NO, it’s not the AU.
Come the end of 2017, the last ever Australian ute will have rolled down a Clayton production line. The final HSV Gen F2 Maloo GTSR will hold the title of most powerful Aussie ute, but it won’t be the greatest according to you, our readers.
That title goes to the FPV FG II F6 ute. And you know what? It’s not a bad choice at all.
While the FPV wasn’t the last ute to have Ford’s venerable 4.0-litre turbo straight-six ‘Barra’ engine under its hood, it will forever be the most powerful boosted Ford ute.
The good folks at Ford Performance Vehicles turned the wick up on the iconic Aussie-designed and built Barra engine, pushing the F6 ute’s power output to 310kW at 5500rpm, and torque to 565Nm from just 1950rpm through to 5200rpm.
The boost (pardon the pun) in power, came thanks to a bigger Garrett GT35R turbocharger running 13.3psi, a modified airbox, tougher conrods, higher capacity fuel pump, freer-flowing exhaust system and a larger air-to-air intercooler.
The FPV FG F6 came with an option of two transmissions, a Tremec six-speed manual, or ZF six-speed automatic. Brembo brakes were also available.
Barra engines have long caught the imaginations of Australian motoring enthusiasts, with the most powerful Barra-engined car, the FG X Falcon Sprint, being crowned the greatest ever Australian muscle car, according to Wheels readers.
Of the votes cast in our greatest ute poll, the FPV FG F6 received an impressive 37 percent, with the GTSR Maloo the best of the rest with 21 percent. In third was genesis, the Ford ’34 Coupe Utility that started it all, with 12 percent of the votes.
Next was the Ford FG X XR6 Falcon ute, followed by the BA XR6 Falcon ute, Holden HQ one tonner, HZ Sandman, and finally the FX ute (50-2106) which was Holden’s first foray into the world of utilities.
While FPV was owned by UK-company Prodrive, the FG F6 ute was still quintessentially Australian, engineered by locals, for locals, with a True Blue engine under the hood, and in the most fair dinkum bodystyle.
A worthy winner, if we do say so ourselves.
