Here is my latest video in the Falcon history series - the FG. If you can please give the video a Thumbs Up 👍 and Subscribe as it really helps the channel. The next video will be FG-X. Thanks very much for watching. 👍
G'day Mark ....I LOVE my 2008 FG XR6...It's basically the poverty pack 4.0 Barra powered but with the ZF 6 speed ...doesn't have the phone connectivity module , has only single zone HVAC and the base ICC etc but the most comfortable seats ever .. It's the Lightning Strike silver with the less fussy grille that the FG 2 had . I live in Tasmania and one day I did a 400 km run to Hobart from where I live and reset the trip computer for fuel consumption ..Drove to the 110 kmh Midlands Highway speed limit , a little bit of city traffic and a section stuck in roadworks. I got home at 9 pm after a few hours and the average fuel consumption on 95 RON was exactly 8.0 L per 100 km...Bloody impressive for a big car ...She looks good , she goes good and so happy to have this 16 year old bird to go along with my equally loved and trusty AU. We did build some bloody good Aussie Ford cars..Thank you so much for your huge personal input into that. You are a legend ...
My mum has the 2.0 EcoBoost (ex Tassie Govt) and loves it. I wasn't expecting much when I first drove it, but jeez does it go! If you turn up the stereo to drown out the 4-banger sound, you'd be none the wiser. An added bonus is more agile and balanced handling due to the little alloy 4-pot up front, sitting way back in the engine bay. It reminded me quite a bit of the Starfire Commodore in that respect; my mate had one and although it was an absolute slug with a trimatic behind it, the handling was a lot of fun. Power isn't an issue with my mum's one. As journos pointed out at the time, performance was nearly imperceptible from the 4.0 six. Let's just say that traction issues aren't just limited to the 6s and 8s... Bonus fun fact: the 2.0 EcoBoost was a Mazda design (L-Engine) adopted by Ford worldwide. It's roots go back to the Mazda F engine from the 80s.
@@markbehr88 - its weird seeing the tacho swing to 6,500rpm (in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear) in a Falcon and hearing the turbo swoosh whistle then you realise whoa this thing goes hard for a 2L turbo, why? because the Barra 6 by comparison was such a slow revving engine but then again it did not need push that hard due to more bottom end torque.
We have had a July 2014 FG MKII XR-6 since April 2016 and it runs like a charm. It was a Ford Motor Car Company vehicle with a few extras included. It’s lowered and sits good on the road. Recently drove from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour and it was a great driving holiday experience over two weeks. The missus purchased the car from her superannuation funds when she retired. Don’t envisage selling this car as it appears it’s going to increase in value. Colour is Lightning Strike. 😊
I have one of the XR6 version of this model. My one regret is I did not buy the XR8. So easy to drive. I can't bring myself to sell it. My first car was an XP two door sedan. Thank you for the series . I have really enjoyed it.
Definitely if you were to purchase the BARRA 6 minus the Turbo. I’d be definitely buying the V8 4 valve for sure. My mate has a FG G6 E it’s a very very nice ride. Not sure how much difference there is but she’s a very fine FG 👍🔥
A few reasons: compliance with then Euro 3 and 4 emissions Fuel consumption, remember they were selling a lot to fleets & governments and b then the larger fleet companies have rules in place and also limited the fleets to 91 RON. Ford could not just advertise that they offer over-boost on the bread and butter versions, on the FPV and then later on FG X models they dd not care any more as they jnw the end was coming.
Thank you Mark. I learned more about these later falcons from you than anyone else. The inside scoops really help sift through the fluff out there. Great channel mate. Well done 👍
I bought a FG mk2 xr6t luxury pack new in 2013, still have it today. Only 70k on the clock, I have been living overseas for the past 6 years and the car is in storage. Probably one of the few left with zero modifications and never been tuned. I love it, it’s a keeper for me.
@@paulmcgaw6976 mines on a trickle charger. I get back to Australia once or twice a year and take it out for a run. No fuel stabiliser, never had an issue with the fuel, always fires first go and runs fine.
Agree totally Mark. Getting Rid of the Futura, Fairmont, Fairmont Gia names . Was WRONG! Bad marketing. Thats why I'm glad I own a BF2 - Fairmont Ghia. As its the last model to bear the name 😁 An everyone Associates Fairmont with Luxuary an Fairmont Ghia as the TOP range in the Falcon range an again Luxury.
Totally agree. And I'm glad I also own a BF2 Fairmont Ghia as well as the same car in Fairlane guise... what terrific cars. Seems Ford lost the plot after Mark left...
@@markbehr88 - Mark to be fair it was a directive from Ford HQ in Dearborn, Ford Australia had no choice. That said I agree it was a stupid decision, "Futura" I can understand, same with Forte for XT (eewww WTF in the AU format), that said the basic Falcon from BA onwards should of been Falcon 500 but Fairmont & Fairmont Ghia ... typical Ford USA HQ not understanding the AU market. I remind you of the Taurus to 500 back to Taurus moves in the 90's/2000 ...
@@351tgv The only US directive would have been to remove Ghia as I believe the licensing use had concluded. I am sure Ford Australia could have pushed the point and paid a small royalty. The use of Fairmont would have been a Ford Australia decision. I named most of the FPV models and no US involvement. Just trademark registration here. They could of had Fairmont and Fairmont 500 or Fairmont ESP👍
I was getting worried that we were running out of models and the videos were going to stop soon… Glad to hear that you’re planning on doing Fairlanes, LTDs, Holdens etc Mark. Love the content mate, keep it up.
My brother had a brand new tray back in this model and the 5 speed auto trans was rubbish, he had 3 in it under warranty. He sold that later and purchased the last model XR6 tray back with the 6 speed ZF and never had a trans problem and still driving it today, with around 140000km on it.
Love your work. I've had a Mk1 FG F6 for coming up 10 years now. I would never consider letting it go. Easiest car to drive, comfortable and practical. But because of the 310 kw I do say "No,no,no,no,no" alot. Thank you, sir, you guys made an amazing vehicle.
I wondered all those years ago what happened with the names and the designs. G6 and g6e from fairmont and fairmont ghia wtf. And then the gt-e came from nowhere, I still prefer the force 6 and 8s and love the subtlety of their kits. People i chat to have no idea those models existed! Thanks Mark, keep these videos up. I learnt abit tonight going down the rabbit hole!
@@markbehr88 On thing that surprised me about the Ecoboost was that although was a 4 cylinder it's badge was G6E when to my mind it should have been G4ET to emphasise it's 4 cylinder turbo credentials. I saw a lot of missteps with the FG Falcon by Ford like the creases in the doors and the fact that no diesel engine was provided even if they had to significantly rework the Land Drover diesel to fix it's shortcomings.
Yes, plenty of missed opportunities. As a car company (or any company) the best thing you can do is make sure you have the right people making the decisions. 👍
I've been looking forward to this video. I just bought an FG Falcon G6E with the Ecoboost as my first car during my move back to Australia. It only has 41k kms so hopefully will prove reliable. The engine size is a massive downgrade from the Chevrolet SS (VF Commodore SS-V) I'm selling in California but the turbo four feels sprightly enough while getting great fuel economy and retaining the classic Aussie large car space The Ecoboost is so hard to find and I swear it's one of Australian motoring's best kept secrets
I had a 2003 GT.. best looking car in the world, I had it supercharged which made it awesome..best car I ever had, sorry I sold it but I’ll get another one
Thanks again Mark. Very informative. I must admit I began to lose interest in Ford in those later years and I really think that was due to the model name changing as you pointed out. I think people really like continuity, familiarity and recognition of models.
Another great review, thanks Mark. My father has a G6E T which he bought in 2009 (pre Euro-4). I wasn't aware how much more power the overboost provided, but it evidently makes sense now. The performance figures really stepped up the game, which I think made the FG turbo range a very desirable car back then. Back when working at Bosch, we were part of the Ford Silver program, and the brand new price for staff for a G6E T was around the 37k mark. Well worth it. Bit of a shame that they missed out on: - Factory Sunroof - LSD in the G6E T - Chunky steering wheel options like their predecessor - V8 (apart from the XR8) - Barra 230 5.4 would've been nice (although I'm aware of the timing chain issues). Of course the Miami engine would've been even better. Also a real shame (due to demand) that the Fairlanes and LTDs were dropped; I think with the FG styling, a LWB platform would have presented as a very classy vehicle.
Thanks very much. I saw mock up drawings for Fairlane and LTD FG models as they were looking at selling them as Crown Victorias and Mercury Grand Marquis. They looked terrific. 👍
@@markbehr88 Wow. Hopefully you have more info in your upcoming Fairlane videos. Would love to see the mock-ups but I’m guessing that would be a long shot.
@@markbehr88I hope you can get your hands on the FG Fairlane and LTD mock-ups. I have always loved the LWB Fords. Wish Ford were still offering something like that as Ford doesn’t offer much that interests me anymore.
Just happened to pull the G6ET out of storage and take it for a run earlier this afternoon. It was retired long ago from being the daily drive and is now driven maybe once every 4 to 6 weeks. Have owned it since new (6/2008 build) and after nearly sixteen years, it’s still a great motor car to drive. It’s done 296,000k’s but the suspension was rebushed a couple of years ago, along with new shocks and springs (no rattles or clunks, nice and tight). The interior is unmarked and in great condition as is the exterior. I agree with your thoughts on the Fairmont/Ghia issue. I owned a BF2 Fairmont Ghia and was disappointed at the time at the rebranding that Ford did. I never quite worked out what the G6E and G6E Turbo actually meant or stood for. Having said that, after driving it earlier today you wouldn’t think it’s 16 year old motor car. Still feels planted on the road at speed through the wiggly bits and is still very, very quick when you stick the boot into it. I’d say the G6E Turbo is perhaps one of the best things Ford Australia ever did. Glad I kept it!
Well worth keeping. During that time Ford started copying a lot of what I was doing at FPV, so maybe G6 was influenced by F6? Who knows. Even some of the brochure layouts and themes started to replicate what we had done earlier in our FPV marketing. 👍
Driving my Nitro Blue FG F6 from Sydney to Melbourne after purchasing it from a dealer back in 2020, i was practically tapping the accelerator, overtaking a couple of Semi Trucks effortlessly. Love these cars. I also enjoy my BF Turbo as a daily. Can't get enough of them. Awesome content!!
I remember going to the new model training for the FG and the trainer having to argue the virtue of the 5 Speed auto after all the mechanics rubbished it from poor experiences with it in the Explorer and PJ Ranger. It was dropped in the Falcon ASAP. The FG XR6 turbo also had launch control, something nobody believes when I tell them. The FG was a great evolution of the Falcon however not long after launch we had the GFC and the writing was on the wall that it was going to be the last generation of the Falcon. Lack of advertising throughout the model was evidence that Ford was pivoting towards its upcoming Dual Cab T5 project.
The USA never approved of it, and would have never funded it. They actually took an FG to Dearborn, but ford was adamant it would never be sold stateside, especially a " foreign " made Ford. But it would have been greatly Ford could have explored selling it in the Middle East & Brazil Like Holden did…
Another very interesting insight, thanks Mark. I thought the dropping of "Typhoon", "Tornado" and the "Force" moniker were all mistakes at the time so it's interesting to see you thought so too. I never warmed to the FG much (apart, perhaps, from the G6ET) and I certainly didn't "get" the panda eyes but it's interesting to learn where they came from. It's a good legacy you've left on the industry in any case. :)
@@markbehr88 indeed. And the names just aren't as good. I have a friend with an F6E and his father has a GT-E and they both wish their cars were called Force. And I have 2 Typhoons and thought F6 was a much less interesting name.
Was that all highway driving or city/highway cycle? I can imagine you would have been really feathering the accelerator, with no steep hills to climb, and taking advantage of any downhill momentum.
@@paulsz6194 It was on a long drive to regional VIC and back! - fill up date was 19th April 2023 731.2km 93.9c/l 78.04litres $73.28 BP Eastlink Now my ECOLPI looks stock but I've had a muffler delete sports exhaust cat back with 2.5inch pipe curving its way around the LPG tanks, and its on MCA pro comfort coilovers lowered significantly! Love it but have to be careful to avoid potholes, uneven roads , enter and exit driveways , careful over speedhumps ha! But handles much better... Had it since 2012 proud to own an Australian manufactured car! ❤
@@coalfacechris1336 i am fortanate to have our company cars at 200k factory serviced, 16 years 1 ba fairmont 1 fg2 total 7k cost + 16 services. 1 washer pump 1oil presure switch. Be kind to a falcon it will be kind to you brother :-)
Another great Ford history video. This time it’s my model Falcon. I’ve got a 2012 G6 limited edition. I bought it when it was 18 months old as a second car. I had a 2005 Mercedes CL500 at the time and didn’t want to run the km up. In the end the CL went and I kept the G6. Great car. It’s extremely reliable. Never gives any issues. I have it serviced every 12 months by the book. I’ll keep this car until I or it dies.
Fantastic. That was the highlight of the non FPV range for sure. I tried to get Ford to do an ESP which would have had a Turbo 6 or a Boss V8 but that never happened. 👍
Another great video Mark , well done . I totally agree on the renaming of the models was just a bad move . For example some one asks you what sort of car is that , you say a G6 , they don’t know what the hell you’re talking about , keeping the old names keeps the models familiar. Big shame our government departments did not support our local car industry. And here we are today flooded with imports . Look forward to your next one Mark .
Thank you again for an excellent insight into the inner workings of product planning that happens years before the general public get to see it. More please
i had a modded fg turbo manual. was a fantastic car, loved the TR6060 gearbox in it. much improved vs the older T56. - and the car had enough power (once tuned) to accelerate in 6th ;). i also had a BA fairmont, that i fitted extractors and a hi flow exhaust. that was decently quick, for an auto too.
luv.n the series 👌. I have a 2008 FG xr6 6 spd auto, bonnet bulge model, ... stock standard except for an after market trans cooler , been a great tow car when needed ... apart from a daily user for the last 8 yrs has done about 18 trips to Gin Gin for my house bus build from Brissie and back with respective loaded/ unloaded trailers & my 3.7 boat ....she's a great unit and hasn't let me down 💪
a few things: Yes the i6 Barra when using 95 or 98 RON has a different fuel map based on knock sensor, so if the driver kept on using 95 or 98 the engine continued to use the different fuel map, that said torque was the same output but over a more flat torque curve hence the more top end power, from memory when using 98 RON on a consistent basis top end engine power was something like 212kW, of course this was carried over to Mk2 and then FG X since engine wise they are pretty much the same engines. The E:gas was indeed dropped due to being only Euro 3 also Ford were running out of the BTR (technically by then ION) 4-speed auto and Borg Warner provided 3.27:1 differential, when the EcoLPI was released in the Mk2 it got the 6-speed ZF and the tall diff ratio (which I think was 2.72:1) which is why the fuel economy dropped by 25%, also Ford upped the cylinder tank size from 85L in BF (max 80% capacity) to 95L (again max 80% capacity) which increased range, shame that LPG tech is basically dead these days as the EcoLpi engine was ready for Euro 5/6 emissions with a simple tune change in the engine map. Also someone at Ford figured out that LPG was 108RON (ok they knew but you get my point) and as such when they went back to standard pistons and conrods they also upped the compression ratio to take advantage of the higher octane rating, downside of that though was the "turbo" after market did not like that hence why the "E:Gas Barra BA to FG MkI" engines are so sought after as they are an easy way to make cheap turbo boost power, anyway by doing that the EcoLpi engines are more reliable but not as durable as the E:Gas engines also the Liquid phase injection system is harder to work on vs the simple converter / single point venturi vapour set up. Such a shame that LPG technology is at a dead end, GMH were doing great things with there vapour injection (HASV made it work well) and Ford with liquid phase injection and from what I know direct LPG injection was right the corner and would of easily met euro 6 emissions and also brough forward massive gains in mid range and top end power while also being more economical (well for LPG standards), but its dead and service stations are rapidly removing LPG pumps which is making harder and harder to hold on the E:Gas Falcon / Commodore LPG and even the Aurion LPG cars on the road. I easily get 500km range from the AU Futura E:Gas from 70L which only cost me $70 .... grrrrrrrrr frustrating that LPG never took off.
Thanks for the extra info. I agree, the LPG cars could have been marketed very aggressively to position Falcon and Commodore as cheaper to run than 4 cylinders, like Ford did with XD. The only issue being the wholesale shift to SUVs. Although the sedans didn’t even put up a fight marketing wise. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 - more money in Territory and I guess by that stage early Ranger and Mondeo (especially to fleets which is where 90% of Mondeo sales went to, I should know I got as many as Ford leasing were able to supply after BF Falcon wagon MK3 ended) sales. As for LPG tech, its a DAMED shamed it has died in the backside, seriously the E:Gas Falcon are so good, the EcoLpi are great even the Commodore once they went away from dual fuel to Vapour Injection (which sorted out those issues they had) have shown in service they a re reliable and durable and very little goes wrong with the LPG technology. Of course with 2024 vision service stations are removing LPG pumps as fast as they can and LPG at roughly 1 a lire (in Sydney metro) is only just viable and its worse in regional areas where most regions only have 1 pump and the cost ranges from $1.15 to $1.55, but hey that is the market conditions the commercial world operates in.
Thanks for this Mark. Quiet franky these models have always been a "mystery" for me over here in NZ. You have now given me some insight as to the naming or should I say the "numbering" of this series and where each model falls in. I agree with you that the removal of names was a stupid idea as Ford has removed an important part of these cars heritage. I have been looking at buying a later type Falcon as a "keeper" that I could run every day. I had considered one of these but am now leaning towards a good lower km BF.
Thanks very much. I think I would also go with a really nice BF or alternatively an FGX as it was the last model. Maybe a G6E as they are a nice looking car. It depends upon how much you want to spend? 👍
One model i have never owned but driven for work. Have always wanted one as i personally think they were a nice end to the legacy and the best Ford made. Don't remember you mentioning how they dropped the LWB range at this time aswell. Anyway looking forward to the LWB series as someone that owned a ZK and currently still have a BF Fairlane daily driver.
Excellent episode Mark. When I get 2 minutes to myself I will do some interesting fact about MK1 and 2. This is the era when Ford knew that the end was coming so Ford did a lot of parts raiding from US fords and euro fords.
Another terrific video Mark. Congratulations. Interestingly the egas in the early FGs up to 2010 carried over the 4 speed from the BF. Another interesting quirk is the XR6T came with a LSD but it wasn't available on the G6ET.
I agree with you in regards to the weird names Mark. Every man and his dog knew that the next step up the ladder from the Falcon was the Fairmont, then the Ghia. G6 sounds like something that you would call a vacuum cleaner. I loved the twin grille though.
Loved the style of the FG. I still don't mind it today, although I adore the FGX, I can't wait to see your video on them! I can't say I've ever liked the teardrops (I guess you'd call them) under the headlights on the FPV, though, but depending on the colour, it is growing on me. I'm hoping I can find a manual XR6 in black when I buy a new daily driver, the Pajero is bankrupting me, being a 21 year old petrol 😂😅 Great video as always, Mark! Thank you, mate!
Interesting mention is FG2 finally resolved alot of the prior FG1 lacklustre A/C performance issues, shifting away from the Denso system & going with the Air-International. Different compressor, etc as a result & weren't interchangeable with FG1
@markbehr88 Kinda one of them improvements that was short lived, because Ford went back to the Denso system on FGX although with a few tweaks but still couldn't perform as well. Probably a cost cutting measure most likely ? Even now brand new parts like condensor, compressor, etc are noticeable between them price wise.
The aircon change happened prior to FG2. It was one of my criticisms of the early FGs and I was worried that the LPi one I had on order would suffer the same problem. I was assured by a Ford engineer that they were fixing it, and by the time the LPI was launching, it would be sorted. That fix occurred sometime in early to mid 2011, as my Sept 2011 build LPI (one of the first sold to the public) has the FG2 A/C setup which I confirmed by looking at the parts, and comparing it to the service manual info. After I got my LPi, my colleagues realised what a great car they were after going out to lunch a few times in it, and word got around. We had nearly a dozen of the LPis at work by 2012. I had to laugh when an accountant told me he was buying a G6 Turbo. I asked if he was mistaken, and it was really a G6ET. Nope, it was a G6 turbo - the 4. I was surprised how well it went. The ZF 6 was the reason I held out for the LPi. I now have 370K on it, and still going strong. At least 20,000km of that has been towing a loaded car trailer in 3 states. Best tow car I’ve ever owned, and a great daily.
My pleasure. Glad you liked it. If I sound annoyed or showed some resentment (as another subscriber mentioned) that is because I was passionate about what I did and I felt I knew what the customers really wanted. 👍
Miss my BF turbo ute-always interesting to hear your opinion on Aussie fords-what a shame the state governments stopped using them in their fleet,I can remember Bob Hawke and many others arriving to work in LTD’s,statesman’s etc
I bought my 2013 Emperor red Ex cop XR6T Sedan in 2014. Done 150xxx now and still runs good. Only issues were turbo manifold gasket leak 4 years ago, two broken drivers inner door handles, clearcoat failing on bonnet and roof, rust in bottom of boot and roof lining failing. Apart from that, it still runs like a champ and i will probably give it a birthday to sort some of these not sorted issues.. not bad for 9 pretty brisk/abusive years of ownership.
Another I have is Feels Good. That was my experience hiring a silver XR6 with the five speed. Pity the French made American based transmission is apparently issue prone as it was a major leap from the four speed with its ratios and it was good to drive a Falcon that didn't drink like a sailor. I'm fearful of the milkshake, especially with the ZF offering. Your thumbnail pic really sells the XR front clip.
Great episode 💯. I have an XR6 turbo it has 74k on it. And it’s grouse 😎. I’m spewing that I missed out on a GT E with the 5.0 supercharger. A few years back. Great Aussie cars
Great work as usual Mark ! I wish the FG C-pillar and rear door styling had come with BA/BF. The FG just looked SO good - much like the EF/EL styling. It's interesting how suddenly the right "Look" just appears for a OEM - or did they hold back the gold till near model runout ? 👍
Great video Mark. 👍 I have a 2011 FG G6E Turbo. Brilliant car. I bought it I 2015 after wanting to get one when they first came out. Buying second hand, I had to look for a long time to get one in the colour combo I would have picked if buying new. Thought I knew all there was to know about them but your video taught me a few things I didn’t know. I have to agree with you, I would have much preferred Ford continued using the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia naming convention. I would have also loved it if Ford had built the FG in wagon form and built limited numbers of say a V8 Fairmont Ghia wagon like they had done in the past. My only criticism with my FG is that it should have come standard with a LSD as did the XR6 Turbo and XR8. At least I was able to get one fitted a few years ago. Much better. Also, owning 2006 BF LTD and 2005 BA II Fairmont Ghia, the latter my daily drive. I think the access to the front seats and driving position is better in the B series. The FG could have done with the B pillar being moved a couple of centimetres to the rear as taller people like myself all have a whinge about getting in and out of the car. Once in though, the seats are so much better. I also prefer the chunkier steering wheel of my LTD and Anyway, great work. Can’t wait to see your videos on the B series Fairlanes and LTD! I’ve had a few of them. My favourite is my LTD that I’ve had for the last 12 years but also the 2005 BA II G220. I’m always on the lookout for a black one like I used to have when they first came out of better still, a G8.
@@deanjohnson712 Thanks very much. Your cars sound great. Yes, a black G220 or G8 would be nice. I like the version with the chrome mirror scalps (last of them). 👍
@@markbehr88 yes, from the 2005 BA II had the chrome mirror scalps. Nice touch. I had a 2003 BA G220 and that was the first thing I changed on it so it looked mor like the 2005 I had.
Hi Mark, hope your well, It's a shame that the Fairmont name was dropped and the 5 door estate car. very sleek looking and beefy at the same time, I do like the look of the GT-F and the GS. This car could have been Jaguar V8 powered as Jaguar were part of the Ford group at the time, but settled with a Miami Ford V8 Which I think is the best option for the car being a Ford, I do like the Jaguar 4.2 and 5.0 V8 engine they do motor well I have driven a Jaguar XF 4.2 V8 Estate and it is a great car. Now this FG Falcon is now fitted with a Eco boost 2.0 four cylinder a lot of big cars are fitted with a Turbo four cylinder, the Mustang 2.3 turbo four, Chevrolet Camero turbo four and Jaguar XJ , XF and F-type 2.0 turbo four. As the same as UK and European Fords at the time got that Aston Martin styled lower front grill just like the Fiesta , Focus, Mondeo and the Transit. As always a great video, Take care
Thanks Shaun. I hope your Dad is well? Yes the Eco Boost engine was apparently a good thing. Like Ford using the diesel in Territory, again, under Ford ownership at the time. 👍
They had a massive clean out of the MD, Marketing, PR, me, Production people etc. we just had our best ever year and once we were gone, they never did as well sales wise again. 👍
Nice work again, Mark. What a legend! It's a real shame Ford didn't develop a "sportswagon" on this model to rival the Commodore. I think they really missed the boat on that - imagine an xr or g6 wagon, how good that would've been. Do you have any insider scoop on whether that was even considered in the planning stages? Cheers
Thanks very much. Re the wagon, it had taken on a Telstra fleet type role so all the focus was on Territory. Post AU, you couldn’t even buy a V8 wagon, which is crazy, considering you could get one in an RTV ute. 👍
Fantastic car best Falcon I ever owned, only thing that broke was the inside drivers door handle 50 buck repair. Sold it at 75,000klm and the buyer sold it recently with 175,000klm on it. Moved onto Mustang since and Ranger
G'day Mark, Absolutely awesome learned alot & some respect for the Ford product. If money wasn't a option which car would you put in your garage from the FG range ? Cheers Louis Kats 👍
Hopefully this wasn't already discussed (I'm coming back to an older video with a thought) and while I know you were at FPV rather than Ford but I'm curious to know if you had heard why there was never a G8E? I understand that Holden's V8s sold well until the end of the VF so I'm surprised Ford didn't bolster their premium models and surely it wouldn't have been difficult to put the XR8 running gear under a G6E?
Unlike Holden , who when I started in Product Planning, asking why do we bother putting V8s in every model, my boss said “because every unit counts when you are doing a V8 business case”. I remembered that and later, suggested that Ford do a performance Turbo and V8 Ghia and resurrect the ESP name. But they were not interested. If Geoff Polites was still there, I reckon I could have gotten it across the line. 👍
I’ve got one. Never thought I’d have one everyone loves it because it’s kept on top condition. Some people have trouble comfortable in the seat though. Drivers seat is too height and the dash and steering wheel sit far too low
Been counters ruin every good thing You really did some good stuff mark and ford and us were the real loosers with you and the other guys getting the chop
Thanks very much. I used to say to the bean counters “you count the money and I’ll make it for you”. You can imagine how much they loved that, but it was true. 😀👍
Good series. Maybe you could share in a video what some of those models that never happened may have looked like or show some sketches that would be awesome. Like tha superbird. Any of those 2 doors versions like the Landau would have been great brought back or GTHO verion before they closed
Thanks. I did show the 40th Anniversary mock up with the new Super Roo in the BF episode. I don’t have any visual mock ups of the Goss or Superbird as they were Product Letters only. Same for the P5. 👍
When we received our fist allocation of the new FG range Mark, I decided for register a striking dark metallic blue FG XR8 sedan as a hero car that as a demo I was fortunate to take that home at the end of the day and I’ll never forget on one trip down to Warrnambool one evening I found my rear vision mirror full of flashing red and blue lights so slowly palled over. Much to my delight, the officer had pulled me over to simply admire the car and walked around it without fining me, even though I may have been a little bit over the speed limit. Anyhow, of all the new GF that I demoed and drove or purchased out of Fouls, although the XR8 & 6T where in my opinion the hero cars, outside of FPV of course, although as we’ve discussed with previous models I couldn’t quite understand why Ford chose to release the XR6T that again looked far too much like the almost fleet vehicle in the end being the std. XR6. My pick in the end for a great balance of performance, handling dynamics, stunning looks with the perfect level of luxury without adding too much weight was of course the G6ET. Great car ! Keep up the interesting content Mark and I’ve marked your FGX video to watch after this 👌
owned a 2008 G6E Turbo, between 2014 to 2020, thought it was comparable to the VE Commodore, but you missed the adjustable pedal box on the G6E Turbo, which mine had, was it standard or an option? Traded it in on a 2017 Calais V LS3, it was like going from a 20th century car into a 21st century car, except for the outdated Mylink.
G’day Mark thanks again for another outstanding video and insight into the falcons history From 2004 to 2009 we bought the following cars new BA Xr6 sedan 5sp BA11 CR6 Ute 5sp BA11 XR8 Devil R 6sp Manual BF XR8 Magnet Ute ordered as a manual turned up as a Auto 😅 BF Cobra #261 I’ll get into that later FG XR8 Ute Manual with Luxury Pack “still have it” FG GT Auto #818 “still have it We also bought second hand during this period a BA GT manual and a BF Typhoon Auto shouln’t have sold it😢 I’m sorry to say that in the bunch the Cobra was the most disappointing a lot of this was due to dealer delivery but the stripes had to be redone due to being misaligned and there was damage to the drivers door window frame. This aside for me the gearing like in the Devil R was way to long and the thing was a slug down low compared to the less powerful BA GT with the 5 Speed. Ditto when we bought the FG Ute manual it killed the cobra to 100. I never understood why the turbos got shorter gearing in the 6Sp manuals BA11 through BF11. The seats were also to high in the cobra I just couldn’t get comfortable, on the plus the R Spec was brilliant and everywhere you drove it you’d get a wave or a thumbs up. Couldn’t agree more about stupid governments across the board spending our money on imported cars that I have driven and frankly don’t like. I can put my hand on my heart and state the I have never owned an imported car. Last year we managed to the a low Km SZ Territory Titanium Barra RWD and having driven many new cars in recent times I don’t understand how we lost our car industry to what I think are inferior products. Luckily I am well able to maintain our current fleet of 6 Aussie fords well into the future and have no intention of purchasing a new car again there’s nothing we like. Once again thanks for videos there’s a lot of effort on your part here, Cheers Blue
Thanks Blue. Wow, you have certainly supported the local car industry very well. If there were more like you, we would still have an industry. Sorry the Cobra experience was not great. Hopefully you sold it at a nice profit? My BF GT ZF auto was a great car. Wish I still had it. It was my FPV Co car. Black with orange stripes. 👍
absolutely loved your latest video mark.very insightful and informative.in my humble opinion i would have to say that the fg ford falcon will be the ford motor company of australia lasting legacy.by the way would i be correct in saying that the ecoboost motor won world engine of the year.i look forward to the next instalment.
Hi Mark just wondering why no mention of the 2010 FG1 N/A XR6 50th Anniversary Sedan with ZF 6 speed transmission. In my opinion the best interior and exterior appearance, keenly priced and well equipped of all the FG series.
FG seating definitely felt cheaper and less supportive, but other elements of the interior were improved. The electronic issues seemed to be more prevalent in FGs compared to the B series as well, but I quite liked this 'Orion' project overall. It's a shame it was the last generation!
I couldn't believe the seats either and they were a real backwards step from my BA. I was so surprised I actually sat in two different FG's in the yard to make sure the first one didn't have some quality control issue. The entertainment unit with that mono screen and the five speed auto, also all screamed cost cuting. Something I had learned to hate intensely in my Fords, because so much of it was just bloody petty. They really didn't give FG the best chance at launch and by the time they started to put a bit of money into the car, it was all over for Ford.
Hi Mark, there sure was a lot going on with the FG model, what a large variety. The 5 speed auto you mentioned I haven't heard of before was this available in NZ?. I have only seen the 4 speed and the zf 6 speed. Another great instalment. Cheers from NZ, Phil.
I have a mk2 xr6t with lux pack. Sounds like it has a combination of tech pack too, it doesn’t have dual climate control but has rear camera and Bluetooth.
Hi Mark, another great video thank you. Was wondering if you had any knowledge on why the front brake calipers where at the front of the front discs for the fpv ba-bf models then changed back to the back of the front discs with the fg model? Same with the calipers moved on the rear discs, Holden also did this with vy models. Was the thinking they stopped better up front? Maybe keep the pads warmer?
I fully agree with you on the chop changing of things and didn’t get the removal of the ghia Fairmont we’re did G6 come from 😄 anyway I’ve owned two FG falcons they good but didn’t like the dash or the Commodore like rear, end, suspension and tail shaft so to me there basically just parts cars for older model falcons like the engine and k frame assembly for the e series falcon or more manly xh xr6 Ute
One thing I always loved about the FG was the body design. Overall the car looked very similar to BA, but the body seemed to be more modern ‘bloated’ than BA. Similar to the VT in comparison to the VS. always thought it was a better looking car than the VE.
Hi Mark, Seeing as you work at Ford. Which cars do think will retain value? I have a F6 but get a lot mixed opinions as lot of people say gtf and gtr spec will be most valuable but the f6 is pretty much same except for engine and some suspension components when compared to gtf and rspec but standard gt are similar. What’s your thoughts?
@@AdonisMotivationSuccess I think your F6 and any of those FPV, V8 or Turbo cars will only increase in value if kept stock and in good condition. The Falcon type cars hold their value better than the Fairlane type cars but they will still go up too. 👍
I don’t actually. I would love a BF GT, an F6 of any model and the 335 GT in Octane. They would be on my hit list. And maybe, most of all a Force 8 with red interior. 👍
@@markbehr88 I note on one of your earlier videos you have a CL500 too. A couple of years earlier than the one I had. Change the suspension hydraulic fluid every year and the filter. The hydraulic fluid runs the power steering too with a dual pump that runs both systems. 12 month oil changes will prevent costly strut and pump issues. Very nice car to drive.
Thank you Mark. This car could have been sold in the United States to compete against the Dodge Charger. That is a missed opportunity. That naming or branding was off. When you kept saying G6, I was thinking about Pontiac G6. It seems all automakers got out of control with the alphanumeric names globally. Most were bad and did not resonate with buyers. I did not care for them on Pontiacs and Cadillacs. Cadillac still has few. There used to be an art in naming cars. It seem to have been lost globally. GTE was a American telephone company. When you shared GTE I said oh no...I recall some car company having a GTE other than Ford. You made some interesting points about the things that disappointed you. Too many missteps. This was a good video, but sad too. What was with the getting rid of Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia? The G Series? That could be any car brand in the world. It seems Ford was slipping by this point it seems. It just did not resonate or have the excitement of the earlier Falcon. I smiled when you told them your car looks like a Camry. The thing is too many people want to be Camry or Honda Accord. I think the segment was changing during thus era. What was sad was what the Australian government did. It happened to Holden too. I just felt the government there stopped caring about the industry. There is no more industry and everyone imports there. What was the deal with those option packages and features. That seemed out of sync. Thank you again.
@@markbehr88 That is the sad part. You had the Australian government messing up and Ford making missteps a long the way. It was painful to watch. It is not like the American brands of Ford and GM did any better either. Ford was making waves in the 1980's with Taurus and Sable and the aero look and GM was messing up bad destroying brands and downsizing cars too far and destroying any rich heritage it had and the imports were building an empire that they have today in 2024. It is a sad state today as we have to hold and restore and rebuild and drive the classics. People long for new cars to drive that inspire them and make them feel great about driving.
@@markbehr88 the profits are where they focus. That is trucks, suvs and crossovers. They do not see the big picture. Have you seen how luxurious the trucks are and they do not go off road.
@@OLDS98 Yes, you are right. By the way, I just picked up a 73,000 mile excellent condition 1991 Olds 98! I have always wanted one. It is still in the USA but will eventually put it on the channel. 👍
Got one offered to me at an employee discount XR6 for 24k drive away FG series 2, didn't want to make a manual LPG so I turned it down got an Octavia Wagon 6MT.
It was bittersweet when those deals were offered to Tier1 suppliers too - $24K for an XR6 (FG2) was an absolute steal, but it highlighted just how much Ford were struggling. Sedans were tanking, and most of what we were supplying by late FG2 was Territory, then ute, and then sedan. I still have copies of those ads in my drawers at work.
@@markbehr88 I now regret not getting a manual petrol but fuel prices be high and I don't drive much anyway 67k since 2016 on my octavia. They were pushing me towards a Ute for some reason but the sedan was 26k I asked if I can get a discount on XR6T they said no :(
Hi mark is it my impression that ford us didn’t help ford Australia hence why that to source the zf? The falcon, maybe the territory would have been a great seller in the us?
@@markbehr88I do think that would have got a slap down from From Ford in Dearborn, the Mustang is a sacrosanct to car, that they would never allow anything else in their product portfolio to emulate a Mustang. Just like When the Australian AU Falcon designers got a slap down from Nasser when they unveiled an Australian designed Mustang concept.
That GS model does appear to be a bit of a happy accident from a crew that had started throwing everything they knew to work out the window, sticking GT badges on something that you're gonna just think is a Fairmont and then look away. You made me realise FPV peaked visually at BF, that's your work, hey? Good watch as usual, man.
G'day guys. I'm seeing some FG Falcon XR6s (non -turbo) going for around $12k-15k here in Perth, and I'm tempted to get one as a second car, just considering they won't be around for ever. Should I or shouldn't I ? Most have around 160-190k KMs. What could go wrong ?
I thought the intent on the FG doors looks good. But I agree with you changing the names of Typhon and Hurricane for G6E and F6 was stupid. Changing names of Fairmont and Ghia to G6 and G6E just confused the customers!!!🙄🙄
Each to their own re the doors but it was a strong feature that you then had to keep over multiple models. Tornado rather than Hurricane. The Hurricane was a Holden show car. 👍
Here is my latest video in the Falcon history series - the FG. If you can please give the video a Thumbs Up 👍 and Subscribe as it really helps the channel. The next video will be FG-X. Thanks very much for watching. 👍
Great work as always, Mark
@@ryanglass2778 Thanks very much. I had to pull an all nighter to finish it. 👍
Why did you leave?
@@JimLahey21 I’ve covered that off in the comments. 👍
@@markbehr88 ok no worries
G'day Mark ....I LOVE my 2008 FG XR6...It's basically the poverty pack 4.0 Barra powered but with the ZF 6 speed ...doesn't have the phone connectivity module , has only single zone HVAC and the base ICC etc but the most comfortable seats ever .. It's the Lightning Strike silver with the less fussy grille that the FG 2 had . I live in Tasmania and one day I did a 400 km run to Hobart from where I live and reset the trip computer for fuel consumption ..Drove to the 110 kmh Midlands Highway speed limit , a little bit of city traffic and a section stuck in roadworks. I got home at 9 pm after a few hours and the average fuel consumption on 95 RON was exactly 8.0 L per 100 km...Bloody impressive for a big car ...She looks good , she goes good and so happy to have this 16 year old bird to go along with my equally loved and trusty AU. We did build some bloody good Aussie Ford cars..Thank you so much for your huge personal input into that. You are a legend ...
Yes, great cars hey? Thanks very much. 👍
I’d say the FG Falcon was the best looking Ford Falcon, especially the front and rear lights.
My favourite was the XR6.
@@masteryoda498 Fair enough 👍
My mum has the 2.0 EcoBoost (ex Tassie Govt) and loves it. I wasn't expecting much when I first drove it, but jeez does it go! If you turn up the stereo to drown out the 4-banger sound, you'd be none the wiser.
An added bonus is more agile and balanced handling due to the little alloy 4-pot up front, sitting way back in the engine bay.
It reminded me quite a bit of the Starfire Commodore in that respect; my mate had one and although it was an absolute slug with a trimatic behind it, the handling was a lot of fun. Power isn't an issue with my mum's one. As journos pointed out at the time, performance was nearly imperceptible from the 4.0 six. Let's just say that traction issues aren't just limited to the 6s and 8s...
Bonus fun fact: the 2.0 EcoBoost was a Mazda design (L-Engine) adopted by Ford worldwide. It's roots go back to the Mazda F engine from the 80s.
Very cool. I have never driven one. 👍
Yep and with tuning that car can be made to really move along.
@@markbehr88 - its weird seeing the tacho swing to 6,500rpm (in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear) in a Falcon and hearing the turbo swoosh whistle then you realise whoa this thing goes hard for a 2L turbo, why? because the Barra 6 by comparison was such a slow revving engine but then again it did not need push that hard due to more bottom end torque.
@@351tgv Yes. I hope it is durable enough. I would do 5000 km oil changes to be safe. 👍
We have had a July 2014 FG MKII XR-6 since April 2016 and it runs like a charm. It was a Ford Motor Car Company vehicle with a few extras included. It’s lowered and sits good on the road. Recently drove from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour and it was a great driving holiday experience over two weeks. The missus purchased the car from her superannuation funds when she retired. Don’t envisage selling this car as it appears it’s going to increase in value. Colour is Lightning Strike. 😊
@@darrenstones Excellent. I agree, if you look after it, it will eventually go up in value. 👍
I have one of the XR6 version of this model.
My one regret is I did not buy the XR8.
So easy to drive. I can't bring myself to sell it.
My first car was an XP two door sedan.
Thank you for the series . I have really enjoyed it.
Thanks very much. Nice car worth keeping. 👍
Definitely if you were to purchase the BARRA 6 minus the Turbo. I’d be definitely buying the V8 4 valve for sure. My mate has a FG G6 E it’s a very very nice ride. Not sure how much difference there is but she’s a very fine FG 👍🔥
@@patrickaussieMilartry Agree. 👍👍
Interesting video again. Why didn't Ford promote the over-boost feature? To protect the V8's reputation?
Maybe they were worried about how to promote it legally? 🤔👍
The Miami had an overboost function too.
That’s right. Mentioned in the GTF section. 👍
Oh thats easy. Murdochs media would have run a super car scare like the 70's.
A few reasons:
compliance with then Euro 3 and 4 emissions
Fuel consumption, remember they were selling a lot to fleets & governments and b then the larger fleet companies have rules in place and also limited the fleets to 91 RON.
Ford could not just advertise that they offer over-boost on the bread and butter versions, on the FPV and then later on FG X models they dd not care any more as they jnw the end was coming.
Thank you Mark. I learned more about these later falcons from you than anyone else. The inside scoops really help sift through the fluff out there.
Great channel mate. Well done 👍
Thanks very much. I am hoping to continue to build my subscriber base and have a lot more to come. 👍
Yeah, there is a lack of information on development unlike the ve.
Yup PLENTY OF FLUFF ALRIGHT NOT ENOUGH MUFF. LOL 😂 BUT TRUE MATE LOTS OF MOVING LIPS MAKING NOT ALOT OF SENSE 👍
I bought a FG mk2 xr6t luxury pack new in 2013, still have it today. Only 70k on the clock, I have been living overseas for the past 6 years and the car is in storage. Probably one of the few left with zero modifications and never been tuned. I love it, it’s a keeper for me.
I too have a mk2 xr6t with zero modifications but has 170k kms. Great car that I won’t sell.
Well worth keeping. It will only go up, up, up 👍
Worth keeping for sure. 👍
Hey mate. I have my BA in storage as well. Is on a trickle charger. Do you start it every now and then and use fuel stabiliser?
@@paulmcgaw6976 mines on a trickle charger. I get back to Australia once or twice a year and take it out for a run. No fuel stabiliser, never had an issue with the fuel, always fires first go and runs fine.
Agree totally Mark. Getting Rid of the Futura, Fairmont, Fairmont Gia names . Was WRONG! Bad marketing.
Thats why I'm glad I own a BF2 - Fairmont Ghia. As its the last model to bear the name 😁
An everyone Associates Fairmont with Luxuary an Fairmont Ghia as the TOP range in the Falcon range an again Luxury.
Yes, it was poor marketing by people who did not know any better. 👍
Totally agree. And I'm glad I also own a BF2 Fairmont Ghia as well as the same car in Fairlane guise... what terrific cars. Seems Ford lost the plot after Mark left...
@@davidgoliath5901 😀. Thanks.
@@markbehr88 - Mark to be fair it was a directive from Ford HQ in Dearborn, Ford Australia had no choice.
That said I agree it was a stupid decision, "Futura" I can understand, same with Forte for XT (eewww WTF in the AU format), that said the basic Falcon from BA onwards should of been Falcon 500 but Fairmont & Fairmont Ghia ... typical Ford USA HQ not understanding the AU market.
I remind you of the Taurus to 500 back to Taurus moves in the 90's/2000 ...
@@351tgv The only US directive would have been to remove Ghia as I believe the licensing use had concluded. I am sure Ford Australia could have pushed the point and paid a small royalty. The use of Fairmont would have been a Ford Australia decision. I named most of the FPV models and no US involvement. Just trademark registration here. They could of had Fairmont and Fairmont 500 or Fairmont ESP👍
I was getting worried that we were running out of models and the videos were going to stop soon…
Glad to hear that you’re planning on doing Fairlanes, LTDs, Holdens etc Mark.
Love the content mate, keep it up.
Thanks very much. Please keep Liking and Subscribing as that makes a big difference to the channel. 👍
My brother had a brand new tray back in this model and the 5 speed auto trans was rubbish, he had 3 in it under warranty. He sold that later and purchased the last model XR6 tray back with the 6 speed ZF and never had a trans problem and still driving it today, with around 140000km on it.
Good to hear the ZF is doing well. I had one in my Co GT in BF. 👍
@@markbehr88 Did BMW MANUFACTURE THAT ZF 6 sp auto ? Something I heard ? Curious tho ?
@@patrickaussieMilartry I think it was made by ZF but BMW used it. 👍
I do love my FG XR6 turbo, fantastic car I love to drive and always kept in the shed.
A nice jigger to have. 👍
Love your work. I've had a Mk1 FG F6 for coming up 10 years now. I would never consider letting it go. Easiest car to drive, comfortable and practical. But because of the 310 kw I do say "No,no,no,no,no" alot. Thank you, sir, you guys made an amazing vehicle.
@@merc13norris55 Thanks very much. Glad you love your F6. Legendary car. 👍
I wondered all those years ago what happened with the names and the designs.
G6 and g6e from fairmont and fairmont ghia wtf. And then the gt-e came from nowhere, I still prefer the force 6 and 8s and love the subtlety of their kits. People i chat to have no idea those models existed!
Thanks Mark, keep these videos up. I learnt abit tonight going down the rabbit hole!
@@Carcyclechronicles Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍
Great history on the FG Mark and I bought my July built 09 FG G6E in 2011 and still have it to this day and it currently has just over 98K on it.
Excellent. Thanks very much. 👍
@@markbehr88 On thing that surprised me about the Ecoboost was that although was a 4 cylinder it's badge was G6E when to my mind it should have been G4ET to emphasise it's 4 cylinder turbo credentials.
I saw a lot of missteps with the FG Falcon by Ford like the creases in the doors and the fact that no diesel engine was provided even if they had to significantly rework the Land Drover diesel to fix it's shortcomings.
Yes, plenty of missed opportunities. As a car company (or any company) the best thing you can do is make sure you have the right people making the decisions. 👍
Love the Ford history content. I'm looking to buy a fg xr8 right now for a daily. Nitro blue is the best colour with dark argents. What a combo!
I say do it. 👍👍
nice colour choice .. just enjoy the fuel bill compared to a xr6t aye
@@klaymann888 Yes, although if you drive them gingerly you can get decent mileage. Put your foot into it and that goes out the window. 👍
Go the xr8 screw the turbo
@@klaymann888they are pretty much the same lol enjoy the lag in summer :D
I've been looking forward to this video. I just bought an FG Falcon G6E with the Ecoboost as my first car during my move back to Australia. It only has 41k kms so hopefully will prove reliable.
The engine size is a massive downgrade from the Chevrolet SS (VF Commodore SS-V) I'm selling in California but the turbo four feels sprightly enough while getting great fuel economy and retaining the classic Aussie large car space
The Ecoboost is so hard to find and I swear it's one of Australian motoring's best kept secrets
Well done for scoring such a low kms example and good on you for driving the Chev stateside too. 👍👍
I had a 2003 GT.. best looking car in the world, I had it supercharged which made it awesome..best car I ever had, sorry I sold it but I’ll get another one
@@boss290bafalcon Glad you liked it. 👍
Thanks again Mark. Very informative. I must admit I began to lose interest in Ford in those later years and I really think that was due to the model name changing as you pointed out. I think people really like continuity, familiarity and recognition of models.
Same here. Had tuned out from the BA onwards and I agree, probably would have been more engaged without the name changes.
Thanks very much. I agree. 👍
@@trship6274 I get it. 👍🤔
Another great review, thanks Mark.
My father has a G6E T which he bought in 2009 (pre Euro-4). I wasn't aware how much more power the overboost provided, but it evidently makes sense now. The performance figures really stepped up the game, which I think made the FG turbo range a very desirable car back then.
Back when working at Bosch, we were part of the Ford Silver program, and the brand new price for staff for a G6E T was around the 37k mark. Well worth it.
Bit of a shame that they missed out on:
- Factory Sunroof
- LSD in the G6E T
- Chunky steering wheel options like their predecessor
- V8 (apart from the XR8) - Barra 230 5.4 would've been nice (although I'm aware of the timing chain issues). Of course the Miami engine would've been even better.
Also a real shame (due to demand) that the Fairlanes and LTDs were dropped; I think with the FG styling, a LWB platform would have presented as a very classy vehicle.
Thanks very much. I saw mock up drawings for Fairlane and LTD FG models as they were looking at selling them as Crown Victorias and Mercury Grand Marquis. They looked terrific. 👍
@@markbehr88 Wow. Hopefully you have more info in your upcoming Fairlane videos.
Would love to see the mock-ups but I’m guessing that would be a long shot.
@@mrdoiii I will try to see if I can get them, if they still exist.
@@markbehr88I hope you can get your hands on the FG Fairlane and LTD mock-ups. I have always loved the LWB Fords. Wish Ford were still offering something like that as Ford doesn’t offer much that interests me anymore.
@@deanjohnson712 I’ve reached out to the designer but have not heard from him yet. I’ll try him again soon. 👍
Just happened to pull the G6ET out of storage and take it for a run earlier this afternoon. It was retired long ago from being the daily drive and is now driven maybe once every 4 to 6 weeks. Have owned it since new (6/2008 build) and after nearly sixteen years, it’s still a great motor car to drive. It’s done 296,000k’s but the suspension was rebushed a couple of years ago, along with new shocks and springs (no rattles or clunks, nice and tight). The interior is unmarked and in great condition as is the exterior.
I agree with your thoughts on the Fairmont/Ghia issue. I owned a BF2 Fairmont Ghia and was disappointed at the time at the rebranding that Ford did. I never quite worked out what the G6E and G6E Turbo actually meant or stood for.
Having said that, after driving it earlier today you wouldn’t think it’s 16 year old motor car. Still feels planted on the road at speed through the wiggly bits and is still very, very quick when you stick the boot into it. I’d say the G6E Turbo is perhaps one of the best things Ford Australia ever did. Glad I kept it!
Well worth keeping. During that time Ford started copying a lot of what I was doing at FPV, so maybe G6 was influenced by F6? Who knows. Even some of the brochure layouts and themes started to replicate what we had done earlier in our FPV marketing. 👍
Driving my Nitro Blue FG F6 from Sydney to Melbourne after purchasing it from a dealer back in 2020, i was practically tapping the accelerator, overtaking a couple of Semi Trucks effortlessly. Love these cars. I also enjoy my BF Turbo as a daily. Can't get enough of them. Awesome content!!
Excellent. Thanks very much. 👍
I remember going to the new model training for the FG and the trainer having to argue the virtue of the 5 Speed auto after all the mechanics rubbished it from poor experiences with it in the Explorer and PJ Ranger. It was dropped in the Falcon ASAP. The FG XR6 turbo also had launch control, something nobody believes when I tell them. The FG was a great evolution of the Falcon however not long after launch we had the GFC and the writing was on the wall that it was going to be the last generation of the Falcon. Lack of advertising throughout the model was evidence that Ford was pivoting towards its upcoming Dual Cab T5 project.
Yes, they certainly hastened the demise with very lack lustre to non existent advertising though. 👍
Well, I think LHD version of that gen Falcon could've been decent seller in some markets.
The USA never approved of it, and would have never funded it. They actually took an FG to Dearborn, but ford was adamant it would never be sold stateside, especially a " foreign " made Ford. But it would have been greatly Ford could have explored selling it in the Middle East & Brazil Like Holden did…
Agreed. 👍
@@paulsz6194 Somehow Holden made it happen. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 didnt save holden gave them little extra time its sad
@@Eric-kn4yn Yes. 👍
Another very interesting insight, thanks Mark. I thought the dropping of "Typhoon", "Tornado" and the "Force" moniker were all mistakes at the time so it's interesting to see you thought so too. I never warmed to the FG much (apart, perhaps, from the G6ET) and I certainly didn't "get" the panda eyes but it's interesting to learn where they came from.
It's a good legacy you've left on the industry in any case. :)
Thanks very much. Yes, basic brand management -don’t chop and change if you want to build equity. 👍
@@markbehr88 indeed. And the names just aren't as good. I have a friend with an F6E and his father has a GT-E and they both wish their cars were called Force.
And I have 2 Typhoons and thought F6 was a much less interesting name.
@@mahcooharper9577 Yes, people being too creative without understanding the customer. 👍
I have a BA XR6 and overall prefer the look over the FG, but I can’t deny that these cars are bulletproof. I still see them everywhere.
@@rankoss3437 Yes. Either one is good. 👍
Gotan xr6 ecolpi love it! Best range managed 720km for the 78l fill 🎉😊 excellent content Mark thoroughly enjoy!
That is impressive. Thanks. 👍
Was that all highway driving or city/highway cycle? I can imagine you would have been really feathering the accelerator, with no steep hills to climb, and taking advantage of any downhill momentum.
@@paulsz6194 I think I meant to say Hwy cycle? It was very late. 🤔👍
@@paulsz6194 It was on a long drive to regional VIC and back! - fill up date was 19th April 2023 731.2km 93.9c/l 78.04litres $73.28 BP Eastlink Now my ECOLPI looks stock but I've had a muffler delete sports exhaust cat back with 2.5inch pipe curving its way around the LPG tanks, and its on MCA pro comfort coilovers lowered significantly! Love it but have to be careful to avoid potholes, uneven roads , enter and exit driveways , careful over speedhumps ha! But handles much better... Had it since 2012 proud to own an Australian manufactured car! ❤
Nice one 👍
Thaks Mark, my poor old fg2 has 330000km and only gets serviced once a year, ps i paid 4000 7000 6 years ago. Best aussie car ever
Trumps my Mki FG XR6. 300000+km on mine, oil change every 10k km. Best $36k I ever spent.
@@coalfacechris1336 i am fortanate to have our company cars at 200k factory serviced, 16 years 1 ba fairmont 1 fg2 total 7k cost + 16 services. 1 washer pump 1oil presure switch. Be kind to a falcon it will be kind to you brother :-)
She’s still hanging in there! 👍
That’s the great thing about Falcons! 👍
I think that’s right. They are generally durable cars although you will always get a horror story but that applies to all cars. 👍
Thanks Mark for another excellent content! My favourite was G6E wish it was called Fairmont Ghia..
Thanks. Yes. Me too and I wish they did an ESP V8 and Turbo (ESP) version. 👍
I really like your work Mark. Can’t believe how valuable these cars are becoming!
Thanks. I know! At least they won’t scrap them at the same rate as the older ones. 👍
Great episode as always Mark👍.
My brother has a silouette MK 2 FG XR6 Turbo LE with a bit of work done....great car👍👍
Thanks very much. 👍
Thanks Mark for all the information about Ford Falcon am thinking of purchasing a 2005 BA XR- 6 second hand from Warwick Qld
I’d say go for it! 😀👍
@@markbehr88 you mention the need for expensive quality badged performance fords but didnt happen im thinking cost cutting was reason for that
@@Eric-kn4yn Yes, penny wise pound foolish.
Another great Ford history video. This time it’s my model Falcon. I’ve got a 2012 G6 limited edition. I bought it when it was 18 months old as a second car. I had a 2005 Mercedes CL500 at the time and didn’t want to run the km up. In the end the CL went and I kept the G6. Great car. It’s extremely reliable. Never gives any issues. I have it serviced every 12 months by the book. I’ll keep this car until I or it dies.
Fantastic. That was the highlight of the non FPV range for sure. I tried to get Ford to do an ESP which would have had a Turbo 6 or a Boss V8 but that never happened. 👍
Always loved that G6 G6E front grill design. Made me think of James Bond an his 1960's Aston Martin. Especially silver G6E's
Yes, I agree. 👍
Another great video Mark , well done .
I totally agree on the renaming of the models was just a bad move .
For example some one asks you what sort of car is that , you say a G6 , they don’t know what the hell you’re talking about , keeping the old names keeps the models familiar.
Big shame our government departments did not support our local car industry.
And here we are today flooded with imports .
Look forward to your next one Mark .
Yes. What a waste! 🤔👍
Thank you again for an excellent insight into the inner workings of product planning that happens years before the general public get to see it. More please
Thanks very much. Stay subscribed as there will be more! 😀👍
I miss the old advertisements you were slotting into some of your videos at the end Mark.
Problem is the music rights. I had to re-do the original AU and BA episodes as I had the ads - so I stay clear where they use music. 👍
Great attention to detail Mark and your ‘insider’ comments add to it.
Thanks very much 👍
i had a modded fg turbo manual. was a fantastic car, loved the TR6060 gearbox in it. much improved vs the older T56. - and the car had enough power (once tuned) to accelerate in 6th ;).
i also had a BA fairmont, that i fitted extractors and a hi flow exhaust. that was decently quick, for an auto too.
@@simonr23 Very cool. 👍
luv.n the series 👌. I have a 2008 FG xr6 6 spd auto, bonnet bulge model, ... stock standard except for an after market trans cooler ,
been a great tow car when needed ... apart from a daily user for the last 8 yrs has done about 18 trips to Gin Gin for my house bus build from Brissie and back with respective loaded/ unloaded trailers & my 3.7 boat ....she's a great unit and hasn't let me down 💪
Thanks. Great they can be such work horses hey? 😀👍
a few things:
Yes the i6 Barra when using 95 or 98 RON has a different fuel map based on knock sensor, so if the driver kept on using 95 or 98 the engine continued to use the different fuel map, that said torque was the same output but over a more flat torque curve hence the more top end power, from memory when using 98 RON on a consistent basis top end engine power was something like 212kW, of course this was carried over to Mk2 and then FG X since engine wise they are pretty much the same engines.
The E:gas was indeed dropped due to being only Euro 3 also Ford were running out of the BTR (technically by then ION) 4-speed auto and Borg Warner provided 3.27:1 differential, when the EcoLPI was released in the Mk2 it got the 6-speed ZF and the tall diff ratio (which I think was 2.72:1) which is why the fuel economy dropped by 25%, also Ford upped the cylinder tank size from 85L in BF (max 80% capacity) to 95L (again max 80% capacity) which increased range, shame that LPG tech is basically dead these days as the EcoLpi engine was ready for Euro 5/6 emissions with a simple tune change in the engine map. Also someone at Ford figured out that LPG was 108RON (ok they knew but you get my point) and as such when they went back to standard pistons and conrods they also upped the compression ratio to take advantage of the higher octane rating, downside of that though was the "turbo" after market did not like that hence why the "E:Gas Barra BA to FG MkI" engines are so sought after as they are an easy way to make cheap turbo boost power, anyway by doing that the EcoLpi engines are more reliable but not as durable as the E:Gas engines also the Liquid phase injection system is harder to work on vs the simple converter / single point venturi vapour set up.
Such a shame that LPG technology is at a dead end, GMH were doing great things with there vapour injection (HASV made it work well) and Ford with liquid phase injection and from what I know direct LPG injection was right the corner and would of easily met euro 6 emissions and also brough forward massive gains in mid range and top end power while also being more economical (well for LPG standards), but its dead and service stations are rapidly removing LPG pumps which is making harder and harder to hold on the E:Gas Falcon / Commodore LPG and even the Aurion LPG cars on the road. I easily get 500km range from the AU Futura E:Gas from 70L which only cost me $70 .... grrrrrrrrr frustrating that LPG never took off.
Thanks for the extra info. I agree, the LPG cars could have been marketed very aggressively to position Falcon and Commodore as cheaper to run than 4 cylinders, like Ford did with XD. The only issue being the wholesale shift to SUVs. Although the sedans didn’t even put up a fight marketing wise. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 - more money in Territory and I guess by that stage early Ranger and Mondeo (especially to fleets which is where 90% of Mondeo sales went to, I should know I got as many as Ford leasing were able to supply after BF Falcon wagon MK3 ended) sales.
As for LPG tech, its a DAMED shamed it has died in the backside, seriously the E:Gas Falcon are so good, the EcoLpi are great even the Commodore once they went away from dual fuel to Vapour Injection (which sorted out those issues they had) have shown in service they a re reliable and durable and very little goes wrong with the LPG technology.
Of course with 2024 vision service stations are removing LPG pumps as fast as they can and LPG at roughly 1 a lire (in Sydney metro) is only just viable and its worse in regional areas where most regions only have 1 pump and the cost ranges from $1.15 to $1.55, but hey that is the market conditions the commercial world operates in.
@@351tgv Yes, LPG is not being supported infrastructure wise.
Thanks for this Mark. Quiet franky these models have always been a "mystery" for me over here in NZ. You have now given me some insight as to the naming or should I say the "numbering" of this series and where each model falls in. I agree with you that the removal of names was a stupid idea as Ford has removed an important part of these cars heritage. I have been looking at buying a later type Falcon as a "keeper" that I could run every day. I had considered one of these but am now leaning towards a good lower km BF.
Thanks very much. I think I would also go with a really nice BF or alternatively an FGX as it was the last model. Maybe a G6E as they are a nice looking car. It depends upon how much you want to spend? 👍
Mark, you do amazing work, I have enjoyed all the videos
Thank you very much. 👍
One model i have never owned but driven for work. Have always wanted one as i personally think they were a nice end to the legacy and the best Ford made. Don't remember you mentioning how they dropped the LWB range at this time aswell. Anyway looking forward to the LWB series as someone that owned a ZK and currently still have a BF Fairlane daily driver.
Yes, I generally leave the LWB material out as they will receive their own distinct episodes. 👍
Excellent episode Mark. When I get 2 minutes to myself I will do some interesting fact about MK1 and 2. This is the era when Ford knew that the end was coming so Ford did a lot of parts raiding from US fords and euro fords.
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍
Sounds like everything great about the fg was thanks to you. Everything crappy was someone elses problem.
Nice work.
@@rocknral Not sure how you reached that conclusion but to each their own. 🤔
Another terrific video Mark. Congratulations. Interestingly the egas in the early FGs up to 2010 carried over the 4 speed from the BF. Another interesting quirk is the XR6T came with a LSD but it wasn't available on the G6ET.
Thanks very much. I think they may have thought traction control could avoid the need for LSD? Not sure? 👍🤔
I agree with you in regards to the weird names Mark. Every man and his dog knew that the next step up the ladder from the Falcon was the Fairmont, then the Ghia. G6 sounds like something that you would call a vacuum cleaner. I loved the twin grille though.
Yes, they looked good but should have been Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia. I actually tried to get them to do an ESP but never happened. 👍
Still love my 2012 FG. Daily driver, runs like a watch.
@@MrButtonpresser Good on you. 👍
Loved the style of the FG. I still don't mind it today, although I adore the FGX, I can't wait to see your video on them! I can't say I've ever liked the teardrops (I guess you'd call them) under the headlights on the FPV, though, but depending on the colour, it is growing on me. I'm hoping I can find a manual XR6 in black when I buy a new daily driver, the Pajero is bankrupting me, being a 21 year old petrol 😂😅
Great video as always, Mark! Thank you, mate!
Thanks very much. 👍
Interesting mention is FG2 finally resolved alot of the prior FG1 lacklustre A/C performance issues, shifting away from the Denso system & going with the Air-International.
Different compressor, etc as a result & weren't interchangeable with FG1
Interesting. 🤔👍
@markbehr88 Kinda one of them improvements that was short lived, because Ford went back to the Denso system on FGX although with a few tweaks but still couldn't perform as well. Probably a cost cutting measure most likely ?
Even now brand new parts like condensor, compressor, etc are noticeable between them price wise.
The aircon change happened prior to FG2. It was one of my criticisms of the early FGs and I was worried that the LPi one I had on order would suffer the same problem. I was assured by a Ford engineer that they were fixing it, and by the time the LPI was launching, it would be sorted. That fix occurred sometime in early to mid 2011, as my Sept 2011 build LPI (one of the first sold to the public) has the FG2 A/C setup which I confirmed by looking at the parts, and comparing it to the service manual info. After I got my LPi, my colleagues realised what a great car they were after going out to lunch a few times in it, and word got around. We had nearly a dozen of the LPis at work by 2012. I had to laugh when an accountant told me he was buying a G6 Turbo. I asked if he was mistaken, and it was really a G6ET. Nope, it was a G6 turbo - the 4. I was surprised how well it went. The ZF 6 was the reason I held out for the LPi. I now have 370K on it, and still going strong. At least 20,000km of that has been towing a loaded car trailer in 3 states. Best tow car I’ve ever owned, and a great daily.
@@commodorenut Thanks for the additional info. Sounds like a great car. 👍
Thanks Mark. Great story again. Still love my 15 yo FG. Ford's marketing was abysmal.
My pleasure. Glad you liked it. If I sound annoyed or showed some resentment (as another subscriber mentioned) that is because I was passionate about what I did and I felt I knew what the customers really wanted. 👍
Miss my BF turbo ute-always interesting to hear your opinion on Aussie fords-what a shame the state governments stopped using them in their fleet,I can remember Bob Hawke and many others arriving to work in LTD’s,statesman’s etc
Yes, agreed. 👍
Another great summary Mark, thanks.
My pleasure. 👍
I bought my 2013 Emperor red Ex cop XR6T Sedan in 2014. Done 150xxx now and still runs good. Only issues were turbo manifold gasket leak 4 years ago, two broken drivers inner door handles, clearcoat failing on bonnet and roof, rust in bottom of boot and roof lining failing. Apart from that, it still runs like a champ and i will probably give it a birthday to sort some of these not sorted issues.. not bad for 9 pretty brisk/abusive years of ownership.
Yes, worth giving it some love for those issues so it can keep delivering. 👍
Hi Mark, love your countdown timer intro 😊
Thanks very much. I made it myself. 👍
Another I have is Feels Good. That was my experience hiring a silver XR6 with the five speed. Pity the French made American based transmission is apparently issue prone as it was a major leap from the four speed with its ratios and it was good to drive a Falcon that didn't drink like a sailor.
I'm fearful of the milkshake, especially with the ZF offering.
Your thumbnail pic really sells the XR front clip.
Thanks. External trans cooler I think generally solves the milkshake issue? 👍
Great episode 💯. I have an XR6 turbo it has 74k on it. And it’s grouse 😎. I’m spewing that I missed out on a GT E with the 5.0 supercharger. A few years back. Great Aussie cars
Thanks. Yes, a rare beast now, even if it should have been called Force 8. 👍
@@markbehr88 agreed
Great work as usual Mark ! I wish the FG C-pillar and rear door styling had come with BA/BF. The FG just looked SO good - much like the EF/EL styling. It's interesting how suddenly the right "Look" just appears for a OEM - or did they hold back the gold till near model runout ? 👍
Thanks. No, I think it was Steve Park’s design expertise starting to take hold. 👍
Great video Mark. 👍
I have a 2011 FG G6E Turbo. Brilliant car. I bought it I 2015 after wanting to get one when they first came out. Buying second hand, I had to look for a long time to get one in the colour combo I would have picked if buying new. Thought I knew all there was to know about them but your video taught me a few things I didn’t know.
I have to agree with you, I would have much preferred Ford continued using the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia naming convention. I would have also loved it if Ford had built the FG in wagon form and built limited numbers of say a V8 Fairmont Ghia wagon like they had done in the past.
My only criticism with my FG is that it should have come standard with a LSD as did the XR6 Turbo and XR8. At least I was able to get one fitted a few years ago. Much better. Also, owning 2006 BF LTD and 2005 BA II Fairmont Ghia, the latter my daily drive. I think the access to the front seats and driving position is better in the B series. The FG could have done with the B pillar being moved a couple of centimetres to the rear as taller people like myself all have a whinge about getting in and out of the car. Once in though, the seats are so much better. I also prefer the chunkier steering wheel of my LTD and
Anyway, great work. Can’t wait to see your videos on the B series Fairlanes and LTD! I’ve had a few of them. My favourite is my LTD that I’ve had for the last 12 years but also the 2005 BA II G220. I’m always on the lookout for a black one like I used to have when they first came out of better still, a G8.
@@deanjohnson712 Thanks very much. Your cars sound great. Yes, a black G220 or G8 would be nice. I like the version with the chrome mirror scalps (last of them). 👍
@@markbehr88 yes, from the 2005 BA II had the chrome mirror scalps. Nice touch. I had a 2003 BA G220 and that was the first thing I changed on it so it looked mor like the 2005 I had.
@@deanjohnson712 I thought it was BF 2 as I put the chrome mirrors scalps on the BF 2 Force 6 and Force 8? 🤔
Hi Mark, hope your well, It's a shame that the Fairmont name was dropped and the 5 door estate car. very sleek looking and beefy at the same time, I do like the look of the GT-F and the GS. This car could have been Jaguar V8 powered as Jaguar were part of the Ford group at the time, but settled with a Miami Ford V8 Which I think is the best option for the car being a Ford, I do like the Jaguar 4.2 and 5.0 V8 engine they do motor well I have driven a Jaguar XF 4.2 V8 Estate and it is a great car. Now this FG Falcon is now fitted with a Eco boost 2.0 four cylinder a lot of big cars are fitted with a Turbo four cylinder, the Mustang 2.3 turbo four, Chevrolet Camero turbo four and Jaguar XJ , XF and F-type 2.0 turbo four.
As the same as UK and European Fords at the time got that Aston Martin styled lower front grill just like the Fiesta , Focus, Mondeo and the Transit.
As always a great video, Take care
Thanks Shaun. I hope your Dad is well? Yes the Eco Boost engine was apparently a good thing. Like Ford using the diesel in Territory, again, under Ford ownership at the time. 👍
@@markbehr88 Hi Mark, My Dad is doing well , he's just a bit tiered at the moment and he's 80 next weekend, Thanks for asking. You have a good weekend
@@shaun30-3-mg9zs 👍👍
The Jag v8 is basically the same as the coyote v8 to my understanding.
@@Low760 They were completely separate programs but I am sure there are similarities. 🤔👍
Another great video
Also great to get some inside info
But you never explained why you left
They had a massive clean out of the MD, Marketing, PR, me, Production people etc. we just had our best ever year and once we were gone, they never did as well sales wise again. 👍
Nice work again, Mark. What a legend! It's a real shame Ford didn't develop a "sportswagon" on this model to rival the Commodore. I think they really missed the boat on that - imagine an xr or g6 wagon, how good that would've been. Do you have any insider scoop on whether that was even considered in the planning stages? Cheers
Thanks very much. Re the wagon, it had taken on a Telstra fleet type role so all the focus was on Territory. Post AU, you couldn’t even buy a V8 wagon, which is crazy, considering you could get one in an RTV ute. 👍
Brilliant Mark, really enjoying the series
Thank you 👍👍
Fantastic car best Falcon I ever owned, only thing that broke was the inside drivers door handle 50 buck repair. Sold it at 75,000klm and the buyer sold it recently with 175,000klm on it. Moved onto Mustang since and Ranger
Glad you had a good run put of it. 👍
Another amazing video. keep up the great work.
Thank you 👍
G'day Mark,
Absolutely awesome learned alot & some respect for the Ford product.
If money wasn't a option which car would you put in your garage from the FG range ?
Cheers
Louis Kats 👍
Thanks Louis. I would have an Octane 335 GT. 👍
@@markbehr88 👍👍👍
Hopefully this wasn't already discussed (I'm coming back to an older video with a thought) and while I know you were at FPV rather than Ford but I'm curious to know if you had heard why there was never a G8E? I understand that Holden's V8s sold well until the end of the VF so I'm surprised Ford didn't bolster their premium models and surely it wouldn't have been difficult to put the XR8 running gear under a G6E?
Unlike Holden , who when I started in Product Planning, asking why do we bother putting V8s in every model, my boss said “because every unit counts when you are doing a V8 business case”. I remembered that and later, suggested that Ford do a performance Turbo and V8 Ghia and resurrect the ESP name. But they were not interested. If Geoff Polites was still there, I reckon I could have gotten it across the line. 👍
The best car, and most attractive car made in Australia.
@@rocknral Fair enough. 👍
No it's the second best 😊
I’ve got one. Never thought I’d have one everyone loves it because it’s kept on top condition.
Some people have trouble comfortable in the seat though. Drivers seat is too height and the dash and steering wheel sit far too low
Is that on a FG? 🤔👍
Been counters ruin every good thing
You really did some good stuff mark and ford and us were the real loosers with you and the other guys getting the chop
Thanks very much. I used to say to the bean counters “you count the money and I’ll make it for you”. You can imagine how much they loved that, but it was true. 😀👍
Brilliant! Big thanks - cheers from Caloundra
Pleasure. 😀👍
Good series. Maybe you could share in a video what some of those models that never happened may have looked like or show some sketches that would be awesome. Like tha superbird. Any of those 2 doors versions like the Landau would have been great brought back or GTHO verion before they closed
Thanks. I did show the 40th Anniversary mock up with the new Super Roo in the BF episode. I don’t have any visual mock ups of the Goss or Superbird as they were Product Letters only. Same for the P5. 👍
When we received our fist allocation of the new FG range Mark, I decided for register a striking dark metallic blue FG XR8 sedan as a hero car that as a demo I was fortunate to take that home at the end of the day and I’ll never forget on one trip down to Warrnambool one evening I found my rear vision mirror full of flashing red and blue lights so slowly palled over. Much to my delight, the officer had pulled me over to simply admire the car and walked around it without fining me, even though I may have been a little bit over the speed limit. Anyhow, of all the new GF that I demoed and drove or purchased out of Fouls, although the XR8 & 6T where in my opinion the hero cars, outside of FPV of course, although as we’ve discussed with previous models I couldn’t quite understand why Ford chose to release the XR6T that again looked far too much like the almost fleet vehicle in the end being the std. XR6. My pick in the end for a great balance of performance, handling dynamics, stunning looks with the perfect level of luxury without adding too much weight was of course the G6ET. Great car ! Keep up the interesting content Mark and I’ve marked your FGX video to watch after this 👌
@@muntedmonk3884 Thanks very much. Glad you like the videos. I’ve also started a Fairlane series too. G6E Turbo was a great car. 👍
I think the BF was the epitome of a good looking modern Falcon.
Can't say I liked the bottom part of the grill on the FG.
@@bossdog1480 Agree, the BF was a terrific looking car. Glad I have my XR6. 👍
owned a 2008 G6E Turbo, between 2014 to 2020, thought it was comparable to the VE Commodore, but you missed the adjustable pedal box on the G6E Turbo, which mine had, was it standard or an option? Traded it in on a 2017 Calais V LS3, it was like going from a 20th century car into a 21st century car, except for the outdated Mylink.
The power pedals were available from BA actually. It was clear Ford were not investing enough and the lack of promotion also did not help sales. 👍
G’day Mark thanks again for another outstanding video and insight into the falcons history
From 2004 to 2009 we bought the following cars new
BA Xr6 sedan 5sp
BA11 CR6 Ute 5sp
BA11 XR8 Devil R 6sp Manual
BF XR8 Magnet Ute ordered as a manual turned up as a Auto 😅
BF Cobra #261 I’ll get into that later
FG XR8 Ute Manual with Luxury Pack “still have it”
FG GT Auto #818 “still have it
We also bought second hand during this period a BA GT manual and a BF Typhoon Auto shouln’t have sold it😢
I’m sorry to say that in the bunch the Cobra was the most disappointing a lot of this was due to dealer delivery but the stripes had to be redone due to being misaligned and there was damage to the drivers door window frame. This aside for me the gearing like in the Devil R was way to long and the thing was a slug down low compared to the less powerful BA GT with the 5 Speed. Ditto when we bought the FG Ute manual it killed the cobra to 100. I never understood why the turbos got shorter gearing in the 6Sp manuals BA11 through BF11. The seats were also to high in the cobra I just couldn’t get comfortable, on the plus the R Spec was brilliant and everywhere you drove it you’d get a wave or a thumbs up.
Couldn’t agree more about stupid governments across the board spending our money on imported cars that I have driven and frankly don’t like. I can put my hand on my heart and state the I have never owned an imported car.
Last year we managed to the a low Km SZ Territory Titanium Barra RWD and having driven many new cars in recent times I don’t understand how we lost our car industry to what I think are inferior products. Luckily I am well able to maintain our current fleet of 6 Aussie fords well into the future and have no intention of purchasing a new car again there’s nothing we like.
Once again thanks for videos there’s a lot of effort on your part here,
Cheers Blue
Thanks Blue. Wow, you have certainly supported the local car industry very well. If there were more like you, we would still have an industry. Sorry the Cobra experience was not great. Hopefully you sold it at a nice profit? My BF GT ZF auto was a great car. Wish I still had it. It was my FPV Co car. Black with orange stripes. 👍
Another great video Mark.
Thanks very much. 👍
absolutely loved your latest video mark.very insightful and informative.in my humble opinion i would have to say that the fg ford falcon will be the ford motor company of australia lasting legacy.by the way would i be correct in saying that the ecoboost motor won world engine of the year.i look forward to the next instalment.
Thanks. I believe the Eco Boost did win a global award but I believe that version was in a tiny Ford SUV (a name I can’t recall?). 🤔👍
This was very interesting especially from someone "in the know"
Thanks very much. 👍
Hi Mark just wondering why no mention of the 2010 FG1 N/A XR6 50th Anniversary Sedan with ZF 6 speed transmission. In my opinion the best interior and exterior appearance, keenly priced and well equipped of all the FG series.
@@wheelsxr4613 I think I showed a picture of it in the episode without identifying it specifically? 👍
FG seating definitely felt cheaper and less supportive, but other elements of the interior were improved. The electronic issues seemed to be more prevalent in FGs compared to the B series as well, but I quite liked this 'Orion' project overall. It's a shame it was the last generation!
I couldn't believe the seats either and they were a real backwards step from my BA. I was so surprised I actually sat in two different FG's in the yard to make sure the first one didn't have some quality control issue. The entertainment unit with that mono screen and the five speed auto, also all screamed cost cuting. Something I had learned to hate intensely in my Fords, because so much of it was just bloody petty. They really didn't give FG the best chance at launch and by the time they started to put a bit of money into the car, it was all over for Ford.
Yes, a lot of new tech whereas by BF it was sorted from BA. 👍
Yes, for cars like these you can spend a few extra $ on quality and the customers will pay for it. 👍
Hi Mark, there sure was a lot going on with the FG model, what a large variety. The 5 speed auto you mentioned I haven't heard of before was this available in NZ?. I have only seen the 4 speed and the zf 6 speed. Another great instalment. Cheers from NZ, Phil.
Thanks Phil. I would have thought NZ received the 5 speed but maybe yours were all up specced to the ZF? 🤔👍
I own one 2009 FG xr6 5 speed shes been good too me never let me down yet
That is good to know. 👍
Thanks Mark great work.
Thank you 👍
I have a mk2 xr6t with lux pack. Sounds like it has a combination of tech pack too, it doesn’t have dual climate control but has rear camera and Bluetooth.
Nice one. 👍
Hi Mark, another great video thank you. Was wondering if you had any knowledge on why the front brake calipers where at the front of the front discs for the fpv ba-bf models then changed back to the back of the front discs with the fg model? Same with the calipers moved on the rear discs, Holden also did this with vy models. Was the thinking they stopped better up front? Maybe keep the pads warmer?
Aside from some thermal benefit or ease of assembly, I can’t think why? I am sure one of the subscribers will know. 🤔👍
I fully agree with you on the chop changing of things and didn’t get the removal of the ghia Fairmont we’re did G6 come from 😄 anyway I’ve owned two FG falcons they good but didn’t like the dash or the Commodore like rear, end, suspension and tail shaft so to me there basically just parts cars for older model falcons like the engine and k frame assembly for the e series falcon or more manly xh xr6 Ute
Maybe they were inspired by F6? That was my view. 🤔👍
One thing I always loved about the FG was the body design. Overall the car looked very similar to BA, but the body seemed to be more modern ‘bloated’ than BA. Similar to the VT in comparison to the VS. always thought it was a better looking car than the VE.
The VE looked a bigger and heavier car to me. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88The flared wheel arches of the VE gave it that appearance.
@@ESP351 Yes, they were extreme. 👍
Hi Mark,
Seeing as you work at Ford. Which cars do think will retain value? I have a F6 but get a lot mixed opinions as lot of people say gtf and gtr spec will be most valuable but the f6 is pretty much same except for engine and some suspension components when compared to gtf and rspec but standard gt are similar.
What’s your thoughts?
@@AdonisMotivationSuccess I think your F6 and any of those FPV, V8 or Turbo cars will only increase in value if kept stock and in good condition. The Falcon type cars hold their value better than the Fairlane type cars but they will still go up too. 👍
@@markbehr88 thanks mate love your channel.
@@AdonisMotivationSuccess Thanks very much. 👍
Have you got a FPV in your collection given your involvement in the range? Great looking cars.
I don’t actually. I would love a BF GT, an F6 of any model and the 335 GT in Octane. They would be on my hit list. And maybe, most of all a Force 8 with red interior. 👍
@@markbehr88 I note on one of your earlier videos you have a CL500 too. A couple of years earlier than the one I had. Change the suspension hydraulic fluid every year and the filter. The hydraulic fluid runs the power steering too with a dual pump that runs both systems. 12 month oil changes will prevent costly strut and pump issues. Very nice car to drive.
@@phil4977 Thanks for the tip. It is due for a service so I will do that. Great car the CL500. 👍
Thank you Mark. This car could have been sold in the United States to compete against the Dodge Charger. That is a missed opportunity. That naming or branding was off. When you kept saying G6, I was thinking about Pontiac G6. It seems all automakers got out of control with the alphanumeric names globally. Most were bad and did not resonate with buyers. I did not care for them on Pontiacs and Cadillacs. Cadillac still has few. There used to be an art in naming cars. It seem to have been lost globally. GTE was a American telephone company. When you shared GTE I said oh no...I recall some car company having a GTE other than Ford. You made some interesting points about the things that disappointed you. Too many missteps. This was a good video, but sad too. What was with the getting rid of Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia? The G Series? That could be any car brand in the world. It seems Ford was slipping by this point it seems. It just did not resonate or have the excitement of the earlier Falcon. I smiled when you told them your car looks like a Camry. The thing is too many people want to be Camry or Honda Accord. I think the segment was changing during thus era. What was sad was what the Australian government did. It happened to Holden too. I just felt the government there stopped caring about the industry. There is no more industry and everyone imports there. What was the deal with those option packages and features. That seemed out of sync. Thank you again.
Thanks Olds98. Yes, it was the beginning of the end and much of it self inflicted. 👍
@@markbehr88 That is the sad part. You had the Australian government messing up and Ford making missteps a long the way. It was painful to watch. It is not like the American brands of Ford and GM did any better either. Ford was making waves in the 1980's with Taurus and Sable and the aero look and GM was messing up bad destroying brands and downsizing cars too far and destroying any rich heritage it had and the imports were building an empire that they have today in 2024. It is a sad state today as we have to hold and restore and rebuild and drive the classics. People long for new cars to drive that inspire them and make them feel great about driving.
@@OLDS98 very true. The leadership of old in the US auto industry is more in the form of the large trucks these days. 👍
@@markbehr88 the profits are where they focus. That is trucks, suvs and crossovers. They do not see the big picture. Have you seen how luxurious the trucks are and they do not go off road.
@@OLDS98 Yes, you are right. By the way, I just picked up a 73,000 mile excellent condition 1991 Olds 98! I have always wanted one. It is still in the USA but will eventually put it on the channel. 👍
Got one offered to me at an employee discount XR6 for 24k drive away FG series 2, didn't want to make a manual LPG so I turned it down got an Octavia Wagon 6MT.
That’s a lot of car for $24k. 👍
It was bittersweet when those deals were offered to Tier1 suppliers too - $24K for an XR6 (FG2) was an absolute steal, but it highlighted just how much Ford were struggling. Sedans were tanking, and most of what we were supplying by late FG2 was Territory, then ute, and then sedan. I still have copies of those ads in my drawers at work.
@@commodorenut Yes, what bargains. 🤔👍
@@markbehr88 I now regret not getting a manual petrol but fuel prices be high and I don't drive much anyway 67k since 2016 on my octavia. They were pushing me towards a Ute for some reason but the sedan was 26k I asked if I can get a discount on XR6T they said no :(
@@super_slav91 Supply and demand. 🤔👍
Hi mark is it my impression that ford us didn’t help ford Australia hence why that to source the zf? The falcon, maybe the territory would have been a great seller in the us?
Yes, they would have sold well I reckon too. 👍
Rear tail lights for me hit the right spot ( FG ) 🎯 there were no better last iteration falcon tail and front lights were sour
Shame they didn’t do the Mustang theme in the same aperture. It looked great. 👍
@@markbehr88yes they would have been second best 4sure
Yes I agree, the overall design was a throwback to the AU, whereas the headlights resembled more of an evolution from the BF .
@@markbehr88I do think that would have got a slap down from From Ford in Dearborn, the Mustang is a sacrosanct to car, that they would never allow anything else in their product portfolio to emulate a Mustang. Just like When the Australian AU Falcon designers got a slap down from Nasser when they unveiled an Australian designed Mustang concept.
Yet, we now have the Mustang Mach E. If that is not a brand miss-step I don’t know what is? Call it Mach E. 👍
That GS model does appear to be a bit of a happy accident from a crew that had started throwing everything they knew to work out the window, sticking GT badges on something that you're gonna just think is a Fairmont and then look away.
You made me realise FPV peaked visually at BF, that's your work, hey? Good watch as usual, man.
Thanks David. 👍
Very interesting
Thanks. 👍
G'day guys. I'm seeing some FG Falcon XR6s (non -turbo) going for around $12k-15k here in Perth, and I'm tempted to get one as a second car, just considering they won't be around for ever. Should I or shouldn't I ? Most have around 160-190k KMs. What could go wrong ?
I reckon getting a low mileage one would be a good move as long as it is not a 5 speed auto. 👍
I thought the intent on the FG doors looks good.
But I agree with you changing the names of Typhon and Hurricane for G6E and F6 was stupid.
Changing names of Fairmont and Ghia to G6 and G6E just confused the customers!!!🙄🙄
Each to their own re the doors but it was a strong feature that you then had to keep over multiple models. Tornado rather than Hurricane. The Hurricane was a Holden show car. 👍