Malcolm Flynn road tests and reviews the Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8 Sprints with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at their Australian launch.

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The legendary Australian Ford Falcon is sadly not long for this world, but that hasn’t stopped the Blue Oval from sending it out on a high by screwing together the most powerful XR models ever, with the XR6 and XR8 Sprints.

On the surface, the Sprints may look like a parts bin special, and you may recognise the wheels from the old F6 E and GT E, but there’s a whole lot of subtle details developed just for these last versions.

On the outside, you can pick the XR8 by its signature bonnet bulge, but the Sprint model also gets blacked-out mirrors and roof and a unique decal along the doors.

The XR6 gets its own decals on the rear guards, and both models get new foglight surrounds up front and a subtle lip spoiler on the boot.

On the inside there’s new Alcantara trim patches and revised colours, which makes the old FG interior feel a bit more special.

So if you look closely, it’s a pretty special design, but it’s underneath where the big story is.

The XR8 sprint gets a recalibrated version of the supercharged 8 in the regular XR8, that’s also now sold out.

The XR6 Sprint gets an uprated version of the old F6 engine, and also makes up the last of the XR6 Turbo models.

The XR6 also gets a gorgeous carbon fibre intake snorkel, which combined with a new exhaust helps the Sprint to breathe better than any Turbo 6 before it.

The 6 is auto-only, but the XR8 is being made in manual and auto.

Both get the six-pot Brembo brakes from the fastest of the GTs, but the Sprints also get their own suspension setups and new Pirelli P Zero tyres to bring them a cut above the regular XR8’s R Spec setup.

So which one's quickest? Ford isn’t quoting actual numbers, but say that the XR8 manual is quickest in the right hands and under the right conditions, but the XR6 is the best at delivering consistently fast numbers.

Both are blisteringly fast, to the point where they could well be the fastest cars Australia has ever produced. The new tyres play a big role here, but the new suspension has been tuned to match and somehow manages to improve handling and ride comfort at the same time.

The XR8 is the poetic choice, with its fantastic supercharger whine and V8 exhaust bellow, but the XR6 feels sharper, lighter and more responsive. Horses for courses, but we’re glad they’ve given us a choice.

Both Sprints are being produced in very limited numbers, so you’ll be lucky to find one.

There's no question that the new Sprints are the fastest XRs ever, but they're also arguably the most special. They may not be as lairy as a GT, but their sophistication is a great way to see the Falcon off.

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