2010 FPV F6 E Revealed, On Sale In September

FORD PERFORMANCE VEHICLES has officially unveiled the latest addition to its performance car line-up, the F6 E, which promises the full-blooded performance of the F6 coupled with a healthy amount of luxury.

First seen at the Melbourne Motor Show earlier this year as a concept, a large amount of interest in the more low-key F6 variant prompted FPV to proceed with the F6 E, which will accompany the V8-powered GT E at the top of FPV's range.

"We launched this car at the Melbourne Motor Show as a concept vehicle and the expressions of interest in it have been enough to warrant us to go into a production run of the vehicle as a full-time addition to the range," FPV General Manager Rod Barrett said.

"The F6 E will cater for the corner of the market - in particular executives - that want the performance and dynamics of the F6 with some added luxury appointments and subdued styling."

The F6 E uses the same mechanical package as the more extroverted F6, which means a 310kW turbocharged 4.0 litre inline six with 565Nm of torque will be offered. The ZF six-speed automatic used by other FPV models is standard, however there's no option for a manual gearbox as yet.

Although positioned as a slightly softer alternative to the regular F6, the F6 E boasts the same fuel economy rating as an auto-equipped F6 of 12.1 l/100km.

The suspension has been retuned to improve compliance without sacrificing too much performance, and big Brembo brakes (six-piston calipers and 355mm rotors on the front, four-piston calipers and 330mm calipers on the rear) are standard equipment.

The major differences will be cosmetic, with the F6 E receiving a "softer" range of exterior paint colours, a few sprinkles of chrome trim and the deletion of the F6's striking "raccoon eyes" bumper scheme and bootlid spoiler.

A set of 19-inch alloys in a shadow chrome chrome finish round off the rest of the external changes, while the interior gets dark walnut woodgrain dash trim, leather seats, a leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and a reverse parking camera.

The FPV F6 E will go on sale on September 1, with a retail price of $79,740 (before on-road costs).

While the F6 E expands FPV's range of six-cylinder vehicles, it appears that recent rumours of a detuned variant of the V8-powered FPV GT may have been exaggerated.

Some outlets have posited that the supposed "FPV GS 302" would debut next month, replace the XR8 and sit at the bottom of the FPV range with a price of $55,000; however FPV spokesman Dave Harding dismissed these claims as "inaccurate speculation".

Press Release

Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) today officially revealed the latest addition to their FG range, with the unveiling of the all-new F6 E. Setting a new benchmark for luxury and performance, today’s launch of the F6 E ends months of public speculation of “will they or won’t they” .

Originally launched as a concept vehicle at the Melbourne International Motor Show earlier this year, the F6 E has been designed to satisfy calls from the market for more performance based executive vehicles.

"We launched this car at the Melbourne Motor Show as a concept vehicle and the expressions of interest in it have been enough to warrant us to go into a production run of the vehicle as a full-time addition to the range," FPV General Manager Rod Barrett said.

"The F6 E will cater for the corner of the market - in particular executives - that want the performance and dynamics of the F6 with some added luxury appointments and subdued styling."

“Feedback from our customers leaves us confident that the F6 E will be a hit with those looking for something more from their performance vehicle,” Barrett added.

Powered by the high performance 4.0 litre turbo-charged DOHC 24 valve in-line six, the F6 E produces maximum power of 310kW at 5500 rpm and maximum torque of 565Nm across the range from 1950 to 5200 rpm.

The new F6 E features the ZF six-speed high-torque automatic transmission with Sequential Sports Shift as standard and boasts a fuel economy figure of 12.1L/100km.

The F6 E receives performance 355 x 32mm cross-drilled and ventilated front rotors with Brembo 6-piston calipers and 330 x 28mm cross-drilled and ventilated rear rotors with Brembo 4-piston caliper as standard.

Executive styling

“The styling of the F6 E differentiates itself from its F6 sibling through the use of a softer colour palette and more luxurious finishes and trim," Barrett said.

“As opposed to the overtly sporty F6, the F6 E is more subtle, with striking chrome accents and a refined lip spoiler replacing the bright colours, and large rear wings found on the other models – the colour coding of the ‘racoon-eyes’ also helps the F6 E to keep a ‘low profile’."

The upper radiator and lower bumper grille mesh are finished in black chrome, while the front driving lamps are highlighted with a high chrome bezel and complemented by full body coloured bumpers.

The new FPV badge takes centre stage on both the front and rear of the vehicle and the new F6 E badge features on the rear and side panels.

The 19-inch wheel design was custom matched to the F6 E’s premium Brembo brake package and the ‘shadow chrome’ alloy finish completes an understated yet stylish exterior package.

The F6 E is available in a subtle exterior palette of nine colours - Winter White, Silhouette, Lightning Strike, Velvet, Sensation, Steel, Ego, Seduce and the new Mystic.

Inside the cabin, the F6 E features luxury FPV seats in shadow leather with the F6 E logo embossed on the headrests.

The interior environment of the F6 E is charcoal and receives a dark walnut woodgrain finish on the dashboard as well as the doors.

The interior is packed with features to ensure a premium driving experience, including a sports leather steering wheel with cruise control and audio mounted switches, dual zone temperature control air conditioning, front and rear power windows, and memory adjustable pedals with alloy pedal controls.

Sports performance maintains ride comfort

“The F6 E gives increased response to the accelerator pedal throughout the rev range, but also provides around town driveability due to better access to torque,” FPV Head of Powertrain Engineering Bernie Quinn said.

The automatic transmission has a cylinder cut feature during wide open throttle gear changes, which shortens the ‘torque off, torque-back-on’ time between gear changes, enhancing the wide open throttle performance feel.

“The result is a vehicle with outstanding performance, better engine response and fuel efficiency, and improved operating performance under all conditions.

“The F6 E has an improved turn-in response and linearity, better steering precision and stability mid-corner and a reduced roll rate, which all work to deliver a smooth and controlled ride,” Quinn explained.

The FPV performance independent double wish bone front suspension and performance control independent rear suspension teamed up with the new Sachs mono-shock damper provides the perfect balance between a firm, dynamic sports performance feel and maintaining ride comfort while cruising.

Safety is standard in the F6 E

The F6 E is equipped with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and side curtain airbags, both of which are now standard across the entire FPV range.

In addition, the F6 E also features a reverse parking camera and reverse sensing system as standard.

Other safety features include Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and 4-channel Anti lock Braking System (ABS), driver and passenger airbags and Beltminder technology for both the driver and passenger.

The F6 E is protected by a remote alarm and FPV’s ID Datadot identification.