Cars + Trucks
Ford Taurus SHO
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It used to be that owning a four door auto with some zip to it meant having to spend some big bucks. Brands such as BMW and Lexus have had the four door/sport niche of the auto industry cornered for years. Brands such as GM, Ford and even Chrysler have attempted to challenge BMW and Lexus to no avail over the years, but that may change with the Ford Taurus SHO. Ford decided to bring back the SHO for a third generational release. The SHO is a unique auto, as it offers convenience, power and, to a degree, environmental friendliness. Ford has made a rather sizable investment in advertising for this auto for its release this summer, as I am sure some readers have seen the commercials, but what does this auto really have to offer?
Convenience And Power
The sports sedan is not exactly a common sight today, especially on North American roads, but Ford is aiming to change that with the SHO. Usually if you want a car with power, you have to sacrifice convenience in space and vice versa for an auto with space. The SHO combines these aspects with a bit of styling included. The SHO is a large auto, which to many may be reminiscent of Ford’s disastrous 500 model (i.e. the Crown Victoria), but it is definitely more pleasing to the eye than the Ford 500 and it also comes with enough room to haul just about anything around.
The biggest selling point for me and, in theory, just about everyone else who wants an auto with a little zip, lies under the hood. The SHO (which by the way stands for Super High Output) comes with a dual turbocharged 3.5L V6. The “Ecoboost” portion of the motor consists simply of the turbo chargers. A turbo charger reuses exhaust gas, which adds power and pollutes less in terms of emissions. The turbo chargers add immense horsepower to the usually stagnant 3.5L V6, as many will be surprised to learn that the SHO can put out 365 horses at the crank and 350 foot pounds of torque. This combination or horsepower and torque can propel the SHO to 60 mph in five seconds, not bad for a Sedan.
To tame the 365 horsepower motor and add a bit more fuel mileage, Ford has added a six-speed paddle shifted automatic transmission. A paddle shifted transmission is simply a transmission that can be shifted by controls on the steering wheel, sort of like an Indy Car. Combined with the turbo chargers, the transmission should give the SHO somewhere in the neighbourhood of 19 mpg total (city and highway combined).
A Technological Behemoth
The SHO comes packed with all sorts of gadgetry designed to make your life easier while on the road. If you are one who cannot make it anywhere without GPS, the SHO has an option for a hard drive based navigation system to get you to where you need to be. For the audiophiles out there, it does come with a CD player, but of course it has hook ups for your iPod, Zune or whatever it is that you prefer in MP3 players. You can also stream your audio to the SHO via Bluetooth technology or load it up via the previously mentioned hard drive with the included USB support. You can then hook up to an optional twelve speaker system that will surely deafen you in no time (I am not saying that this is a bad thing). Finally, like its high end competitors, the SHO comes equipped with a blind spot warning system, as well as a rear camera for backing up purposes.
The Future
The first two generations of the SHO haven’t done so well, but the appeal of power and environmental friendliness may put the SHO in a decent position to succeed over the next few years. The price is probably a bit high for some ($37,995 USD), but for a fun ride, some will surely be willing to pay. This is also a precursor to what Ford may do in the future with its Mustang and truck lines. With fuel mileage standards going up, Ford may be forced to make their engines smaller, but in order to keep the power, they may add turbo chargers or superchargers. That remains to be seen, however.
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