TICKFORD'S first attempt in 1999 at producing a direct competitor for HSV was not received as well as Ford would have liked, with subsequent offerings becoming gradually louder and more in-your-face in the process. Like it or hate it, the wildest looking factory Falcon ever also appears to be the biggest hit with Blue Oval sports sedan fans. In a radical departure from the original "performance with sophistication" FTE strategy - and an admission that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em - the current T3 range continues to eschew the XR's quad-light front end for more understated Falcon headlights with subtley blackened surrounds. But the subtlety stops there. Unlike the less provocative, Fairlane-based TL50, the TE50 and TS50 both feature all-new front bumpers with black mesh grille and lower airdam, while both also get sculpted side skirts with bold "TS50" logos. The rear end on both vehicles continues the bold theme, with twin stainless steel exhausts protruding from a deep rear bumper and a massive, V8 Supercar-style rear wing leaving no doubt about its intentions.