September 1993
Stealth fighter
Classic
SHOWDOWN
ED XR8 Sprint slipped GT’s 200kW
V8 into a regular Falcon body
while VR Clubsport wore a bodykit
styled by Jaguar’s current styling
director, Ian CallumFORD XR6 SPRINT v FORD XR8 SPRINT v HOLDEN SS-V REDLINE
68 WheelsMag.com.au
The forced-induction Fords are significantly
taller-geared than the atmo Holden
Cut-out in second sees 123km/h in the
Fords and only 110 in the Holden (or 99 at
the 6000rpm redline, hence its half-second
deficit in rolling-start acceleration), while
third gear will stretch to a leggy 190km/h
in the Fords and 170 in the Holden.
But it’s cruising in top that defines the
difference between the brands. The Fords
are geared for 66.9km/h per 1000rpm
compared to 58.1, enabling greater use
of their torque reserves when devouring
country roads... providing you aren’t
relying on cruise control.
Where the Commodore’s cruise will
kick down a gear, and sometimes two,
to maintain speed, filling its cabin
with induction richness, the Falcons –
particularly the XR8 Sprint – struggle to
fulfil the brief. Too much speed washes off
before the electronic throttle opens the
gas; in the XR8’s case, a really steep hill
results in hunting between fifth and sixth,
and a drop in pace to as low as 85km/h.
If you interfere and accelerate back up
to 110 or so, the cruise picks up where itleft off, but it doesn’t make for relaxed
highway motoring. And this isn’t an
isolated incident. The standard XR8 auto
we drove from Melbourne to Bathurst in
late-2014 did exactly the same thing...
Whether this affected fuel consumption
or not is anyone’s guess, but there’s
no escaping the Falcons’ greater kerb
weight – 1818kg for the XR6 and 1872kg
for the XR8 auto versus 1803kg for the
SS-V Redline auto – though all of them
are built like brick outhouses. And given
the performance on offer, their economy
is bloody good. The SS-V Redline pips
the XR6 by a tiny margin (13.57L/100km
against 13.58!) over more than 1000km on
test, with the XR8 not far behind at 14.26.
Three litres of additional tank capacity
gives the Commodore a greater range,
though the Falcon offers a larger 535-litre
boot with a handy centre indent to stop
cargo sliding around, and a proper
split/fold rear backrest compared to the
Holden’s broad ski-port with built-in
cupholders. But did you know that this very