2010 Ford Taurus SHO revealed!

Months of speculation and rumors have proved to be true, as the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO has been revealed at the Chicago Auto Show. Ford has decided to revive the moniker once affixed to the sports sedan that wowed the automotive world way back in 1989. The original SHO survived three generations of Taurus models, was sold for 10 years straight and attracted over 100,000 buyers. But just as the Taurus itself devolved from America's best-selling car to a rental fleet afterthought, the original SHO ended production in 1999 having gone from a budget sports sedan to an overpriced, underpowered executive car.

Ford is working on rehabilitating the Taurus name with a significant redesign that debuted last month at the Detroit Auto Show. Using that sedan as its canvas, the new SHO may also restore respect to a name that has fallen too far. A 365-hp twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, all-wheel-drive and plenty of upgrades is a good place to start.

Ford is currently in the process of stuffing its new 3.5L EcoBoost V6 into any that fits. The Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS and upcoming Lincoln MKT are all getting it. Being based on the same platform as the MKS, it was a no-brainer that the redesigned 2010 Taurus would also get the twin-turbo, direct-inject engine that Ford promises will deliver V8 power with V6 fuel economy.

That model designation originally meant Super High Output, which definitely applies to the modern version. Whereas the original SHO used a high-revving 220-hp 3.0L V6 (later a 235-hp 3.4L V8) developed and built by Yamaha, the new SHO's advanced engine turns a relatively small 3.5 liters of displacement displacement and a lot of pressure into 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 ft.-lb of torque at 3,500 rpm. That makes this version of Ford's 3.5L EcoBoost V6 the most powerful one available with 10 more horsepower than its other applications.

Unlike the original SHO, however, this new one is about much more than just the engine. Backing up the potent powerplant is a torque-sensing all-wheel-drive system mated to Ford's 6F55 six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. The tranny is augmented by a manual mode that can be controlled either by the console shifter or paddle shifters, and will also rev match downshifts and hold gears even when the tach is bouncing off the engine's redline.

The SHO further separates itself from lesser Taurus models with a beefed up suspension that includes SHO-specific shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars and strut mount bushings. Furthermore, the new SHO also features Ford's new SR1 suspension setup with MacPherson front struts and a multi-link set up in the rear. The SHO's suspension should be noticeably sharper than that of the standard Taurus and its other platform-mate, the Lincoln MKS. There will even be an optional Performance Package that includes better brake pads, recalibrated steering, a "Sport Mode" for the stability control system and shorter 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio. Nineteen-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle rubber will be standard, while 20-inchers wearing Michelin high-performance summer tires will also be available.

The grille features a dark grey finish that matches the wheels and new parking lamp bevels are SHO-only items. There's also a decklid spoiler out back along with a simple SHO/EcoBoost badge on the trunk lid. One of the exclusive colors available will also be Atlantis Green, which Ford says was inspired by the Deep Emerald Green seen on many second-generation (1992-1995) SHO models.

The seats are leather-trimmed and two-tone with Mike Suede inserts, which Ford proudly points out are produced from post-consumer yarns made of plastic soda bottles. The dash and door panels also feature acres of aluminum trim, and SHO branding appears on the floor mats and passenger-side dash panel.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO will start at $37,995 when it goes on sale this summer. That's a lofty price tag for a Taurus, but not for a 365-hp, all-wheel-drive sedan stuffed with this much tech and luxury. The original SHO stickered for just under $20,000 in late 1988, which was also considered a big premium to pay for Ford's family sedan.

2010 Ford Taurus SHO spotted without camo!

Thanks to the guys at BringBackTheSHO.com, we now have even more photographic evidence that the SHO will live again. These spy shots show a pair of serious looking Taurus sedans taken along the I-75 corridor in Florida.



They differ from the models shown at the Detroit Auto Show wearing new wheels (at least 19 or 20 inches in diameter), a decklid spoiler, different tail-lights and a new rear bumper that extends lower over a pair of dual tail-pipes. There's also a conspicuous looking badge on the rear end that's covered with camo tape. What could it be?



It is expected that lying underhood is Ford's EcoBoost V6, producing 355 horsepower and 350 lbft of torque. That's what the engine produces in the 2010 Lincoln EcoBoost MKS, 2010 Lincoln EcoBoost MKT and 2010 Ford EcoBoost Flex.



Whether or not Ford increases the engine's power for SHO duty (it does stand for Super High Output, after all) remains to be seen, but expect all-wheel drive and a flappy paddle, six-speed gearbox to be standard equipment.



The car is expected to make it's debut at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, so stay tuned for more.

Another Mustang special edition to be reveiled this show season?

Rumors surrounding the Shelby GT500's appearance at the Detroit Auto Show turned out to be true. And before this auto show season is over, we may see another variant of the legendary pony car.



With the Taurus SHO looking like it's going to debut at the Chicago Auto Show, an appearance at the New York show looks like a realistic possibility. Couple that with the fact that several Mustang variants have made their debut in the big apple, like the last Shelby GT500, the Shelby GT-H, and the Shelby GT500KR.



So what will it be? A Mach 1, Bullit, a 5.0, EcoBoost?

Spied: Ford Taurus ST

While the current Ford Taurus is nothing more than a rebadged Ford 500, the next generation will be an all new car based on nothing more than the much beloved Ford Mondeo. Ford has already announced that a version of it's upcoming Ecoboost engines will be available in the Taurus.



Now the word is that the Ecoboost version will be a 350hp twin turbo V6 to be badged as the ST, and it's got us thinking SHO all over again. The news is music to the ears of owned and enjoyed Ford's much beloved SHO.



The spy pictures taken by the folks at World Car Fans are quite a scoop. It looks like Ford designers opened up the lower air dam to help feed the force-fed powerplant. The next generation of the corporate grille is partly visible, too, and it appears as though the bars got thinner and less cartoonish in execution.



Headlights visible through the heavy camo appear to be of the LED kind, and they look far more modern than the current Taurus' 1990's design. Massive, MKS-like 20-inch rims help show this undercover Taurus has sporty pretenses, as does the duel exhaust out back. Also evident from the spy pics is the fact that the bulbous roofline from the current Taurus has been replaced with something far more shapely and contemporary.



We still have several months before we will be able to see the car without camo, but it's good news that there is already a performance counterpart in the works.



Source: World Car Fans