2011 Ford Falcon GT First Drive

The supercharged 2011 Ford Falcon GT is not just the most powerful sedan in its segment — it's the most powerful production car to ever come out of Australia. Period.

Technically speaking, though, the Falcon GT is not exactly a Ford. Its creator is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) — a company Ford Australia owns a 49 percent stake in alongside engineering partner and majority shareholder Prodrive. Ford markets and sells the car in Australia, but you'll need to look closely to spy an iconic blue oval.

As a mid-generation face-lift model, the new Falcon has been cut from the same cloth as the original rear-wheel-drive FPV GT (based upon the seventh-generation Falcon) that made its debut in 2008.

Externally there are not a lot of differences: some new exterior paint colors, newly designed 19-inch wheels, and most importantly, a new livery package that promotes the GT's new 5.0-liter V8. Yep, that BOSS 335 lettering on the hood refers to the 2011 Ford Falcon's power output, but since this is Australia, the 335 stands for kilowatts. In America, that's 450 horsepower.

Battle Royal Down Under
For the last decade Ford Australia and GM's Holden brand have been embroiled in a power duel that's ever bit as fierce as the one in Detroit. Ford's Falcon sedan and Holden's Commodore full-size four-door are the two major players. Not only do these large four-door sedans share similar physical dimensions and outward appearances, they both benefit from optional V8 engines with 400-plus hp.

The two sedans are also the dominant players in V8 Supercar racing, a series that's roughly equivalent to NASCAR except the races are run on road courses. At dealerships, however, it's Holden, or more precisely Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) — the company's high-performance partner — that has consistently had the upper hand. Not anymore.

Code-Name: Miami
Ford Performance Vehicles' search for a new V8 power plant began almost five years ago. A change was always in the cards, simply because the outgoing 5.4-liter V8 engine that had produced up to 422 hp was unable to meet Australia's latest emissions standard.

After searching in Europe and the USA, FPV found the engine it was looking for in Ford's new 5.0-liter V8, the same engine that debuted in the 2011 Mustang. FPV code-named its version of the engine "Miami" and spent as much as $40 million U.S. to develop it. For that sort of money you'd expect something special. And it really is.

The Miami engine retains the Coyote's aluminium 4,971cc block and the DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder heads, but that's where most of the similarities end. Since FPV planned to supercharge the Miami V8, a new set of Mahle forged pistons were used to lower the compression ratio from the standard 11.0:1 to a more boost-friendly 9.25:1. Metaldyne connecting rods were also added for increased strength, while the cylinder heads received revised exhaust valves able to withstand increased temperatures.

Even though there are 4,107 pounds to push, the GT is seriously, and addictively quick.

As for the blower itself, it's an Australian-made Harrop HTV 1900 front-drive, rear-entry unit built around Eaton (USA) internals. The two-piece inlet manifold, too, is a locally engineered component that houses an intercooler and tuned-length intake runners. A conical air filter draws cold air in via a sealed tract to feed the supercharger plenty of clean air.

The GT's engine's defining aspect, however, is its sound. FPV spent a lot of time tweaking the exhaust note and found what it was looking for in an active bi-modal system that plays its tune through four tips out back. Combined with the highly pitched whine from the blower, it's an aural symphony that only gets better as the tachometer needle heads for the redline.

Australia's Most Powerful
FPV's performance engineering all adds up to a Commodore-beating 450 hp at 5,750 rpm. Oh, and there's 420 pound-feet of torque, too, and it comes on from 2,200 rpm all the way through to 5,500 rpm.

To get it all to the ground, the car is offered with two transmission options — a ZF 6HP25 six-speed automatic gearbox with seven-plate clutch and four-planet gearset, or a Tremec T6060 six-speed manual gearbox as our test car was fitted with. The latter is the same slick-shifting unit found in the GT500 Mustang, Corvette ZR1 and Viper, and it's backed up by a ZF twin-plate clutch.

For a car with such serious performance credentials, the 2011 Ford Falcon GT has a surprisingly muted ride. It's fine for daily commuting, but perhaps a little too soft for anyone looking to attack a canyon road in anger. Out of the box you get 14-inch rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers on the front end, and 13-inch rotors with a single-piston caliper at the rear. For road use the brakes are adequate, although the optional Brembo upgrade that replaces the standard calipers with six-piston and four-piston components respectively would be a worthwhile investment for anything more.

Even though there are 4,107 pounds to push, the GT is seriously, and addictively quick. With a not-so-tidy launch, we managed an unofficial 0-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds. We didn't get a quarter-mile time, but it has been reported in the Australian motoring media that these cars are capable of doing 0-60 in 4.9 and cracking the quarter in about 13 seconds flat. Not bad for a big sedan.

The Boss Is Back
Given its substantial investment, FPV has some long-term plans for the Miami V8. Of course, Ford fans in the U.S. want to know just one thing: Where else will the engine, and even the high-performance FPV Falcon as a whole, end up?

Speculation is rife, and if it's to be believed, we can't discount the fact that Australia's iconic GT could one day muscle its way Stateside. Even if the U.S. doesn't get the 2011 Ford Falcon's rear-wheel-drive goodness, there's no reason it couldn't get a taste of its supercharged V8. Not quite an EcoBoost 5.0, but close enough.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.