IT’S A GOOD TIME to be living in Australia.
Good point one: we now have access to many of the same efficient new-age diesels as our European counterparts.
Good point two: we can also choose from an increasing number of alternative drive vehicles coming - or soon to arrive - from Japan.
But, best point: we’ve still got a healthy choice of home-grown V8s priced well within the reach of the average buyer. We’re spoiled for choice, and it’s little things like this that make this country great.
Aside from the SS and XR8 offered by Holden and Ford, there’s the factory-tuned GT and R8 from FPV and HSV – and now there’s another.
The GS is FPV’s newest entrant to the Aussie muscle car market. It’s aimed squarely at buyers wanting FPV performance without the GT’s premium pricing.
The GS nomenclature will be familiar to older muscle car fans who remember the Grand Sport package offered on 1970s-era Falcons. FPV has deliberately revived the name for its new limited-edition budget model.
The GS sits at the bottom of the FPV range, and at $54,950 is only $7960 more than the Ford XR8. Only 250 examples will be built. The question is, of course, is it worth the extra outlay?
Look familiar? It should. Underneath the stripe package and GS graphics lies the standard body of the XR8, albeit dressed up with new wheels (actually the same 19-inch design used by the rest of the FPV’s FG-series models).
The visual presence of the GT’s raccoon-eyed bodykit may be absent, but the GS is no shrinking violet.
Attention-grabbing stripes stretch along each flank, and the prominent bonnet hump is accentuated by two strips emblazoned with “Boss 302”. (Boss being FPV’s pet name for its much-loved V8, and 302 being the power output of the GS in kilowatts.)
The endplates of the rear wing also advertise the kilowattage of the GS’s 5.4 litre V8, and stylised “GS” stickers adorn the rear doors and bootlid.
While the bumper mouldings and bonnet stamping are the same as the XR8’s, there is one key point of difference. Two chrome tailpipes exit from under the rear bumper, rather than the XR8’s single outlet.
For those who take note of such things, it’s the same dual exhaust system as that fitted to the GT.
Our test car was painted in Ford’s ‘Ego’ metallic – a dark grey hue that works well with the FG’s curves and is offset nicely by the silver graphics applied by FPV. We’ve got a hunch it would look even better in white though.
The GS looks great, to say the least, and it’s amazing how much a graphics package can enhance the (already good-looking) XR8’s bodywork.
Some may be turned off by the XR8-sourced exterior, but the understated GS definitely makes a far better ‘sleeper’ than the GT.
Like the rest of FPV’s sedan range, the interior of the GS is typical FG fare. There’s lots of high-quality black plastic, a beige headliner and silver trim pieces, all packaged up in the FG’s excellent cabin layout.
Black cloth seats are standard, however our tester was equipped with the optional “Nudo Shadow” leather sports seats.
They’re supportive pews and comfortable for long cruises, but slimmer drivers will find them lacking in lateral ‘hold’ while carving up curvy roads.
The driver’s seat features power adjustment for squab height only, with manual controls for slide and backrest tilt. The passenger’s seat is entirely manual.
The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, and most won’t have any trouble fitting into the driver’s seat of the GS. However, the excellent power-adjustable pedal box that’s standard on the F6 E isn’t offered in the budget-priced GS.
The rear seats are roomy and softly padded, but don’t count on them holding your passengers in place during any spirited cornering.
Still, with three people able to be carried across the rear bench in comfort, the task of justifying the purchase of a GS is made slightly easier for family-bound petrolheads.
A 60/40 split-fold rear seat allows long loads to be accommodated within the GS, and the boot is huge at 535 litres with the rear seats up. Like other FPV sedans, the GS is as practical as it is sporty.
Because of its budget positioning within FPV’s range, the spec list of the GS is a little thinner than the GT’s.
iPod integration, Bluetooth telephony and dual-zone climate control are standard, as is FPV’s push-button starter (which, annoyingly, still requires the key to be turned in the ignition).
Sound is provided by a premium stereo with six-disc CD stacker and MP3 compatibility, and sound reproduction is good.
