FPV brings back the GS

Ford Performance Vehicles has revived a badge from 40 years ago - the GS - attaching it to a limited run of 302kW V8-powered Falcons with the aim of attracting enthusiasts to the brand at an attractive price point $54,950 (manufacturer's list price) for the sedan and $49,950 (MLP) for the ute.

The revived GS is certainly a step up in performance - the original option pack GS for the base and Futura XW launched in July 1969 had just 220 horses on tap. Back then it was a comfortable low-spec alternative to the GT and, dare we say it, a bit of an old man's car.

But today the GS is Ford second most popular performance car collectible from the '60s and '70s, after the iconic GT range.

Positioned neatly between the 290kW Ford XR8 and the 315kW FPV flagship GT, the new FPV GS gets a recalibrated FPV 5.4 litre V8 GT engine from the FG-model which along with the 302kW, also produces 551Nm of torque, through a standard six-speed manual transmission.

The GS engine takes the twin throttle bodies and intake system of the GT engine, the GT headers and dual exhaust and a recalibrated ECU, all fine-tuned in an engine development program specific to the GS Series.

Along with a slightly detuned GT V8, the new FPV GS sedan and ute get FPV chassis enhancements, bespoke GS graphics and FPV driver comfort features.

Unique GS striping graphics, charcoal cloth interior, FPV GT instrumentation, gear knob, starter button and badging, premium sound system with iPod and Bluetooth integration, and dual zone climate control are all standard.

The GS sedan also features 19-inch Graphite rims and a choice of six exterior colour/stripe combinations, while the GS ute features 19-inch Alpine Silver rims, FPV soft tonneau and a choice of three exterior colour/stripe combinations.

The new GS will be limited to 250 units in the sedan and 75 utes.

FPV admits happily that the new GS never would have happened without the global financial crisis and that's it's a car for the times.

"We aimed to provide the GS Series owner with a GT driving experience with this engine," FPV's general manager Rod Barrett said. "At 302kW it's the perfect entry to our range, which steps up to the turbocharged F6 at 310kW and the full GT-spec V8 at 315kW."

Options include a FPV-spec four-pot Brembo brake upgrade, a six-speed auto transmission recalibrated specifically for the 302kW engine, leather seats and sat-nav, and, on the ute only, a hard tonneau with spoiler.