Ho, Ho, Ho..Merry Christmas!

Stang · 12-01-2005, 11:50 PM

I have been hearing rumours for months now that Ford will release a limited build BA GT HO.......but they are unsubstanciated.Has anyone heard anything or got any proof?

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lv619 · 12-01-2005, 11:57 PM

Dont hold your breath mate...

_

Psycho Chicken · 13-01-2005, 12:01 AM

Didn't FPV say they will some day, just not yet?

Who cares, it's not like it'd be fast or anything. If we're lucky it might give an SV6 a run for it's money.

Beefchief · 13-01-2005, 12:03 AM

Yeah with a V10....

Donut King · 13-01-2005, 12:10 AM

I have no doubt they will do it/are in the process of doing it, the main question is if it will live up to its name.
We have seen all the threads where people post what they want it to have/think it should have, but a lot of this is simply unattainable if you want to keep the car within a reasonable pricetag that people will pay for it, no good if you do it for 200k and nobody buys it afterall.
It will be done, certainly, but its doubtful that it will live up to the expectations a lot of people on here have for it, whether that be the fault of ford/fpv or the fault of the overambitious wishes of the enthusiasts on this forum, well I'll let everyone else make up their own minds on that ;)

Cheahman · 13-01-2005, 12:17 AM

I actually hope they dont release one, if you asked me a few months ago I would have all been for the idea. But since the typhoon didnt live up to its name, I have a feeling the HO will have the same fate. It will be underpowered and Im sure Holden will have something up their sleeves to make it look stupid. I actually think its a war Ford will never win. So I hope there is no HO because it will just be another embarresment for Ford. But if they do make one they have to make sure it kills everything on the aussie market and make sure it stays that way, but i dont think they have the guts to do this.

paul7v7 · 13-01-2005, 12:32 AM

i too have changed my tune. Leave the GTHO in the past. Let the name stay as a legend. I don't want Ford/FPV to cheapen it with some car that for sure will not live up to expectations. Sure release a car similar but name it different.

12 · 13-01-2005, 12:42 AM

Yes, I'm with Paul^^. All these rebirth models are becoming a joke. Monaro, Torana, GT etc.. For sure, make a limited edition Hi-PO Falcon, but don't for god's sake call it GTHO. You can never resurrect a legend. Let it be people.

Pik0 · 13-01-2005, 12:57 AM

Im all for a hi performance falcon

but GT was a good idea but considering it didnt beat a SS when it was released i dont trust Ford with reviving names, let the legend stay that, a legend...

tickford2001 · 13-01-2005, 01:12 AM

i was actually all for it being called the GTHO, but after reading the previous posts it has me worried...ford / FPV would have to make it something verryyyyyyyyyy special to even come close to being worthy of the HO badge. And if that means adding a blower, then IMO it should never be called a HO - HO's do not have forced induction IMHO.

so yes, by all means we want an absolutely mind blowing falcon to be produced, but before the HO name is attached, its got to go harder than anything else, brake harder than anything else, handle better than anything else, and NOT BE BLOWN!

take note FPV!

xdc351 · 13-01-2005, 08:51 AM

No HO.

Nothing nowdays could possibly live up to the name NA unless it did have a V10.... but then its not really a HO is it. I seriously doubt Ford is prepared to offer a warranty on a 350kw (minimum) NA V8.

The other thing that worries me is what extra's it would have. Would the HO be a leather trimmed luxobarge or a true racecar in street trim? I'll bet its the former.

Leave the legend be. Why not try creating the legends of tomorrow instead of bring names back from the dead. Surely the current marketing team is as good if not better than the one in the 60's? (<- note extreme sarcasm).

Racecraft · 13-01-2005, 09:21 AM

Lets no forget traditionally what the GTHO was in Australia.. It was the handling option, not high output, I dont think the output is what is important but if they want to name it the GTHO make it the Grand Tourer Handling Option... A factory edit and minor tweeking (cam?) would see the mumbo increased enough to a sufficent level for a phase1 HO, but how or what could they do to improve the handling and give it that HO edge? Just like the oldies, a different front bar and rear spoiler? Maybe a wide range of customer selected of diff ratios, customer selection of gearbox ratios? Bigger and better brakes, although they now option the brembo on other models, bigger sway bars, re-engineer the IRS, stiffer springs, wider wheels and more expensive tyres?

My point is that if they try and use the GTHO label they should try and match it up with the nostaglic heritage that the name suggests..

All in all the GTHO should be a bares bones car that feels and handles like a sports car.. It won't happen that way so I say just leave the HO decals and badges tucked away for a real weapon

outback_ute · 13-01-2005, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racecraft

Lets no forget traditionally what the GTHO was in Australia..

No matter what the letters stood for, the GTHO was about building the required 300 cars to homologate a better race car for Bathurst. Arguably to remain true to its roots the GTHO should only be reintroduced of there is a production racing class for it to run in like the old Series Production (ie not parity-based as the current GT-P class is).

RED_EL_XR8 · 13-01-2005, 10:44 AM

A defeatist bunch aren't you. The way you all go on you'd think we'd all be better off with the bodgy dymanic and slick marketing offered by HSV.

Ford/FPV build damn good cars! I'm not arguing that they haven't lost their way at times, but all up I think thinks are on the improve performance wise we just aren't there yet. Check your calendars its 2005, as a manufacturer you cant just whack mega horsepower into your standard chariots anymore and expect to be allowed to sell it.

HO might have officially said "Handling Option" but by todays standards it would just barely make the builders wheelbarrow class. HO was truely High output no arguements about it and it outclassed everything around it. Dont get me wrong I'd seriously consider scrotal surgery in exchange pristine phase 3 they were simply awesome, and seeing these things rule the road at 8 years old and up had me a Ford Fan for life.

Recent developments in the US show that Ford may have finally seen the light and is again prepared to develop Hero cars. GT40's will help Ford sell povvo paks to the masses in US, just as top of the tree HSVs have helped Holden offload all those bland white executives for the last 15 or so years.

HSV has for many years now (and still does) hold a horsepower (and textbook performance) advantage over the blue oval. Do we think they are the better cars? I certainly have never bought a Ford believing it was a lesser package. it never has been.

OK we dont have that hero car in the Ford Line up at the moment, and that is hurting sales, and yes it stop us having the bragging rights. But you cannot argue the the BA range has closed the performance gap to HSV substantially and in the povvo pak range has blown the oposition into the weeds.

We do need a new HO and in 2005 money what it has to be is a top of the tree performer, a bragging rights car. It will be too expensive for most just like HSV 300+'s were. It wont have the eon gap or 1200Kw.

Why cant a new HO be leather trimmed or have climate control as long as it does the numbers, does it have to have rediculously narrow tyres, and braking not adequate for its horsepower just to again be a HO. If you want to be scared shitless go to a carnival ride, you just cant do it continuously on public roads anymore.

The badges and the legend do hold value and shouldn't be tacked onto just anything, but I do think current GTs deserve the badge. (even if only just)

Current buying patterns, with performance variants representing a larger share of the falcon product sold will ultimately bring us a new HO. Do you honestly think Ford doesn't want those bragging rights just as much as we the long suffered Ford Fans do.
At times I think that wasn't the case, dropping the V8 at XF for example had me buying an older Fairlane rather than the new Falcon I would have otherwise bought. The one off plastic fantastic GTs were also a bit of a cynical exercise. Good cars but hardly a GT.
Driving a BA XR8 The I can attest the gap from the red cars is a lot less than it was in my EL or EB, and I am sure we will see this trend continue.
Patience will see a new HO if you beleieve it it will come, and we wont need McQueen and a cornfield to get the message out. They'll know!!

And damn you in hell Evan Green and all the other woodie journalists that ever negatively influenced development of supercars just to get out a few cheap headlines.

Thunder Kiss · 13-01-2005, 11:51 AM

There was a "Project Orion" post in the FPV area of this site (seems to have disappeared now) which gave details of a supercharged 5.4 FPV are working on. I think that will be the GTHO.

xdc351 · 13-01-2005, 06:09 PM

Not a defeatist, perhaps a little attached to days gone by if anything.

I just believe the GTHO name is one that should remain that of legend. GT has been used on stacks of cars of the years some worthy, others clearly not. But GTHO is one of the few words that smack Aussie (and international) muscle car enthusiasts into attention mode. They did kill everything on the road, they were under braked and compared to todays cars make an excel look like a great handler.... but there will never be another car like them, ever.

I'm all for a big performance number from FPV, it'd bring me no greater pride to see Ford Aus back on top of ther performance car market as well as their brilliant showing in the base model arena.... but let the legendary HO speak of the past and think of something new to take us forward.

FPV · 13-01-2005, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunder Kiss

There was a "Project Orion" post in the FPV area of this site (seems to have disappeared now) which gave details of a supercharged 5.4 FPV are working on. I think that will be the GTHO.

Im with Thunder Kiss on the GTHO. Id say that rumour in that thread seemed reasonably logical and its from a respected member of the forums as well. FPV have admitted its only a matter of time before the GTHO is released.....but who knows maybe the car will come under another name. It's 2005 already and lots of rumours have pointed to 2006 so 2005 SMS (AIMS) is looking good.

Psycho Chicken · 13-01-2005, 07:36 PM

I'm with XDC351 on this one, let it die, move on.

Ford will never release a car that is able to match the XW and XY GTHOs. Ever.

Sure, go make a blown 5.4. Just don't call it a HO, call it a GTSC or something lame.

Oh, and bring back the XR8 Sprint!