GT4 2004 FPV F6 Typhoon

Today's car in my GT4 car picture series is a 2004 FPV F6 Typhoon.

Sporting a coat of Mercury Silver, it is parked below in Beacon Hill.

FPV stands for Ford Performance Vehicles, and the manufacturer is based in Australia.

This is a rare car in the world of Gran Turismo as it only appears in GT4 and GT PSP, and the description reads as follows.

The FPV F6 Typhoon was the top-spec model of the XR6 series, based on the MkII facelift of the Ford Falcon, was launched in late 2004 as an entry-level FPV model. The utility version, known as the Tornado, entered production in 2005, based on the brand new BF-series Falcon. In 2005, the BAII F6 Typhoon was disqualified from Motor magazine's annual Performance Car of the Year competition due to clutch failures in 2 separate cars. After initially blaming the magazine's testers, FPV labelled the car as "simply too powerful" and withdrew the car from sale for several months while they engineered a fix. All of the cars released with the clutch issues were recalled. The F6 Typhoon returned, albeit in 6-Speed Automatic BF guise, to win Motor magazine's Australian Performance Car Of The Year award in 2006.

A powerful car and a high-performance vehicle, it goes however for low-key, nondescript, deliberately deceptive "sleeper car" looks.

And now it can be seen at Togakushi Kogen, Nagano, which is a "picturesque part of the prefecture known for traditions and pristine waters. This stage (?) is located on an icy road with a backdrop of beautiful snow-capped peaks".

The front end looks rather like my 2008 ford focus (Europe).

GT4 2000 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Coupe

Here is an Aston Martin, the 2000 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Coupe in my GT4 pictures.

Sporting British Racing Green, it is seen here at Beacon Hill which is one of the photo travel locations in GT4 and is also an "upmarket residential area in Boston, America. The layout of the town contrasts with the unique beauty of the eastern coast".

However, I don't think there's much beauty in this particular vehicle (see above).

For some reason I tend to dislike British cars and the GT4 camera doesn't have much love for them either (see below).

Be that as it may, the Aston Martin DB7 was the first attempt by the company to produce an entry-level model following Ford takeover who wanted to double or even treble Aston Martin sales.

Styled by Ian Callum and Keith Helfel, the DB7 is supposed to be a timeless British classic although there is a large chunk of Jaguar DNA in it.

There were several versions of the DB7 (and the Vantage is one of them) and at least one special edition - the DB7 Zagato numbering just 99 units.

"The ultimate sports coupe, made using the unique Aston Martin method."
Aston Martin's DB7 V12, released in 1999, represented the company's flagship, blending style and performance in a pure 2-seat package. It shared a few components with its platform sibling, the Jaguar XK-R, but there were enough differences between the two to ensure that the Aston was without a doubt a performance car of the highest order.
Even though the FR (Front engine, Rear drive) car was a 2-seater, it rode on a long wheelbase of 102 inches. The car was physically large, but its svelte styling made it look smaller than it actually was. It wore a handsome face, highlighted by the classic Aston Martin grille. Under its long hood was a 5,935 cc 48-valve DOHC V12 that pumped out 420 HP, propelling the 1,755 kg DB7 to a top speed of 165 mph. Shifting was performed through a 5-speed automatic gearbox.
Using the DB7 V12 as a foundation, Aston Martin created a super high-performance Vanquish in 2000. It sported a completely redesigned body that was penned by the Italian design firm Zagato. The Vanquish was equipped with the same V12 as the DB7, but tuned to an even higher level. It cranked out a whopping 459 HP at 6,800 rpm, and although it was a bit heavier than the DB7 with a curb weight of 1,835 kg, the Vanquish was Aston Martin's most potent machine, able to reach a top speed of 196 mph.

GT4 1998 Ford Taurus SHO

Here is the GT4 1998 Ford Taurus in my GT4 pictures.

 Shrouded in Silver Frost Clearcoat Metallic and seen at Beacon Hill. Nice parking too.

Beacon Hill is an upmarket residential area in Boston, the United States, and is also one of the photo travel locations in Gran Turismo 4.

SHO means "super high ouput". The badge seems to have been revived recently after being earlier terminated in 2000.

 The ovoid styling presupposes lots of ovals.

In-game description:

When Ford took the wraps off its all-new sedan, the Taurus in 1986, it caused a sensation around the car community. The exterior design bordered on being radical, as it was highlighted by a unique face and flowing profile that proved to be one of the most aerodynamic sedans in the marketplace.

The Taurus was unlike previous Ford sedans in that it looked and acted sporty, in a European sort of way, and that it was to set the precedent of future Ford vehicles. The sporty intentions that the Taurus possessed were confirmed when Ford introduced the Taurus SHO in 1989, a hotrod version of the Taurus that could smoke many sports cars in its day.

The letters SHO stood for "Super High Output," a reference to the car's powerplant. The base Taurus was equipped with the 182ci V60HV, a V6 with 138 HP, but under the SHO's hood was a 216 HP V6, with a DOHC 24-valve head that was developed by Yamaha, a company known primarily for its motorcycles. The 5-speed manual transmission also had Japanese roots, designed with Mazda.

In 1996, after a full model change, the Taurus SHO received a 207ci DOHC V8 that produced 234 HP. The car's high price tag of about $30,000 (twice the amount of the base Taurus) hurt sales, forcing Ford to reduce the number of SHO models produced.

By 2000, production for the SHO ended. The current Taurus sports a 3.0-liter Duratec V6 whose horsepower has been limited to 198 HP.