“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.”
The rest of the styling story is all Taurus, which isn’t a bad thing. The high-boy look to the car will remind you of a Chrysler 300, though the boxy feeling isn’t quite as pronounced. The roofline rakes wonderfully back to the deck lid, which mirrors the roof angle down to the rear fascia. It’s all very striking and satisfying to see in person; even the goofy body lines on the rear quarter panels make sense when viewed in three dimensions. It’s a large car, but Ford has done an impressive job of making it look sleek at the same time. Once you spend some time with the car, it’s very hard to believe it’s related to the outgoing Taurus/Five Hundred platform.
By now you’re thinking “oh boy… he’s not talking about the guts. I bet Ford just stuck some badges on a Limited.” The concerns are justified; one of the bigger mistakes Ford made on the 1996-1999 SHO was power. With only 35 extra ponies from a Duratec-powered V-6 Taurus, performance levels between the two cars weren’t very far apart.
Considering there is now a full 100 horsepower difference between the 2010 editions, it’s safe to say Ford didn’t make the same mistake twice.
In true super high output fashion, the 2010 SHO wields a 3.5 Duratec V-6, boosted to 365 horsepower at 5500 RPM and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3,500 RPM, thanks to a pair of small Garrett turbochargers that are said to provide power with no turbo lag. That power will be sent to a torque-sensing all-wheel drive system by way of a high-capacity six-speed 6F55 SelectShift automatic with full manual control, including 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 estimates in the high 5-second to low 6-second range for 60 miles per hour aren’t out of the question.
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. Only well optioned, all wheel drive editions will be offered initially, though Ford says it may offer different packages in future models.
In a time of economic hardship, does a $37,995 twin-turbo full-size sedan make much sense? Ford execs say the current SHO has been a work in progress for some time, so it could just be a case of following through on a project that was too far along to quit. Or maybe, just maybe, we’re starting to see a glimpse of the old-school Ford. You remember that company… they bolted turbos and superchargers to Thunderbirds, tuned pickup trucks to outrun V-8 Camaros, tweaked the handling and power levels of every day drivers to make them a little more exciting. When the fourth generation Taurus was retired, 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 listening. Mustangs are great cars, but a 365-horsepower, twin turbo, all wheel drive Taurus could very well be the crazy solution to a crazy time. The 2010 Taurus SHO, finally a bona-fide bold move from the Blue Oval.
Contact Christopher Smith with questions: chwriting@charter.net