whats wrong with the boss

[GTP owner]

I love driving my GT-P over the missus xr6t, but mainly because it fangs so easily. The low down grunt is really its biggest problem. Also driving the turbo and the v8 back to back you really can notice the weight up front in the 8. The turbo is better balanced, no question. If you then jump into a holden thingy you can appreciate that they do indeed go just a bit quicker, but they make you feel like a bogan.

[HLC]

ok great.

[gmkila]

i test drove a gtp and an f6 a few months ago looking at buying either one of them depending how they went, i went ito the dealership thinking mmmm f6 is what i really want but after having giving both a hard time on open and twisty roads i put a deposit on the gtp as it felt and sounded soooo much better and wasn't bothered that it was 10k more i'd hapily pay 15-20k more for it as the gtp wins hands down!

Ive driven both, however only the turbo extensively. Its hard to explain, but the Boss FEELS like a car, whereas the turbo feels like, well, something different. That is a crappy explanation, so ill just say the Boss feels more like a traditional performance car should...

All this discussion seems familiar somehow... :

[old_mate]

will be interesting to see how the boss owners feel about the E-series HSV's (SS even)

0-100 sub 5 seconds, 13.4 down the strip. Then they will mod them.

Im hoping (praying) Orion will be a bigger weapon again.

[SSBUB]

nothing wrong with the boss - its just you can get a run of the mill gen 3 VT for 15k, spend 5k on mods and ultimately destroy a gt-p. I think there is a big factor with price, rather than the technology.

[richardxr8]

Two words - Throttle response.
And the Boss has plenty in 290Kw form ! The 290 actually feels stronger than the 260 all over.
I hate the wet sponge response from inferior motors....

[BPXR6T]

Struggles to light em up. My auto series 1 BA XR8 ute is an absolute animal. Sure its a little soft down low but will instantly wheel spin and step out when floored off the line. It will also chirp second on occassion. Hook it round a few times and you'll be lost in smoke. My car is dead stock except I yanked off the rear muffler.

I will miss my XR8 when I sell it soon. Looking at its gleaming envi paint under the petrol station lights last night showed it really is something apart and above the crowd. Its got the sound, the looks, and plenty of go for day to day driving.

[Quadcams]

Originally Posted by SSBUB

nothing wrong with the boss - its just you can get a run of the mill gen 3 VT for 15k, spend 5k on mods and ultimately destroy a gt-p. I think there is a big factor with price, rather than the technology.

And you can get a run of the mill 3v XT and spend 5k on mods kill a HSV. :hihi:

[xr8gn3]

The BOSS has nothing wrong with it.........it just doesnt have the low down poke as a windsor or LS1 or LS2 the LS1 suffered the same problem but not as bad neither was the 5.0L that crash hot below 3000rpm with the BOSS its ok from 3 but even better once it hits 4000rpm.....the sound of my BOSS is to die for.....I cant get enough of it and as far know its just a run of the mill catback system with air induction mods I've yet to hear another BOSS as good as mine........thats a challenge fellas.

For its short fall in down low performance I think people should remember with the extra kilos its got to lug around it still does alright to run 14.3-14.4 std, thats the norm Motor seems to get with every model with the exception of one which they managed a 13.99.

It goes to show the torque these motors have top end and the power to get them up to speed.

[xr8gn3]

Originally Posted by Quadcams

And you can get a run of the mill 3v XT and spend 5k on mods kill a HSV. :hihi:

Well done Quadcams....

[Mr_GT]

Originally Posted by xr8gn3

I cant get enough of it and as far know its just a run of the mill catback system with air induction mods I've yet to hear another BOSS as good as mine........thats a challenge fellas.
.

Do you know what brand the catback system is ?

[xr8gn3]

Originally Posted by Mr_GT

Do you know what brand the catback system is ?

Sorry bud I have know idea.....I bought the car with it already fitted. All I can tell you is its a mild steel system.

If I was the one doing it I'd put a Difillipo system in.

[Mr_GT]

no probz thanks anyway matey

[Muscle_Inc]

When me and my mate took a BA XR6T and a BF XR8 for a test drive both being on different occasions the outcome was the xr6t felt quicker then the xr8.

In the xr6t we had 4 passengers and me being in the back i was immediately pinned back even with nearly a full car but in the xr8 it was slightly a different story we had 3 passengers (incl me) and unfortunately when the foot went down it lacked that initial pull that the xr6t had but despite this the bf xr8 had 6spd auto and the ba xr6t was 4spd auto.

My conclusion is given that the xr6t holds the title for a straight line king i would take the bent 8 cause quite honestly the exhaust note is absolutely breathtaking! but keeping in mind our decisions depend on how deep our pockets are as well lol.

[CAMS290]

mine goes ok

[cedric]

i have owned both auxr8 and ba xr8 and beleive the winsor sounds much better (all of you that rave about boss exaust HAVE to go for a drive in an au xr8 with just the rear muffler removed) but the boss is probly a better motor it is just WAY to heavy wich makes it slow down low and bad handling .my au flogged the ba in handling, i was actually very disapointed with the ba's handling.

[SpoolMan]

Originally Posted by KNG-40L

but keeping in mind our decisions depend on how deep our pockets are as well lol.

You made a interesting point, the XR8 needs to have a better price structure, speaking to a FPV exec 2 weeks back, sales of the XR8 are suffering badly.
$51,330 for the xr8 and $46,405 for the xr6t, they need to be the same price.
Then look at the Ute pricing, there almost the same price.
Ute XR8 $41,595, Ute XR6T $41,945.
So the Sedan is worth $5,000 more and the Utes are similar in price :

[Steffo]

Originally Posted by old_mate

will be interesting to see how the boss owners feel about the E-series HSV's (SS even)

0-100 sub 5 seconds, 13.4 down the strip. Then they will mod them.

Im hoping (praying) Orion will be a bigger weapon again.

They have an easy solution. Trade for F6 Typhoon's :Reverend: :

[Muscle_Inc]

Spoolman the v8's in general are suffering period! Up at paul wakeling in campbelltown (syd) they had a vz r8 ute with all the little extra goodies and they had slashed $10,000 off its original rrp.

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

You made a interesting point, the XR8 needs to have a better price structure, speaking to a FPV exec 2 weeks back, sales of the XR8 are suffering badly.
$51,330 for the xr8 and $46,405 for the xr6t, they need to be the same price.
Then look at the Ute pricing, there almost the same price.
Ute XR8 $41,595, Ute XR6T $41,945.
So the Sedan is worth $5,000 more and the Utes are similar in price :

In early BA, the price difference was explained by the better driveline in the xr8 (tremec over T5 etc)... Now they both share the 6 speeds (auto or manual) I reckon the price should be neck & neck.

[Bluehoon]

V8's are suffering all round general.

I don't blame fue prices either, if its your passion (cars), you will still fill up.

I put it down to emissions and the T6's.

Gone are the days of big throaty V8's like the old Holden 308, or Ford 351.........

Too many V8 owners are getting their butts kicked on the street by a Ford 6T (T6 or F6), and there are more and more joinng the team turbo brigade, so they do not lose......

Originally Posted by Steffo

They have an easy solution. Trade for F6 Typhoon's :Reverend: :

Hence the cause of this and numerous other threads... These big V8 owners dont want to feel inferior to a little brother :

Joking <-- just thought Id add that in case I get a bit of flaming for that call...

[OzJavelin]

why does everyone always complain that the gt and xr8 arnt good enough? most of the people who go on and on about the gt and xr8 having their ar$es handed to them dont even own one or cant afford one.....you are all forgetting that the xr8 has had more power then the ss up until now with the launch of the ve.

My old 440ci Phoenix had 375hp (280kw), therefore it must be able to outrun an SS too? ;)

[SpoolMan]

Originally Posted by charliewool

In early BA, the price difference was explained by the better driveline in the xr8 (tremec over T5 etc)... Now they both share the 6 speeds (auto or manual) I reckon the price should be neck & neck.

I would like to see the xr8 come down to the same price as the xr6t...
At $51k they are not going to move them, Holdens new pricing strategy puts you into a SS now for $45k with 19's standard.

[aualright]

My AU XR8 is a slug in comparison (185kw) but in conjunction with the 5 speed is a real driver's car. Much more engaging and pleasurable for me than driving the BA XR6T....but it doesn't stop me from dreaming of a Typhoon.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

I would like to see the xr8 come down to the same price as the xr6t...
At $51k they are not going to move them, Holdens new pricing strategy puts you into a SS now for $45k with 19's standard.

Isn't it the SS-V that is around the same price as the XR8 that cops the 19's?

Although i agree XR8's price needs to go down or the specs need to come up.

[GT290]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

why does everyone always complain that the gt and xr8 arnt good enough? most of the people who go on and on about the gt and xr8 having their ar$es handed to them dont even own one or cant afford one.....you are all forgetting that the xr8 has had more power then the ss up until now with the launch of the ve. the ba gt came out with 290 kilowatts which was 30 more kilowatts then hsv was offering with the clubby....holden and hsv are the ones trying to catch up. fpv has taken over hsv in the sales. i understand people may have been disapointed in the bf v8s because they have shown little improvements over the ba...but it didnt bother me having purchased mine in september 05.....why is everyone so surprised that the 6 cylinda is faster? im sure if ford release the v8s with a blower then you will see them ahead of the 6ts....a good dtiver in a gt can get times of 13.5 -13.8. yes there is cars faster but for the price you pay you get great sound, great looks, great handling, brakes and power....even the new camery has more power then the non turbo 6s...its easy to gain speed with a turbo so stop saying the v8 is dead for ford...it is only getting better...i love ford and my v8..
in saying that i must admit i also love the 6t and im not knocking them but i just think it is abit ridiculous that people continue to put it down despite it being the best v8 yet from ford...thank you for the rant

Nice one, well put. I have seen a few threads about what muscle is and shopud the 6t be classed as a muscle car etc... I don't mind them but I am really a V8 person and its got to be a ford if its mine. I have a GT and I have fun driving that thing all the time and its got some realy good power up in the top end. There is a lot more in these moters too

[Boss 290]

when people say it has no low down torque i cant understand what they talk about...yes the 6t might have more but the 8 is still getting to 3000 revs very quick and you do feel the torque when you slam your foot down

[VZSS250]

The problem with the Boss is that it is an overhead cam motor and that means it has to be:

a) gigantic;
b) heavy.

Amazingly there are no benefits to the overhead cam and quad valve set-up, because there's still no low-down torque and the Boss rev limit is so low you'd think you were driving a diesel. On top of everything else, Ford have conceded there's not much life left in the Boss motor and that any future powergains will be minimal. If this is technology moving forward, I dont want it.

Anyone seen a Boss and HSV LS2 engine bay side by side? The 6.0 litre LS2 looks tiny compared to the 5.4 litre in the Ford. And then Ford decide to place the engine really high in the engine bay, compounding the problem.

And so, while the Boss managed to land a punch in 2002 while Holden weren't looking, in 2006 the world has changed and the Boss has not. The 6.0 litre Holdens rule again, and the average V8 buying public's options are limited to one brand.

Such is Ford's commitment to the V8 layout, that their lack of interest in upgrading the Boss motor in recent years is reminiscent of its complete abandonment of V8s in the 80s for the sake of protecting profit margins.

Shame, shame, this company isn't interested in V8s AGAIN.