8 which had 220kW/440Nm, of course HSV upper power/torque but by the the B series falcon/Fairmont Ford then had the Barra 220 V8 (5.4L V8 with 3 valves per cyl and SOHC per bank) and the Boss V8 and the more power full GT version (both 5.4L DOHC per bank 32 valve V8 all alloy engines) but that is another story for another day.
Great review Bret.
Needs a 6 SP Manual and 3.9 or 4.1 diff gears! Next step is cylinder head porting, lighter valvetrain and a cam matched to the valve opening and closing events. Would be a surprisingly quick sports sedan.
The Hydratrak was the problem, the torque of the engine was too much for the viscous coupling, the fluid was actually uprated from the 185 kilowatt Clubsport. The fine spline on the L.H. axle would shear off with sticky tires and a boot full of revs.
😭💔remember chasing this car as a prototype for motor /wheels magazines back in the day god I miss our car industry.
I reckon a cam and converter around 4000rpm would be mint
Who would of thought at the time in 5 years a base 6cyl falcon would allmost match the performance figures, the late 90s to mid 00's was crazy how quickly cars jumped in power, 165kw 5.0 commys to 220kw ls1 etc.
Would be interesting to hear from the guys at ford why they did not got with the 351 when doing the gt specials since they did have 351 prototypes kicking around in the ea's.
The biggest complaint i have had with the ea to to bf falcons was no matter how new the door seals are they allways had wind noise from door window frame
Or the jump between 1996-2006 with the VS producing 165KW, then commodore VE SS producing 270KW.
Who would of thought a H.Q. would lap Bathurst quicker than a Phase 111?
Mate I live just down the road from where you did that test drive!!! Really cool knowing one of these have been driving around here.
Wish we had a notification video on PDrive TV to say it was not going to produce videos anymore, I used to hang for those vids lucky I found this
Yep, sorry about that. I was planning to do a farewell video but the current owners wouldn’t allow it.
Thanks for finding the new channel!
Wow. I had a poster of one of these when I was a young fella!
My parents had a 1995 EF Fairmont Wagon from brand new, was a great car!
Loved the video, thank for bringing back memories!
I was wondering if the gloves you were wearing were Dents gloves? They have the Royal Warrant of King Charles.
I got a set and used them in my car but they actually wore away the edges of the steering wheel where my fingers rested and then the gloves eventually developed holes. My own fault for driving a car which didn't have a classic moto lita steering wheel or something I guess 😂
Factory claimed 15 seconds 1/4 if i remember correctly. Also, i saw the fuel gauage move during the launch 😂.
Ford never provided "factory 1/4 mile times" that said the word was 14.8seconds down the 1/4 for the manual and 15 flat for the auto.
The irony is the original EA 26 in Falcon S trim with 3.9L MPEFI 5-speed "T5" manual with 3:23.1 final drive were doing 15 flat also.
All comes down to kerb weight.
I always had a soft spot for EL’s . I had a spotless EL XR6 manual back in the p plate days. Really miss it.
I reckon one of the most, if not most solid falcon models ever built
Nice of the owner to let you give it a whirl
Back when we actually made vehicles in Australia. 😔
Towards the end of when cars were cars. Not sure about the looks of that thing, but fits the bill for the Aussie love of big V8's. Myself I would go for a Cosworth Ford. Race track performance and handling. Less GT but way more fun. Love the driving Miss Daisy gloves. My Dad had a pair very similar in the 1960,'s.
I still have my Ed Sprint hardly drive anymore has 138,000 klm still in prestige condition...
Beautiful car! Twin circular headlights?
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia yes with a 5 speed manual transmission.
Interesting you loved the EL, I thought it was a bit too much after the classy EB GT. They're both an awesome bit of Aussie history though, and that example is an absolutely gorgeous car.
The old 4 speed BTR does let it down in terms of acceleration but gee they sound good. I have a couple of AU V8s and they're not quick but they feel muscular and they sound magnificent - and that's one of the big things missing from modern stuff.
Boomer moment: my sister has a modern Mach 1 Mustang which is awesome, but i genuinely enjoy driving my XR8 more because I feel so in touch with it.
In any case, great to see a car like that on the channel Brett - hope you can rustle some more classics into the mix.
The auto had a 'Performance" setting programmed into, a lot quicker shifts, surprised me.
Nice, Can you do one for the last performance Ford made in australia please.. XR6 and XR8 Sprint
There is some misconception going on here, the EL GT was a Marine Engine fitted with G.T.40 Heads (iron) Tubular Intake, 24lb injectors, and efficient for the time extractors, The EEC V was tweaked slightly and Cobra 1.7:1 Rocker Arms fitted. The EB GT was a different kettle of fish, that engine was fully imported, the first 10 or so were built by Roush, that contract was then given to Watson Engineering in the U.S., both these variants of engine had specific camshafts as fitted by their builders, the EL GT was a totally different camshaft, You stand next to an EB GT @ idle, then stand next to an EL GT @ idle two very different rumbles, to add more mystery some early Sprints got a Roush cam as well. There is nothing fancy about the EL GT short motor, it is the same as an EL XR 8.
Awesome info
@@rwd323 There is a video of my car during a retune on a hub dyno, and doing a lap of Bathurst in 2023, I could only shift into second gear because the Police presence, G.T.Nationals @ Bathurst 2023. Somewhere on the E series owners Club on Farcebook 298 rwhp and 405 ftlbs of Torque was achieved with a standard untouched short block. Heads, Cam, Intake and Exhaust were changed compression ratio is standard EL GT. Now stroker, compression ratio increase, better heads again. Hmm.
Grey is it the XR8(ii) cam in the EL GT then?
@@marsupialpianist1450 mate, from what we can find out Ford Australia changed the Cam specs around late 93, they were searching for a more even torque spread on acceleration, this would have slightly reduced peak horse power. As far as I know there is nothing special about any of the EL Windsor cams, early or late xr8 or G.T., around the AU era, Crow cams did a lot of work with Tickford, the 220 kilowatt cam is pretty good . There are stories of a lot of EL GT Owners swapping out the standard cams with the Ford Motorsport E 303 cam. The only 100 % Guarantee would be to compare Cams on a cam doctor, we could not find any "special" markings on my original EL GT Cam. I will check my records on cam change and get back to you with any helpful info.
@@GregWhitney-r5x -"Motor" magazine did a deep dive of this GT40 engine, (March 1997 edition)< I just re read it and from what I can see the CAM was the standard SVO one (which was different to the standard "HO" version in XR8) what Tickford did changed was the induction set up, so intake pipe. air box, bypass cold air box, throttle body, plenum chamber and valley ports (re: manifold which was a Tickford design), Tickford also changed out the fuel injectors and ignition system, the bottom end also has different pistons and conrods again from the "HO" version.
As for the AU XR8 in particular the S3 version, that engine is essentially the EL GT engine which Tickford also used for the "T-Series then TE50 200/220" based versions with two major differences, 1: iron heads and 2 different fuel injectors but Tickford still managed to extra 220kW and 435Nm (however at different revs and less torque curve) over the T-series version.
That said all that development was for zero as the Windsor by then was obsolete and Ford had moved onto the the "Romeo" 4.6L QOHC and of course for F-Series the 5.4L Triton (which was dubbed here as Barra 220 VCT) and the Boss QOHC V8 (in 2 states of tune, 260 XR8 and 290 GT) which Ford Australia had there own plans called Seagull and we all know that story.
These were like 70,000! Back then
To think, this was new when I got my license and the pinnacle of ford muscle cars. Now I own a 13 year old 2L diesel that's just as quick 🤣
OMG my dad has these gloves! Haha. I used to wear them as a child! He had Fairlane, Fairmont, Fairmont before swearing he would never buy Ford again
And to think our grand children my never get to experience that sound or own a V8 is such a
shame
It has an alleged top speed of 234kph, not too bad for it's time.
I am waiting for your test of aurion trd until now there is no performance test
what a gem!
Never been an Ford/Holden fan as an aussie, but I think it's a nice car, looks comfy too.
Sounds fantastic 👌
My father purchased one of the new. To think back I also purchased a brand new WRX when this came out as a 23 year old as my CEO at the time said I could have a new V8 Calais company car or an allowance to buy what I wanted. The poor old (even when new V8) just simply couldn’t keep up with the Subaru as the output from its turbo charged 2 litre was well ahead of its time. A manual with 4 wheels gripping the ground you simply were already away from this whilst it took a deep breath and struggled with wheel spin initially from the lights. I was also racing motorbikes at that time so my real speed thrills were mainly had at Phillip Island. A track that I’ve possibly done around 1,000 laps. Thanks for the memories. 😅 If you could or have already done one of these with a late original shaped WRX then I’d love to see the results. 👍👍😎
Anyone else have Need for Speed 3 on PC with this Ford GT and HSV GTS on the box art? I still have it and it’s on display.
I remember that 😃
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia it’s the reason I’ve always been fond of this car.
I'd love to drive one of these past John Cadogan's house and rev it up.
Haha why? Did he test one back in the days?
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia Nah he didn't, I just feel like he'd love to hear it. 😀
He would have a heart attack.
@@bobbrown3471😂
@@perpetualgrin5804 Yeah 😂
Great review! Now how about getting a VN Commodore Group A for a review??
Love most your videos. Can you please do one of the FG XR6 Sprint and or V8!
You can pretty much see that fuel gauge drop during the acceleration tests
liked this vid even before it started lol
It would be nice to see a few more of the older Holden and Ford cars on the channel every now and again. It’s always good to take a look back on the great industry we once had here.
How would you say the handling dynamics compare to a modern, more sedate car? Is is quite different or would you say it feels better than some of the cheaper Chinese cars on the market?
Yep, we'll definitely try and test more older cars going forward.
The biggest thing I notice with older stuff is how real and natural the steering feel is in older cars. You can really feel exactly what the tyres feel. In a good way and bad way I guess. Modern cars separate the passengers from the road more than ever before. This is mainly due to big advances in refinement and obviously EPS - but those things coincide with efficiency and so on as well. Neither is good or bad in my opinion. Just different.
I would say the fundamentals of handling dynamics are always going to be better in a car that has been properly set up, regardless of the era or car brand. If the brand doesn't know what they are doing, then the dynamics will always be bad for that car. And for sure, older cars can handle a lot better than some modern cars. An old E36 BMW, for example, is still in a different league to most of the current Chinese stuff in my opinion (to use your reference). In terms of handling anyway.
Interesting though might have 200 Kws but it's still slower than the base 6 cylinder Auto forte model, I recorded 7.2seconds 0-100 with Gps to 100kmh Road test on 6 cylinder model please!
Most likely it weighed around the 1400kg mark, this car was full of luxury featuresfor its time which adds alot of extra weight, the Forte was bare bones in terms of features compared to this.
My mate had one. Sluggish and started to rust around the seal panels.My Mitsubishi Magna v6 went harder at the time.... 😂
It's so spacious taxi driver left leg usually rest on the seat while Dr Dr icing around 😁
Lovely..
Fuel gauge is dodgy or it eats fuel like nothing lol.
Woulda been more fun with the T5. I liked the shift quality of the BTR/ION 4-speed in my EF but, man, was that first gear looonnngg....
indeed 1st gear is 2.39:1 ratio, combine that with the standard 3.08:1 diff .... 1st gear will se the speedometer hot 85km/h ... and yes takes a few seconds extra to get there but then bang into 2nd and the engine pulls like a train so its not all that bad. eats hills for days on end.
got a grandma stock 1999 falcon forte that just shut down a cammed vs ute this afo😀
The auto makes this pretty slow for a V8, I wonder how the manual would go
It would be a bit quicker due to more ratios, but it might be trickier to get off the line. I think Wheels magazine got 8.1s in the manual back in the day.
In the end, this is not really about 0-100 sprints. The GT is more of a grand tourer or for big tracks.
Not really a young Lady drove an auto to a 14.9 quarter mile in Melbourne. I think a 14.8 was recorded in W.A. by a manual G.T.
Whats that red thing ontop of the steering column?
Hazard lights
👌👌👌
give us more AusDM content. 👍
00:48 first time showing your face?
Not on this channel. Since I left my old PDriveTV channel I face the camera quite a bit, unfortunately.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia just found this new channel way better mate! Looking to upgrade I've had a i20n then a manual 2019 i30n now waiting for the next FL i30n and the wife's Tiguan is 7 years old and she wants a x3 🤣
I have a deep green in the driveway right now! 100% not mine!!
What tyres were fit?
Kumho ps71 from the looks of it, decent performance tyre.
@@VaporyAbyss Correct. Factory size, 245/40.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia originally Yokohama a510, very sticky in their day.
Had mates that were passionate Ford Holden battlers….so I got a Charger just to be a dick lol
Was going to suggest a while ago….theres a Aussie guy on here reviewing second hand cars but focuses more on how tjeure holding up and reliability (which is good), but not really performance. Interested in covering these in the manner of these shorter performance reviews? Tho i guess finding the cars might not be as easy
Who is the aussie guy ?
Pity they didn't use 351 Windsor in the GT... ED had XR8 Sprint with GT running gear...
Money!!! Performance was also a dirty word in 1997, don't worry there are some very quick E Series fitted with 351 Windsor's running around suburbia.
@@GregWhitney-r5x 5.6 stroker came ten years too late... EA got a 5.8 Windsor Concept Show Car...
@@gerardcrabb4556 I got 298 rwhp, 405 ftlbs of torque out of my EL GT, no stroker,no compression increase, standard bore. Heads, cam, exhaust and induction mods, got me there easily😉
power has become too easy to get... up to the AU falcon no one sneezed at the straight 6 and the v8 was godly... soon as they brought in the xr6 turbo the n/a became poor spec and the v8 became for the sound not the power.... i really wish they didn't bring out the turbo.
Seriously??? This is slower to 100km/h my 2006 3.5L Na Toyota Aurion?! I was soo rooting this beautiful Falcon GT to be at least under 7 sec!
Wheels magazine got 8.1 back in the days, with the manual. But keep in mind you’re comparing 10 years apart. A lot happens in 10 years in technology advances 👍
you are comparing a advanced V60 degree 24-valve Quad cam All Alloy V6 with direct injection again what was then in 1997 considered a dinosaur 4.9L V8, Toyota Australia production Aurion is a quick car which was still slower than the Commodore and Falcon of that era, so keep that in mind.
The EL GT and EB GT before it were not about outright speed, they were real "Grand Tourers" which is backed by the fact they were in Fairmont Gia trim, GMH via HSV had the more boy racer options but Tickford was going after executive types with money that wanted a long distance cruiser, in that regard the marketing failed as it took long times to sell both EB and EL GT at dealerships and when the BA GT was produced that is when Ford went all "boi racer" by having the GT variant in standard trim with the GT-P in Fairmont Ghia trim , even the FTE (re: Tickford) T-Series 200/220 & 5.6L Stroker V8 TE50/TS50 were not going after the HSV buyer.
Also Toyota and Mitshibishi did play that game with the Supercharged TRD Aurion V6 and the Supercharged 380 Ralliart V6 but they were aimed more at the SS and XR6 Turbo.
@@351tgv the fact it's the Halo V8, more power than the sporty XR8 and the XR8 has more power the the standard V8 Ghia.
Like how old of a 4.9 V8 1997 dinosaur? Older than the Falcon six of the time? The Falcon six was considerably better than the Holden Buick 6.
Not all 06 Falcon and Holden sixes are quicker than the Toyota six. The Holden and Ford is also have a larger engine capacity and they're RWD can put the power down better.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia yes alot can happen in 10 years. Like if someone told me in 1997 ....in 10 years there will be no Ford Falcon and no Aussie Holden Commodore...I would of not of believed them.
@@aspiringaspie3280 - that would be 19 years for falcon and 21 years for Commodore.
Do those gloves belong to the car as well? hahah :P
Official Ford accessory
Fark it’s slow, even for it’s time a v6 vs commodore accelerates just as quick if not quicker
an el xr6 would chop both
so this is where you went.
Yes. Sorry for ghosting the other channel. I was planning to do a farewell video as my last video but the new owners wouldn't allow it. I left due to lack of support. This is the new home for all future videos 👍 Hope you enjoy!
Dad had a XF and an EF then he was a total traitor and got a Commodore 😮😅
Thats an eyesore
Great cars that the Australian motorist buying public fell out of love with. How did we get to the majority of people wanting SUV's ?? And they guys growing up wanting a car with a V8 growl, now wanting a rattly diesel dual cab ute...
Now a lil MY24 MG3 beats this to 100 km/h 🥲
Thoughts and prayers
They made 250 too many. This is an insult to the falcon gt. They should have stopped at the xb. What was ford thinking
Haha fair enough. I thought it was pretty outrageous at the time; pumped wheel arches, real bonnet vents, crazy rear wing. This look was unheard of for Falcons of this period. Even the XD up to the ED series before it were all pretty conservative.
Also known as the poor man's gt ,Claytons, gt, the fairlanes,ltd,were a beautiful car to drive ,spared no expense on the gadgets but we're toned right down in the engine dept
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia - with exceptions to the XD and XE ESP. Lets not forget that Ford Australia did fo a "EA 351-GT" concept car which looked great and was the source code for the return of the EB Falcon S-XR8.
Yep, the XB 2V G.T. with the Borg Warner drivetrain was a rocket ship(not)
Ha ha silly gloves 😂
Man, that road is so sh*thouse 😅
Yeah the surface isn't great, but it is private. I test all cars here so it's a level playing field 👍
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia sorry, I meant the public road you were doing the driving section on.
@@fale892 Oh that, yeah it's terrible. Good to test cars on poor-quality roads though as it uncovers any of the car's weaknesses.
In saying that, it would be nice to drive this on a more pleasant road as well but I had limited time behind the wheel.
200KW no GT 🤣
Nor was the 2v XB GT, nor were the 5.8 litre stickered 4.9 Cobra's, nor were The John Goss "specials" all highly sort after now.
Honestly it sounds like crap needs a good exhaust and what's with the girls gloves 😂
Out of respect for the owner - he had some spare.
Better to keep my greasy hands off the leather. It only has 23,000km the clock.
Wow an 8 second 0-100 V8. Super slow for 5 litres of beefy engine. No wonder they stopped making these heavy ugly things. 1.5 turbos have similar performance even.
Keep in mind this is from 1997.
Gearbox technology has come a long way as well. Even a torque converter auto of today is amazingly quick compared with 20-30 years ago.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia that's true
A basic 2.0L NA 4cyl family sedan of today would most likely beat this, but as Brett said this car is nearly 30 years old, for its time it was considered a rocketship and 200kW back then is equivalent to 350kW of today. Technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, give this car an updated transmission and it would shave at least 1.5 seconds off its 0-100.
Nowadays people are never satisfied with performance cars, they call the lastest WRX “slow” but they have forgotten that 20 years ago such performance was regarded as very fast. All is relative I guess.
Keep in mind the power/torque curve too. Yes there are lots of modern 2.0-2.5l 4 cylinders that can run 0-100 in a similar time, but when you actually drive them on normal roads they always have to downshift even for gentle acceleration or to climb a hill. Whereas the big 5 litre V8 will just stick in top gear and waft you through the passing lane or up a hill without breaking a sweat.
@@drivingenthusiastaustralia hmmm I think some horses escaped as back in the day a stock 3.5L Magna would run quicker and I’m not talking even the VRX, a TH 3.5 with 4spd auto did tho better than those times