Hello, or should that be g’day? There are alternatives to everything all over the world, be it a greeting, how we spell specific words, or even the architecture of buildings. Where one nation has found a solution to a problem you can guarantee that another has achieved the same through different methods. Here in the UK our saloon cars do a very fine job of carrying families from place to place, and that is fine… They do their duty admirably but often without a sniff of excitement, however, in Australia things are done a little differently. In Australia they get the Ford Falcon.
It is not unusual for car manufacturers to build region specific products, and the Falcon being solely built by Ford of Australia doesn’t make its way to our shores. So, what are we missing out on? Think of a machine with all the flare of an American muscle car, scale it down so that it will fit into a regular sized parking space, add a dash of refinement, and serve with one of the coolest names you could tattoo onto a machine. The majority of our saloons such as the Vauxhall Insignia are powered by rather dull diesels, the vast bulk of Ford Falcons on the other hand pack a potent 4.0 litre 6 cylinder motor with around 250BHP. And that is just the beginning!
The Ozzie’s do a much more ferocious variation in the form of the Falcon XR6 Turbo that adds 362BHP to your daily commute. You can even ask for a sequential gearbox if it takes your fancy. Granted, your Mondeo that is sat on the driveway might give you more MPG, but is it capable of destroying its own rear tyres in an impressive cloud of smoke whilst you beam from ear to ear? It just appears to be a more exciting way of doing the same job. Their prices aren’t even something to put you off as a brand new XR6 can be had for about $46,500 or a little over £30,000.
Don’t get me wrong. Our Mondeos, Lagunas and Insignias all have their own merits, but who doesn’t want to live in a world where even a trip to the supermarket can include a dab of opposite lock?
