SHO Saturday, Part I: Enter the Taurus SHO
With the last Taurus rolling off the line, let's have a look at how it all began. We'll skip the original Taurus introductiory commercials because, well, we can't find any of them on YouTube right now. Instead, we'll jump to MY 1989 and have a gander at the spot introducing the first-generation Taurus SHO, whose stout Yamaha DOHC V6 is still talked about today. Alas, as our own John Neff -- possessor of a stalker-like obsession with the SHO -- will tell you, the engines are quite capable of outlasting the cars built around them. A problem, seeing as the rest of the car is kind of required in order to enjoy the engine.
But back when this '89 came out, none of that was a concern. It was about getting to the Ford store before the next guy to snap up one of the 220HP sedans.. The limited-production SHO, you see, was "Power in the hands of a fortunate few."
But how does it all end? Check back in later to find out...
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tool 1:32PM (10/28/2006)
THIS is what BOLD MOVES was about.
Although the advert was obviously dated, it showed that Ford had the chutzpah to do this.
The Big 3 need to think about creating their vehicles as franchises. That is what Toyota, BMW and Mercedes do. They invest in each generation and make it better, rather than piss away their success.
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Bob Zeliff 1:43PM (10/28/2006)
I was one of the few that bought one of the original 89s new. It was a special drive with a great engine. It was the first car that I;ve owned that would crusise at 100 and you could listen to the radio and relax. It handle the mountain roads well too, for a large sedan. I drove my 100k trouble free miles. Loved the car. I felt the later years got mushy so did not buy another one,
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Andrew 1:40PM (10/28/2006)
I owned a '92 SHO. Not a bad car.
Seemed fast at the time, but with 220 HP nothing by today's standard.
What I liked:
1. Unlike today's performance packages, it did not have an excessive amount of plastic "aero-AIDS" bolted to it - no spoiler.
2. Big American car with a 5-speed manual tranny. Not many of these.
3. Useful interior and trunk.
4. Decent price: 19k not bad.
What I did not like
1. Quality not up to Japanese standards. SHO's had half baked engineering in some areas (clutch, brakes were simply not up to the job. F Brake rotors warp is you look at them funny)
2. Ford Dealer was terrible
3. The front air-damn thingy was huge piece of plastic, low-hanging and easy to ding. Shoulda just used stock Taurus front end.
Sadly this concept was not a money maker. I may want large US car with 5-speed manual, but 99.9999999% of American don't. Also I am too cheap to pay much for such a car.
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Flo 11:24PM (10/29/2006)
Seeing how Mazda is basically a Ford Puppet, I'd say that the concept of the SHO lives on in the Mazdaspeed 6.
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RC 1:58PM (10/28/2006)
Although I was 4 when these cars came out, I still think they are very cool, but ive never had the chance to drive one. :(
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MUSASHI66 2:19PM (10/28/2006)
I owned a 1991 model with 5 sp manual, I loved it when it worked. Unfortunately, I remember that it cost me about a $1000 to replace the clutch, and the car felt like it was about to fall apart at 95000 miles ( I bought it used with about 88000 miles). I finaly traded it in for a 2001 Tundra SR5 V8, but I still miss it.
There is a place in Texas (I think), that can realy make these cars move, and I always thought of doing that one day when I have enough money for it.
As for the comment on top, I think 220hp from a 3l engine is still great, even today. Just look at Ford Fusion, BMW 325 or 328 engines ( slightly more power from 3l), 3.2l engine in Touareg with 220hp, and the list goes on and on... It is not impresive for a sports sedan anymore, like a G35 with around 300hp, but still plenty compared with many 3.0l engines.
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John 2:43PM (10/28/2006)
I agree that for the time the SHO was a Bold move.
Ford needs something to excite people about it's current line up. The mustang is great, but they need more.
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Corey B. 2:37PM (10/28/2006)
wow, when the snare hit when the driver shifted it into gear made my heart melt.
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olderty 2:42PM (10/28/2006)
My mom had a '93 when I was 14 or 15. My brother and I knew what was under the hood, while moms did not. One day we convinced her to stop (on a vacant road) and put the gas to the floor. She did and hit the back of her head on the head rest! Very funny! Of course she then vowed that we would never drive it...
A couple years ago I bought a '99 SHO and liked it alot. The only problem I had with the V8 version was the 235hp could only be found above 4k rpm on the highway. But boy all of it showed up in an instant. I traded it in before the cams broke free from their sprokets and destroyed the engine. Evidence of this can be found at v8sho.com.
Excellent car, I wish Ford would come out with a SHO version of the Fusion.
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Pizza the Hut 2:50PM (10/28/2006)
The Ford Fusion SHO?
Hmmm. A Ford Fusion with a beefed up version of Ford's new 3.5L V6, a 6 spd. manual and AWD for about $25K or so. Now that would be pretty sweet.
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Bill 2:58PM (10/28/2006)
A friend of mine (we were about 19 at the time) bought a 4-cyl (2.5 I believe) Taurus with a 5-speed. Yes, you could get a 5-speed package called the "MT-5". Being a working student at the time, he did some mild customization, larger wheels and tires, discreet trunk spoiler, some other stuff he scavenged to make it in the "spirit" of a SHO, which he idolized.
His vanity license plate was "NO SHO".
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Andy 3:12PM (10/28/2006)
I had a '91(5 sp), drove it for several years as my commuter sled/sales bus. It was a great engine in search of a good car. It was let down by poor quality (not just aforementioned brake, clutch troubles but electrical glitches galore).
Transmission bearing failure caused me to sell it after about 2-1/2 years of ownership.
The Yamaha DOHC was really sweet, I used to floor it going uphill in third and not let off until it hit the century mark. That's called an Italian tune up.;)
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sean 3:36PM (10/28/2006)
If that isn't an 80's commercial, Awesome car for Ford
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Andrew 3:54PM (10/28/2006)
MUSASHI66
Yes 220 Hp from 3 liter not bad, and in 1992 was impressive. But again now every Tom, Dick, and Camry has a V6 of such power.
My impression as that the engine was indestructable, but that all the other junk would break.
One final thing; I found the wind noise at freeway speeds excessive. Disappointing because the car would cruise at high speed. Heck at 80 mph a 4 cyl Camry was much quieter.
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Andy 8:47PM (10/28/2006)
I don't want to sound like an ass, but the SHO Taurus was not something to brag about unless the guy your were racing against had a V-6 Camaro. The one thing I will say is that I wish Ford would make a bold move with the Fusion and introduce a turbo four or six (even better).
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epp_b 5:32PM (10/28/2006)
["The Ford Fusion SHO?
Hmmm. A Ford Fusion with a beefed up version of Ford's new 3.5L V6, a 6 spd. manual and AWD for about $25K or so. Now that would be pretty sweet."]
Sounds like a good idea. While they're at it, they should get replace of the Fisher-Price-inspired interior with at least *some* fibres that aren't so obvoiusly man-made.
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Jason 1:43AM (10/29/2006)
Taurus?! Making the dream come true... for you!
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MikeW 1:38PM (10/29/2006)
The Euro M3 of that time had a 3 liter inline6 that had 282hp & 236ft-lbs
The US 1995 3.0 M3 engine was 240hp@6000 & 225ft-lbs@4250
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cne 10:30PM (10/29/2006)
I had an 89 SHO in silver, great car when it worked. Need new plugs and wires? $550 (you have to take of the intake manifold). Need a new clutch? $1,100. Finally, I got some minor front end damage, decided it was totalled and bought a brand new 2000 Civic. I've been happy (and slow) ever since.
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Riker 11:59AM (10/30/2006)
Yes, your average sedan today is likely enough to have a comparably powerful engine, in terms of peak HP.
But that doesn't give you room to assume that those cars today are as fast. They are heavier to make room for new safety and convenience features. They are also hard-pressed to match the broad torque range provided by the SHO engine. Coupled with great gearing, the SHO could hang with many cars that it shouldn't have been able to. Cars with higher power figures. Cars with racing personality.
Of course, this is all in terms of 1/4 drags and stoplight races. In my opinion, the SHO really shines at top end highway cruising. Once you hit about 70 mph, you're in the sweet spot. At that speed, you have your choice of 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear to do your bidding. Even in 5th the car finds ample torque to pull ahead confidently, but if you drop 2 gears and punch it, be prepared for ungodly acceleration for a 3400lb grocery getter. That pull will take you from 70mph to 100mph in about four seconds.
And the engine note when the secondaries open up is to die for. Goes from docile cruiser to snarling dog in a heartbeat. Best sensation ever.
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