Ford losing out by not selling XR8?

scottyg938 · 15-09-2012, 04:05 PM

Do you think Ford are losing out on a fair amount of sales by no longer offering the XR8?

I was talking to someone just the other day who currently owns an FG XR6 and his lease runs out on that in 6 months time, he has only ever owned falcons and his next car will most likely be the last car he buys and he wants it to be a V8.

Seeing as ford now only sell the FPV 8's at $60,000 they are out of his price range so he will most likely be buying an SS Commodore for $40,000 for the first time in his life.

Look at the amount of SS's you see on the road everyday, I think there is still a market in aus for V8's.

FERG_51 · 15-09-2012, 04:11 PM

If he's a Ford man, i know its not a V8, but he should try a xr6t.

2011G6E · 15-09-2012, 04:17 PM

The XR6T is faster anyway...

sneaky · 15-09-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

The XR6T is faster anyway...

but will never have the V8 sound. which is why i have a 'slow' SSV instead of the quicker BF F6 i was looking at. i can't drive fast everywhere, but my car will sound like a V8 everywhere

FERG_51 · 15-09-2012, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneaky

but will never have the V8 sound. which is why i have a 'slow' SSV instead of the quicker BF F6 i was looking at. i can't drive fast everywhere, but my car will sound like a V8 everywhere

Yeah ive got a xr6t because i couldnt afford a GS. But im a Ford man, so no SS for me.

4stanger · 15-09-2012, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneaky

but will never have the V8 sound. which is why i have a 'slow' SSV instead of the quicker BF F6 i was looking at. i can't drive fast everywhere, but my car will sound like a V8 everywhere

This reminds me when I was a child going to speedway.
There was a v8 monaro racing against an assortment of 6 cylinder xu1 toranas and cortinas. The monaro sounded great with the v8 bellowing out, yet the other cars just seem to leave it way behind. This reminds me of the old saying, ALL NOISE, NO ACTION.
Its all down to personal preference with these sought of arguements.
A year ago, I was in a position to purchase a new v8, 6t or standard xr6 ute.
The tight a$$ syndrome got me, the v8s are more expensive to register in QLD. The turbos are more expensive to service and insure. My personal preference was for the standard XR6LE ute and keep AUSSIE jobs going.

scottyg938 · 15-09-2012, 04:14 PM

That's what I said to him, his reply was - I don't need the speed of it or anything, I just want a nice big V8, most of my driving is highway driving into work and the odd trip to the coast to visit family.
He also said he had thought about the xr6t but he's a V8 man and just wants a V8

GT69 · 15-09-2012, 04:19 PM

Are they losing sales? Possibly. I'm sure they'd sell more if they were $22,990 drive away. They made a cheaper V8, not many people bought them. They now make a GS, I'm sure he could get a GS for low 50's. A specced up XR6T would be close to that (retail anyway). My next purchase will most likely be a GS in 2014. Have driven Ranger, have an FG1 XR6T, not ready to give up on life with Ranger just yet.

Dash_XR · 15-09-2012, 04:37 PM

What's an extra 5k if it's your last car..

http://www.carsales.com.au/demo/details/fpv-gs-2011-12844656?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=0&eapi=2&__N=12 16%201246%201247%201252%201282&num=15&silo=Stock&R ange=Price:Min,45000~1&items=[Make:FPV,Model:GS,Series:FG,BaseEnabledBadge:BOSS% 20315]&sort=default

VICFPV · 15-09-2012, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyg938

Do you think Ford are losing out on a fair amount of sales by no longer offering the XR8?

I was talking to someone just the other day who currently owns an FG XR6 and his lease runs out on that in 6 months time, he has only ever owned falcons and his next car will most likely be the last car he buys and he wants it to be a V8.

Seeing as ford now only sell the FPV 8's at $60,000 they are out of his price range so he will most likely be buying an SS Commodore for $40,000 for the first time in his life.

Look at the amount of SS's you see on the road everyday, I think there is still a market in aus for V8's.

From my experience I have always regretted when I went against my wants and settled for second best in the market.
If this is going to be his last car then why not stretch that extra or get a good second hand Boss 335 or 315.
Stop making excuses and just go and get an FPV. You won't be able to wipe the smile of your face everytime that pedal is pushed. What a last car that would be.

RAPID_BA · 15-09-2012, 05:29 PM

Ford should offer the v8 and xr6t motor across the range. who wouldn't love a xt with boss motor in it or xr6t. The motor without the other unnecessary fruit. Like the old days, gl 351 with a manual, don't care if it has milk crates for seats. Then people at all price points consider a falcon made for them.

Ford are now saying, we will make the falcons we want to make and you need to buy them. Ummm people are not buying them so make the falcon people want.

Even Holden has sold out now v8 only on ss and above.

Auslandau · 15-09-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

Ford should offer the v8 and xr6t motor across the range. who wouldn't love a xt with boss motor in it or xr6t. The motor without the other unnecessary fruit. Like the old days, gl 351 with a manual, don't care if it has milk crates for seats. Then people at all price points consider a falcon made for them.

Ford are now saying, we will make the falcons we want to make and you need to buy them. Ummm people are not buying them so make the falcon people want.

Even Holden has sold out now v8 only on ss and above.

As said above ..... and said so many many many times ...... They did and no one bought them!!!! They will not build something that they do not make money on .... that is why they build them in the first place .... Profit!. Not for charity or because they are really really nice people.

Sooooo many times on these pages people scream ....... If they built this I would buy it ..... they did with the SC 5.0. People still whinged.

Booger · 15-09-2012, 05:22 PM

An SSV and GS are listed at basically the same price and that's before any negotiation with the dealer. So ford can't really say they are losing sales. Holden don't have a turbo 6 but the SV6 seems to sell ok.

Brazen · 15-09-2012, 05:32 PM

Large cars are a luxury or performance purchase nowadays, due to families and fleets moving to small cars and SUVs. XR8 has never been more important to Falcon.

DrSnooper · 15-09-2012, 05:59 PM

Especially in the ute category, you can but an SS manual for about 40k drive a way, if you want ford v8 you have to go the GS for an extra 16K.

Now the 315 GS is a great motor but its a lot coin for a work hack.

Xr8 ute would have been great.

flappist · 15-09-2012, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyg938

Do you think Ford are losing out on a fair amount of sales by no longer offering the XR8?

I was talking to someone just the other day who currently owns an FG XR6 and his lease runs out on that in 6 months time, he has only ever owned falcons and his next car will most likely be the last car he buys and he wants it to be a V8.

Seeing as ford now only sell the FPV 8's at $60,000 they are out of his price range so he will most likely be buying an SS Commodore for $40,000 for the first time in his life.

Look at the amount of SS's you see on the road everyday, I think there is still a market in aus for V8's.

The problem with XR8s was that hardly anyone bought them even when they were discounted to the same price as XR6T so they were dropped.

The idea that there is a V8 market because there are lots of SS commodores sold is flawed as the SS market do not want to buy a V8, they want to by a V8 Commodore.

There has been whinging on here for years about the XR8 but almost everyone who complains have two things in common:

1) They never bought a new XR8 when they were available
2) They have not bought a new V8 of any type since the XR8 was dropped.

The GS is a far superior car to the SS and is priced accordingly.

There seems to be an unfathomable fixation that there could be a $40k XR8.
How is this possible? To use another engine besides the coyote would cost $millions. Do you really think the FPV starter button cost $15k?

If your mate can't afford a GS then he either buys a XR6T or a Holden, his choice and he has to live with it.

prydey · 15-09-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

The problem with XR8s was that hardly anyone bought them even when they were discounted to the same price as XR6T so they were dropped.

The idea that there is a V8 market because there are lots of SS commodores sold is flawed as the SS market do not want to buy a V8, they want to by a V8 Commodore.

There has been whinging on here for years about the XR8 but almost everyone who complains have two things in common:

1) They never bought a new XR8 when they were available
2) They have not bought a new V8 of any type since the XR8 was dropped.

The GS is a far superior car to the SS and is priced accordingly.

There seems to be an unfathomable fixation that there could be a $40k XR8.
How is this possible? To use another engine besides the coyote would cost $millions. Do you really think the FPV starter button cost $15k?

If your mate can't afford a GS then he either buys a XR6T or a Holden, his choice and he has to live with it.

quoted so people can read it twice. should be a sticky.

tweeked · 15-09-2012, 06:19 PM

They are losing sales but not losing money.

xtremerus · 15-09-2012, 07:10 PM

When I bought this ute, the V8 and the Turbo were the same price.
Decisions, decisions.
Had a few V8s and love the sound. It's addictive.
Decided on the turbo for better fuel economy and ''get up and go''.
No regrets, but still miss the V8 sound and feel.

**Polyal** · 15-09-2012, 07:11 PM

Yes we should all note that the market is always right and Ford never makes mistakes...repeatedly..never leaves models to flounder...ever. And that chasing sales is a bad idea.

jpd80 · 15-09-2012, 07:22 PM

I would propose this,
Just as Ford (FPV) occasionally rebadges the GT as a Cobra with unique colour scheme,
so too, they could look at rebadging the GS as a limited run XR8 with unique colours.

Now, that is dependant on :
1) buyers actually wanting to pay around $54K for an XR8 sedan
and
2)whether that run of vehicles would grossly impinge on GS sales.

What Ford cannot afford to do is build something like ths just so fans
can sit back and wait for it to become second hand before buying,
that kinda defeats the whole purpose of making something exclusive.....

Brazen · 15-09-2012, 07:26 PM

Funny thing the XR8 was never meant to be cancelled, just that it had to be stopped due to the new emission standards and Ford didn't have the resources with developing diesel Territory and the Ecoboost debacle. With FPV folded into Ford perhaps it can live again.

prydey · 15-09-2012, 07:31 PM

i wonder if ford changed the badging on the falcon to say fusion, would people whinge that there was no longer a falcon?? even though it was the same car with a different badge!!

technically there has been an XR8 for some time. ford (fpv) decided to put GS badges on it.

gtxb67 · 15-09-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

even though it was the same car with a different badge!!

while there is a ford badge on a car, people will whinge

at least the red fans will whinge less than the blue ones though

prydey · 15-09-2012, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtxb67

while there is a ford badge on a car, people will whinge

at least the red fans will whinge less than the blue ones though

what i find ironic (and this is a very general comment) is that blue fans consider themselves smarter as they don't subscribe to 'blind loyalty' and critisize the red fans for buying anything with a holden badge, and yet come sales data time, the smarter blue fans are gobsmacked that their beloved blue cars aren't being bought!!

jpd80 · 15-09-2012, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if ford changed the badging on the falcon to say fusion, would people whinge that there was no longer a falcon?? even though it was the same car with a different badge!!

technically there has been an XR8 for some time. ford (fpv) decided to put GS badges on it.

In 2009, the GS was introduced as a limited production run of 250 (?) whilst the XR8 was still being sold,
I fail to see why the reverse of that couldn't be done today with a limited run of XR8s....

Kryton · 15-09-2012, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brazen

Funny thing the XR8 was never meant to be cancelled, just that it had to be stopped due to the new emission standards and Ford didn't have the resources with developing diesel Territory and the Ecoboost debacle. With FPV folded into Ford perhaps it can live again.

Exactly.
Unlike what a few here would have you wrongly believe, it wasnt canned from lack of sales at all.
It was emissions that killed it.
And the "you havent bought a new car so you have no right to an opinion" crap is wearing real thin.
Seems to be the newest argument for those that cant find any other argument to present.

Auslandau · 15-09-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kryton

Exactly.
Unlike what a few here would have you wrongly believe, it wasnt canned from lack of sales at all.
It was emissions that killed it.
And the "you havent bought a new car so you have no right to an opinion" crap is wearing real thin.
Seems to be the newest argument for those that cant find any other argument to present.

I cannot see where this argument has been stated? Read it again and the point being ........"Why would Ford build any car for the second hand market"? Many who do complain about the lack of this model are not in a position to buy new ..... so whats the point in asking for something that will not be bought? Ford are not in the second hand market .......

It may have been killed of because of what ever reason ........ the fact remains that it will not be bought back at the moment because Ford beleive they will not be profitable. If they beleived otherwise, there would be an XR8.

Brazen · 15-09-2012, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auslandau

It may have been killed of because of what ever reason ........ the fact remains that it will not be bought back at the moment because Ford beleive they will not be profitable. If they beleived otherwise, there would be an XR8.

Once again we see the word profit being used instead of capital. Ford's intention was to always return the XR8 so it must have some proftitability. Ford only has a certain amount of money to spend, and so they chose sales disasters like Ecoboost (which 90% of this forum had a circlejerk over when it was announced) instead of vehicles like XR8. Meanwhile one in four Commodores is a V8 and this proportion is growing.

My wife and I dont have the funds to purchase the Commonwealth Bank, does that mean that the Commonwealth Bank isnt profitable? of course it doesn't.

Auslandau · 15-09-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brazen

Once again we see the word profit being used instead of capital. Ford's intention was to always return the XR8 so it must have some proftitability. Ford only has a certain amount of money to spend, and so they chose sales disasters like Ecoboost (which 90% of this forum had a circlejerk over when it was announced) instead of vehicles like XR8. Meanwhile one in four Commodores is a V8 and this proportion is growing.

My wife and I dont have the funds to purchase the Commonwealth Bank, does that mean that the Commonwealth Bank isnt profitable? of course it doesn't.

......... if a return of investment to shoe horn something into the Falcon and call it an XR8 and there was a case to answer for it where it would turn a profit ..... then it would be viable. It really is very simple.

It doesn't matter if every Commodore was a V8 ...... if Ford believe that they could turn a profit from having an XR8 ..... they would then invest the capital to do it. Circles and we just keep going around in them!!!!

There were other reasons why the EcoBoost was engineered for the Falcon here ..... and it wasn't entirely for the sake of making sales but something very much more long term. Something that I am not going into in this thread as has nothing to do with the topic.