FPV Territory F6X 270

IT WAS A HI-PO SUV THAT COULD SHAME RIVALS THREE TIMES THE PRICE, BUT WAS THE FASTEST TERRITORY TOO FAR AHEAD OF ITS TIME?

- DAMION SMY

WHAT WEIGHS MORE than two tonnes, posts W 14-second quarters and could shame European rivals in a heartbeat? The FPV Territory F6X 270, that's what. This fire-breathing family friendly SUV was the result of a passionate bunch of enthusiasts who cooked up a world-beating recipe way ahead of its time, and that perhaps Australians just weren't ready for. What remains is a highly collectible piece of motoring legend that can still punch well above its weight.

Shown at the 2008 Sydney Motor Show, the Territory F6X 270 - known internally as Project Indigo at FPV-was a more potent, extreme version of Ford's Territory Turbo that had arrived in 2006. The Territory itself was a revelation for Ford Australia. After the controversy of the now cult-status AU Falcon - which in hindsight became the most prolific Falcon in history with 322,838 produced - the product team at Ford was given a significant shake-up.

Under the much-loved Geoff Polites, who became Ford Oz president in 1999, the AU Falcon's defeat at the hands of the VT Commodore saw key personnel changes in Ford's local design and engineering teams. This included one Trevor Worthington, now head of Ford's ICE programs globally, who steered the BA Falcon's $500 million budget as Vehicle Line Director. The BA Falcon was the comeback kid, with much cleaner styling and a raft of under-the-skin changes - including a locally developed version of its Control Blade IRS, a fresh 5.4-litre V8 and a highly revised inline 'Barra' six. Significantly, for the first time in its four-decade history, the 16 had a new turbocharged version spearheaded by now legendary Ford engineer, Gordon Barfield.