Ford New Zealand is pleased to announce that from July, the XR8 Falcon will receive a performance boost through the
addition of a 220kW power plant to what many consider the most technologically advanced Australian produced chassis.
"When you combine the 220kW 5.0 litre V8 with the dynamics of the Falcon chassis and a very sophisticated IRS system,
you've got a pretty impressive piece of machinery," says Falcon Brand Manager Ian Swann.
The engine produces 220kW of power at 5250rpm, and 435Nm of torque at 4000rpm.
"The additional 20kW comes from modifications to the cylinder head, a larger throttle body, a matched ported inlet
manifold and a revised camshaft. "
As well as a new power plant, the XR8 boasts an impressive range of standard features. These include an adaptive
automatic transmission, limited slip differential, body coloured rear spoiler and full body kit with 17" alloy wheels,
power windows, cruise control, air-conditioning and a 100 watt audio system with an in-dash, six-stack CD player.
XR owners have the further ability to customise their cars with a wide range of factory fitted options. These include
leather seats, a Momo steering wheel and gearshift, a 250-watt premium sound system and a premium brake package, which
includes larger diameter front discs and calipers.
The 220kW XR8 retail price remains unchanged from pre-upgrade models, with both manual and automatic models retailing
for $59,990.
Since its introduction to New Zealand in 1998, sales of the XR Series range of Falcon have been increasing steadily.
That year, 405 XR Series Falcons were sold, a figure which grew to 724 in 1999. In 2000, there were 950 sales of XR
Falcon.
Ford is confident that these changes to the XR series will further enhance one of New Zealand's most popular range of
sports vehicle.
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