It’s important to note from the outset that FPV is an independent company from Ford, though of course the two are closely related and sometimes share floor space and distribution networks. It’s more accurate to say that FPV is the tuning arm of Ford, with a relationship roughly akin to what Mercedes has with AMG.
FPV was started in 1991 when the British engineering concern Tickford entered into a collaboration with Ford of Australia to produce a high-performance version of the Falcon. This partnership resulted in production of the XR6 and XR8 variants of the Falcon. However, this marriage was not to last as Tickford was purchased in 2002 by Prodrive, leaving Ford to go it alone by spinning off a new company dubbed Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV). The company’s products nowadays are the performance versions of their more sedate Ford siblings, and they sport the modifications necessary towards this end: larger-displacement engines, special transmissions, stiffer suspensions and the obligatory bodykits and loud exhausts.
In New Zealand the following FPVs are available. First up is (of course) the F6, the high-performance version of the Ford Falcon. Its most prominent feature is a muscular 4.0-litre inline-six engine. An inline-six engine produces power more linearly and is smoother than a V6, which is why it’s also BMW’s favoured engine configuration. The F6 also features a modified airbox, higher-flow exhaust and fuel pumps, and of course the look-at-me bodykit. The F6 is also available as the F6 Ute and the higher-spec F6-E luxury variant.
The GT is an even higher-performance version of the F6, featuring a 5.4-litre V8 that necessitates an impressive power bulge in the bonnet. The GT-P is incredibly, an even more race-focused version of the GT with such details as sport seats and larger brakes. The GT-E is the luxury model, adorned with leather seats, wood-grain interior and suspension softer than the standard GT (but still with the 5.4 V8). The GS is a limited-edition model meant to lower the price of entry into FPV’s world. The Pursuit is a V8-engined ute.
Looking at buying an FPV? Check the vehicle history of any FPV by entering its number plate in the field above.