What are peoples thoughts on its survival? Dead? or dormant? I think its gone, GS has taken its place but you just never know!
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What are peoples thoughts on its survival? Dead? or dormant? I think its gone, GS has taken its place but you just never know!
i think the price of the 315 vehicle has dictated which badge had to be used. in other words if people were to pay that premium brought about by this motor then they may as well call it an FPV. this is why i don't agree that GS has taken XR8's place because the XR8 should be 10k cheaper than "57k".
there's definitely a place for a sub 50k v8, but i can understand that ford's priorities means that won't happen, not in the short term. if ecoboost and lpi show great increase in sales then maybe, just maybe, ford will revisit the idea.
Agree with you on that, The price point of GS deserves an image premium, as you say XR8 will only return when Falcon sales exceed a magic number that none of us know....Quote:
Originally Posted by fpv302boss
I guess the question is, do you think we need the XR8? I know traditionally we have always had one in the modern XR range, but I wonder how it will affect the FPV GS sales if it does come back?
99% of the guys that I read that complain that there is no XR8 have no intention of buying one, let alone buying a new model one. And the guys that are serious to buy a V8 have stepped up into a GS. I know personally, I would like to see Ford and the Falcon, along with FPV and their line up become stable and future proof, rather than bringing back a model which will just take sales away from other models and possibly put more financial strain on Ford and FPV.
I believe one of the problems with using the coyote engine in the XR8 is that there is no real difference between it and the GT so they would be undermining all of the previous FPV buyers by selling a vehicle with significantly higher performance directly against their existing customers.
FPV have been very smart with their product placement. As opposed to HSV they have not let down their customers by making a new model every 18 months that was a significant performance increase devaluing any existing owners investments.
No XR has ever exceeded the performance specs of any FPV. There are a lot of Clubsports getting around in the shadow of a 2 or 3 year newer SS.
By making the XR8 an FPV GS they have solve the whole placement problem as FPV is in all cases above Falcon XR.
XR8 has been dying slowly for several years. It has not been the premium Falcon since BA and only sold small numbers due to price. Even then it was overshadowed by XR6T.
There are still a few hard core XR8 buyers but they are almost all price focussed and tend to buy second hand rather than new.
The day of the XR8 is over, the GT and GS are now the standard performance V8s.
Which is the crux of it, lots of wind and noise from people with no means or intention of buying the product. GS isnt that bigger step, hell i paid $50K for a loaded 220kw AU2 XR8 in 2001. GS's are going for low 50's. I think we easliy forget how much more affordable performance Falcons are now compared to 10 years ago...Quote:
Originally Posted by TICK4D-TAS
I think one issue Ford is seeing this time around is the dropping of the V8 hasn't really invoked the hysteria of the 80s. That could mean two things. No one really cares what Ford do or the market has grown up to the global direction reality.
The balance isn't right for GS to challenge SS. Ford need to keep in mind that the next new SS is very likely to be a volume model again.
My problem with all this is when I read the commentary from supposed XR8 or GS buyers there isn't alot of understanding and expectations are not very realistic. That assumes forums are accurate in such depiction.
It's a weird situation with the brute's. A ford engine being raced in an XR8 you can't buy.
I would have thought the time was right for a smart V8 in a Falcon.
I think the GS and XR6t have filled the gap left by the XR8 and are probably selling more than if the XR was still there.
I'd just buy one from FPV (if I had the coin would do tomorrow) and replace the badges with FG1 XR8 and delete the decals. Problem solved. The GS badge was before my time so its just letters, XR8 is what I grew up with.
I'm far from convinced that most of the people making the negative commentary are really potential consumers anyway... Or at-least consumers of new vehicles..Quote:
Originally Posted by HSE2
Look at the buying habits or current product ownership of these people, i've no doubt there are also allot of genuine consumers that are unhappy too, some of these might be waiting, its just hard at times to differentiate between genuine feedback and noise for the sake of noise.
We have been reading plenty about the constant pressure Ford is receiving regarding Falcon's future from passionate people emailing detroit right through the the local XR8. Ford would not be commenting without this noise, so how would you go about separating the white from the real?