You’re meant to give wood, not get wood, on your 5^th Anniversary. Oops…

To celebrate its 5^th year in the hi-po Ford building business, FPV has turned the temperature up a notch on a limited run of GTs.

And we rather like the result.

In fact, shortly after picking up our test car, a roadside vote was called and we unanimously agreed that this particular version of the GT is the most horn looking Aussie performance sedan ever, bar none.

Available in Lightning Strike or Silhouette (Black) with a unique 5^th Anniversary striping package, the 5^th Anniversary also features a 5^th Anniversary decal on the boot-lid, its own exclusive 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and a set of premium Brembo brakes, with six-piston callipers up front and four-piston callipers out back. You can choose from a six-speed manual or the excellent ZF six-speed auto fitted to our test car.

FPV has chosen to leave the 5.4-litre Boss unmolested, so like the GT and GT-P there is 315kW and 551Nm on tap. Inside, FPV has finished its traditional sports seats in Nudo Leather and embossed the front headrests with a 5^th Anniversary logo. There is also an exclusive build badge number mounted on the centre console and 5^th Anniversary floor mats.

Photo courtesy FPV

Of course, there are the regular GT luxury inclusions such as dual-zone temperature-control air-conditioning, a sports leather steering wheel with mounted cruise-control switches, power front and rear windows, alloy pedal covers and a premium audio system with six-disc in-dash CD with iPod integration.

FPV has told us that 5^th Anniversary buyers are receiving over $9600 worth of additional features for a premium of $5300 over the RRP of the regular GT, along with a healthy dose of limited edition FPV exclusivity. The smart buyer will also note that, like the GT-P, the 5^th Anniversary GT runs the six-piston Brembo brake package, yet retails for $4,000 less…

It is also a lot more exclusive, with only 200 examples to be built.

The end result is an Aussie performance sedan that oozes character. It’s in-ya-face in a tastefully subdued way. Just enough power bulge, just enough black striping, just enough Euro about the alloys and just the right amount of machismo.

Around Town

The GT, in fact the entire FG Falcon range, offers excellent driver and passenger accommodation in the tradition of big Aussie sedans.

Photo courtesy FPV

Ford has put a lot of work into making the driver feel like they are sitting ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ the FG Falcon. Raised armrests and centre console, along with a revised windscreen angle being just some of the changes made. There are however two oddities, an instrument panel that appears to be unusually narrow, able only to accommodate relatively small (and cut-off) circular instruments, along with a steering column that is limited in height adjustment for taller drivers.

Firing up the Boss involves turning the ignition key and tapping the red starter button. It’s a two part process that’s more theatre than function. The extra ‘action’ is rewarded with the distinctive throb of FPV’s hand-built small block as it settles into a gentle rumbling idle that rocks the GT ever-so-slightly.

Around town, the GT is a pleasantly docile drive that offers typical big V8, relaxed, unruffled ‘just brush the throttle’ driving. There is no doubt that this car will handle the daily commute with aplomb.

We were more interested in showing the GT a long stretch of bitumen and some winding mountain roads, and for those we headed up the Hume then east to Jamieson.