Forza Motorsport 6: Aussie legends

Australian cars...even though they're reaching the imminent end of car production in the Australian mainland, the world of Australian motoring has so many memories cherished by car enthusiasts living Down Under. The most important of all in the history of Aussie motoring is the long rivalry between General Motors Holden and Ford of Australia because when these two makers got involved in the world of motorsports, the argument about which car maker is the best became a living legend. What we have here is the selection of the best Aussie muscle cars that are heavily involved in the world of Aussie motorsports.



First up is the XB Falcon from Ford. The XB-spec Ford Falcon is the second phase of the third generation of Ford's Australian-made model, which features minor cosmetic differences from the previous XA model. The XB Falcon features different body styles from a saloon, an estate, a ute, a van, and many others. Engine configurations include a 200ci 6-cylinder, a 250ci 6-cylinder, a 302ci V8, and a powerful 351ci V8. Depending on the engine choices, it can be mated with either a 3-speed MT, a 4-speed MT, or a 3-speed AT.

There are numerous special editions of the XB Falcon, including the John Gross Special, which is named after the race driver who won the 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 Touring Car race at Bathurst.

In its involvement in motorsports, a driver named Allan Moffat drove a Falcon to victory in the 1974 Sandown 250 using a GT hardtop model as well as the 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship in the same model and the 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship, using both the XB and the XC Falcons.

The XB Falcon gained fame for being featured as the Pursuit Special in the first Mad Max film in 1979. It was even featured in Eric Bana's documentary, Love the Beast, highlighting his beloved XB Falcon on his 25-year journey.



And now, straight from FM6's eBay Motors Car Pack, is one of the most famous Aussie muscle cars created by Holden for the sole purpose of taking on touring car races against Ford Falcons. It's a Holden LX Torana A9X.

The LX-spec Holden Torana is basically a second phase of the third-generation Holden Torana and this A9X version is a limited-edition model aimed at winning in the Australian Touring Car racing and at the annual Bathurst 1000 touring car race.

Based on the SLR 5000 four-door saloon and the three-door SS hatchback models, the A9X features special features such as a rearward-facing bonnet scoop, rear disc brakes, heavy-duty axles, and a heavy-duty 10-bolt differential. The 308ci OHV V8 engine remains untouched.

Touring car legend Peter Brock put the A9X on the motorsports map by winning the 1977 Hang Ten 400 at Sandown but lost its debut Bathurst race in 1977 by Ford Falcons driven by Allan Moffat and Colin Bond. Later, the A9X was refined and led Peter Brock and Bob Morris to victory in the 1978 and 1979 Australian Touring Car Championships as well as the Bathurst 1000 races.

Both these cars are fierce rivals in the history of the Australian Touring Car Championships. Both are Australian-made, have V8 engines in the front, rear-wheel drive in the back, and some racing pedigree hidden beneath their body styles. Looks like I'm onto something here because what am I going to do with these two is to take them around the Top Gear Track and see which car became dominant in the world of Aussie motorsport history. Your worst nightmare, huh? It's like Peter Brock versus Allan Moffat if you ask me.



In the end, I have the results. The Torana A9X did it in 1:35.396 while the XB Falcon did it in 1:33.772, which means that in the end, Ford remains a dominant force in the world of Aussie motorsports but it's still everyone's argument. Sometimes Ford, sometimes Holden, but in the end, it's all about bitter rivalries that will keep on fighting till the very end.