BA Across the USA - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Mr Sparkle · 09-08-2002, 05:43

Well this would be about the 3rd thread I have started on this topic, but with all the new members onboard, it's not a bad time to bring it back up!

In the past, we have had our mortal enemy doing some commendable PR stunts by taking their finest metal o/s to get the opinions of our foreign friends of our local products. I have an issue of Wheels where they take a supercharged VT SS to the states, and it was one of the articles of the year for me. A great read and very intruiging to see the responses of the Yanks to the Holden. It seems they were generally very impressed with it, and overlooked a lot of the negatives that our local press had noted. It's common knowledge that they are starved for genuine RWD performance sedans over there, and going on their responses to the VT, (and lately the VY pics), it seems that the market is ripe for an injection of Aussie muscle!

There is also the issue of Motor, where the VT2 GTS took on the Merc E55 and the BMW M5 at Nurburgring. Another cracking read, and immensely interesting to see how the local product faired against the Germans, on their own soil.

I also have dug up some pages of a Wheels article where the

EL GT was taken through France and Europe. This too is still one of my all-time favourite articles!

I, for one, think this kind of thing is a superb idea. Not only is it great publicity, but it is genuinely interesting to see how other people regard our beloved local fare, and also to see how it performs on roads other than our laughably named "pavement".

With the improvements all round in the BA, it really is a world-class car, and as such, it should be taken and shown to the world! I have no doubt at all that the Yanks would be blown away by the XR8, (and also the utes!), and that the Europeans would warm quickly to the turbo 6 and the Fairmont Ghias.

So consider this thread a plea - Uncle Geoff, if it is at all possible, could you please get your accountants and logistics experts to tee something like this up! Surely a cost-benefit analysis would prove it to be a worthwhile exercise!

(To show your support for this idea, please add your vote at the top of the thread!)

TurboDOHC · 09-08-2002, 05:47

i must say i do loving reading those types of articles becuase i really like to know what overseas think of our product.

dkmaj · 09-08-2002, 05:50

yep agreed totally, the world has a become a smaller place and we are all apart of the 'global economy', time we showed what aussies are capable of...

JR · 09-08-2002, 05:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr Sparkle
I have an issue of Wheels where they take a supercharged VT SS to the states, and it was one of the articles of the year for me. A great read and very intruiging to see the responses of the Yanks to the Holden.

This was a GREAT article, but it was a bit misleading. It was a LHD export model built to SS spec but with the supercharged 3.8 motor under the hood.

If Uncle Geoff and the boys are going to do it, we've got to make sure they're serious and send a full spec XR8 witht the BOSS260. I'm sure the Yanks would be foaming at the mouth to get this car!

xr8_forever · 09-08-2002, 05:54

Nice one Sparky! I reckon that is a marvellous idea. Who knows? How awesome would it be to see the barras in the US? In the current edition motor mag (Sep 2002, with the acid rush xr6 on the cover), it mentions something about one of the engineers (American, Scott Strong) who helped design the barra, wanting to give the Falcon a go in the US.

Second last paragraph (pg 52)

"And don't think for a minute Strong's not thinking Falcon in his search to give Ford North Americas dull passenger car fleet a bit of a kick to it"

Here's hoping!!!

JEM · 09-08-2002, 05:56

I'd love to see this also. Would be beneficial for a couple of reasons.

1. We get to see what other auto journos that are neutral to the product think of it...

2. We'd get to see how these cars perform around some of the best roads in the world...ie the ring!

It would be an expensive excercise, but if the world know what they're missing, maybe sales of their ordinary large RWD platforms will die down, and provide an opportunity for falcon to be exported.

V8RUMBLE · 09-08-2002, 05:57

I would love to see this done, but however I doubt it as Wheels and Motor are too Holden biased when it comes to such things:oo1: .

strife · 09-08-2002, 06:00

I didnt vote because your choices were to emotional a simple Yes No would have sufficed

, but give your performance product deprivement I guess I can understand that.

Anyway, I think you should take it to the world and see how it fares, it should do ok.

Is it just me or is the OS sedan market becoming more boxier

Mr Sparkle · 09-08-2002, 06:02

Quote:

Originally posted by strife
I didnt vote because your choices were to emotional a simple Yes No would have sufficed , but give your performance product deprivement I guess I can understand that.

Anyway, I think you should take it to the world and see how it fares, it should do ok.

Is it just me or is the OS sedan market becoming more boxier

Sorry Cam, feel free to answer in Y/N and I will extrapolate that into my pre-defined answers :s6:

And yes, agreed in regards to boxier sedans in general! The other trend I am seeing and not liking is the "big square" or "vertical" styled headlights.. u-g-l-y :dead:

strife · 09-08-2002, 06:11

yep have a look at the caddies eek