2010 Ford Taurus SHO
Times have changed in the 10 years since the last Taurus SHO rolled off the assembly line. Back then, the internet was quickly rewriting the rules of pretty much everything, movie fans were lined up—and in some cases dressed up—to see the dazzling new special effects in flics like The Matrix and Star Wars Episode I, and Napster.com kicked off a controversial revolution in music and file sharing. The country also mourned the tragic violence at Columbine High School that spring, while groups of concerned citizens stockpiled food and water in preparation for the dreaded Y2K bug, as many “experts” thought older electronic equipment programmed with 2-digit year codes would either spontaneously combust or turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger when faced with double zeros.
Meanwhile, the rest of us partied like it was 1999. Which of course, it was.
Flash forward to 2009. The domestic auto industry is on life-support, the economy resembles a sun-baked porta-potty outside Texas Motor Speedway, and though the machines didn’t explode, somehow Arnold Schwarzenegger did manage to take over California. If there was ever a need for some Bold Moves, now would be the time.
Enter Ford Motor Company, and the reborn, twin-turbocharged, all-wheel drive 2010 Taurus SHO.
“The new Taurus SHO delivers on the authentic sleeper sedan formula but adds all-new luxury-appointments, convenience features and technologies to an unsurpassed balance of power and fuel economy,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.
Based on the recently introduced 2010 Taurus Sedan, the new SHO is definitely 21st century ready with a host of technologies the old SHO couldn’t have even imagined. Active cruise control, blind spot monitoring, reverse cameras, climate-controlled 10-way power leather seats with suede inserts and a massaging function, voice-activated navigation and a 12-speaker Sony sound system are all available options. The SHO comes standard with all the expected power equipment as well as Ford’s SYNC ® communications system, push-button start, a capless fuel-filler system and ambient lighting for the interior. SHOs will also be dressed internally with liberal amounts of brushed aluminum and leather and yes, the SHO logo will sit on the passenger side dash as it did on the first and second-generation cars.
Outside, the new SHO could win the title as the most subtle of all the generations. From the side, only the standard 19-inch or optional 20-inch wheels set it apart from the rest of the Taurus line, until you get close enough to spot the small SHO badges nestled neatly at the base of the C-pillar. Keen eyes will also notice the silver cornering LEDs on the front fascia and a slightly different finish on grille. The rear of the car is where the most pronounced changes are. A tidy deck lid spoiler extends smoothly back from the trunk, with dual chrome exhaust tips flanking the rear fascia. A chrome SHO/EcoBoost badge on the lower right side of the deck lid adds an exclamation point to the stealthy package. The influence from the Ford Interceptor concept from 2007 is clearly visible in the roofline and fascia design, which tends to look much better in person than in two-dimenstional photographs.
“Taurus SHO was always a stealth high-performance car,” said Earl Lucas, exterior design manager for the SHO. “The new SHO builds on the expressive design of the 2010 Taurus, adding subtle cues that set it apart.”
One of the bigger mistakes Ford made on the previous 1996-1999 Taurus SHO was power. With only 35 extra ponies over a Duratec-powered V-6 Taurus, performance levels between those yesteryear editions weren’t very far apart depite a big price jump. And though it was a much-refined evolution to the V-6 SHO of old, it didn't have the beans to touch the competition. Ford didn’t want to make the same mistake twice; the big sedan now wields a 3.5 Duratec "EcoBoost" V-6, boosted to 365 horsepower at 5500 RPM, thanks to a pair of small Garrett turbochargers that are said to provide power with no turbo lag. That's 102 ponies over and above the regular Taurus, but talk to the Ecoboost engineers and they'll brag about the torque found in the relatively small V-6. It peaks with 350 ft. lbs. at 3500 RPM, but over 300 of that is available at just 1500 revs in a torqure curve that most tuners dream about. That power is sent to a torque-sensing all-wheel drive system by way of a high-capacity six-speed 6F55 SelectShift automatic specifically beefed to handle the additional grunt. Enthusiasts who were hoping for a dedicated manual trans will have to continue waiting, but the 6F55 does offer full manual control via paddle shifters on the wheel, and the box will rev-matching on downshifts. With six gears now available, the SHO can run a 2.77 final drive ratio as opposed to the 3.74 ratio of the older cars, allowing a better balance of acceleration and highway cruising.
The SHO will use a unique, sport-tuned independent suspension setup as well as different sway bars and strut bushings to provide a ride that, while balanced and comfortable, leans more towards the sport side of the equation. A special performance package will also be available that features upgraded brake pads, a recalibrated Electronic Power Assist Steering for quicker steering response, a special “sport” mode for the standard stability control system, and a shorter 3.14 final drive ratio for even quicker acceleration. Performance figures haven’t been released yet for the car, though likely estimates place it in the mid to high five-second range to 60 mph. Top speed is electronically limited to 131 miles per hour.
Pricing for the new SHO won’t be cheap, but neither will it be out of the ballpark. Ford says a base model SHO, with all-wheel drive and an enviable list of options will start at $37,995. That’s still a few bones more than a Pontiac G8 GT, but you sacrifice all-wheel drive and a bunch of options in the process. To find an all-wheel drive in this class with equal performance, one must look to the Chrysler 300C with a base sticker price more than a thousand bucks over the SHO. Ford is tight-lipped about future development, though engineers and brand managers say anything is possible depending on how well the car does in the market. "Stripper" models with a lower base price are not out of the question, and talk of factory-backed performance parts from Ford Racing are also rumored to be under the microscope. For now, only well optioned, all-wheel drive editions will be offered.
Though Ford officially unveiled the car at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, several SHO enthusiasts were tapped for special events leading up to the launch, including an exclusive preview at Ford's Dearbon Proving Grounds that featured not just the new car, but examples of each SHO generation dating back to the original 1989 model. For the official unveiling, Ford invited 26 enthusiasts from across the country to be on hand as VIPs for the launch, treating them to breakfast and lunch as well as an exclusive tour of Ford's Chicago assembly plant, where the new SHO will be built alongside the regular Taurus and the Lincoln MKS.
When the fifth generation Taurus was retired in 2006, nobody ever thought it would come back. Even when the name was resurrected, the prospect of a new Taurus SHO seemed as likely as the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl. Ok, so that hasn’t happened yet, but enthusiasts have been talking about a new SHO for a couple years now, and at long last Ford is making some bona-fide bold moves. Mustangs are great cars, but a 365-horsepower, twin-turbo, all-wheel drive Taurus could very well be a crazy solution to a crazy time. In the meantime, check the slide show below and keep your eyes focused towards this neck of Examiner.com for a first-look test drive and a behind-the-scenes story on how this car came to be.
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