In pursuit of greatness - FPV Super Pursuit
August 22, 2008
In the murky world of bragging-rights history and automotive genre-crossing, Ford Australia claims to have invented the ute back in 1934. It arose from a customer request to combine the comfort of a coupe (for church on Sundays) with true utility (to cart the pigs on Monday).
A 22-year-old named Lewis Bandt - then, Ford's one and only designer - executed the request and the modern ute was born.
What would Bandt think of the new Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) Super Pursuit ute, which is faster than most sports cars and can't really carry much, thanks to its hard tonneau cover and integrated spoiler? Probably the same as the rest of us: that it's really stupid but quite a lot of fun.
The Super Pursuit - surely the coolest name in the Ford range - marries the latest Boss 315kW/551Nm 5.4-litre V8 engine with the FG-series ute body. It's an odd concoction: unlike the rival Commodore VE ute, the Falcon FG is a traditional pickup, with a separate rear section and archaic live-axle rear suspension (I use the term loosely). That's why Ford insists on calling it a "workhorse". Fair enough.
But that makes it a strange base for what's essentially a super-coupe. Imagine deploying that much power through a slightly creaky rear structure and rigid rear axle. Actually, I don't have to, because I've been doing it all week. It's pretty scary. More so because the current generation of Falcon utes still don't have stability control - they make do with a simple traction-based system. At least until September production, when a proper stability setup is being phased in.
Bearing in mind the FPV ute's old-school construction, I reckon the Boss V8 is probably a better bet than the F6 turbo-six. The eight has a lazier power delivery, which isn't a plus in the sedan, but in the ute it gives you more reaction time and fewer heart tremors. Plus the six doesn't have a cool name on the tailgate, like Super Pursuit.
What makes it "Super"? There is a standard Pursuit version, which has the same powertrain and premium Brembo brake package (god, you're glad of that at times). The Super Pursuit is simply a bit dressier, with a hard tonneau cover/spoiler as standard, more stripes (naturally), special embroidered seats and good stuff like that.
The utes also pick up (geddit?) the new FG-series interior, including the swish colour information screen and clever iPod docking connector in the storage bin, which allows you to control your Apple music player through the car's audio. Awesome. Except that both the screen and dock were malfunctioning on our test car. We'll forgive it - this press car has probably had a pretty hard life.
The FPV red starter button continues, but it's kinda dumb. You still have to insert the key and turn it on - then you go looking for the starter button on the console to fire up the Boss engine. Too gimmicky.
The Super Pursuit is a gloriously irresponsible machine that I would like to celebrate... were it not for the fact that I'm quite scared of it.
Each FPV car gets a build number plate on the centre console. Our early-production P-for-Pursuit therefore carried the unfortunate monicker "P003". Which was kind of appropriate the first time I put my foot down on a wet road.
What this means to you: The Pursuit of power is never dull. But it can be futile
A 22-year-old named Lewis Bandt - then, Ford's one and only designer - executed the request and the modern ute was born.
What would Bandt think of the new Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) Super Pursuit ute, which is faster than most sports cars and can't really carry much, thanks to its hard tonneau cover and integrated spoiler? Probably the same as the rest of us: that it's really stupid but quite a lot of fun.
The Super Pursuit - surely the coolest name in the Ford range - marries the latest Boss 315kW/551Nm 5.4-litre V8 engine with the FG-series ute body. It's an odd concoction: unlike the rival Commodore VE ute, the Falcon FG is a traditional pickup, with a separate rear section and archaic live-axle rear suspension (I use the term loosely). That's why Ford insists on calling it a "workhorse". Fair enough.
But that makes it a strange base for what's essentially a super-coupe. Imagine deploying that much power through a slightly creaky rear structure and rigid rear axle. Actually, I don't have to, because I've been doing it all week. It's pretty scary. More so because the current generation of Falcon utes still don't have stability control - they make do with a simple traction-based system. At least until September production, when a proper stability setup is being phased in.
Bearing in mind the FPV ute's old-school construction, I reckon the Boss V8 is probably a better bet than the F6 turbo-six. The eight has a lazier power delivery, which isn't a plus in the sedan, but in the ute it gives you more reaction time and fewer heart tremors. Plus the six doesn't have a cool name on the tailgate, like Super Pursuit.
What makes it "Super"? There is a standard Pursuit version, which has the same powertrain and premium Brembo brake package (god, you're glad of that at times). The Super Pursuit is simply a bit dressier, with a hard tonneau cover/spoiler as standard, more stripes (naturally), special embroidered seats and good stuff like that.
The utes also pick up (geddit?) the new FG-series interior, including the swish colour information screen and clever iPod docking connector in the storage bin, which allows you to control your Apple music player through the car's audio. Awesome. Except that both the screen and dock were malfunctioning on our test car. We'll forgive it - this press car has probably had a pretty hard life.
The FPV red starter button continues, but it's kinda dumb. You still have to insert the key and turn it on - then you go looking for the starter button on the console to fire up the Boss engine. Too gimmicky.
The Super Pursuit is a gloriously irresponsible machine that I would like to celebrate... were it not for the fact that I'm quite scared of it.
Each FPV car gets a build number plate on the centre console. Our early-production P-for-Pursuit therefore carried the unfortunate monicker "P003". Which was kind of appropriate the first time I put my foot down on a wet road.
What this means to you: The Pursuit of power is never dull. But it can be futile
All you've told us is that you can attatch your i-pod and that you shit yourself.
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