Aussie Falcon spotted in Dearborn

... in this GFC depleted corner of Michigan, especially not in the sub-zero temperatures of winter. So when one is happened upon, it's time for a happy snap, at least as happy as a Ford Falcon G6E can be when snowbound and apparently neglected in the car park of Ford's global head quarters.

No real explanation from Ford's typically tight-lipped representatives as to why Broadmeadow's finest should be languishing here in Arctic weather half a world away from the heatwaves of its native land. None seemed keen to take us up on our offer for a comparison between the best ever offering from the Australian branch of the Blue Oval brand and those of its American parent.

Strangely, only a few minutes earlier, we had been granted test track access to Ford's Taurus, the Yank jobbie that's expected to supplant to Falcon from 2015. If not destined for Dearborn's impressive museum, we can but hope our rear-wheel-drive icon is given the opportunity to demonstrate to the Yanks that the humble Falcon is a tough act to follow.

Let's just say we can perhaps see why our time in the Taurus was limited to one lap for each variant (though this hasn't stop another publication billing it as a fully fledged drive test). Of course, we would see the next generation Taurus, but it would need to be considerable step forward over the current model to allay dismay over the Falcon's purported demise.

Neither front-wheel-drive or AWD versions impressed, even with Ford's much vaunted Eco Boost V6, which not only felt uninspiring but evinced a hint of torque steer even with all paws sending power to the ground. The lack of communication through the steering wheel, interior packaging and unappealing looks might suit Americans, but we're used to better.