It is time for Neff to put up or shut up. There's a '93 Ford Taurus SHO on Craigslist that will provide him with both the car of his dreams and the ability to handle the extreme driving conditions he faces during Cleveland winters. It's been slightly modified by the current owner, who retained the original bodywork and interior, but then chose to mate them with a '76 Ford F-150 underpinnings. The high-zoot Yamaha motor? Also jettisoned. In its stead, a 460 cubic-inch V8 from a '78 Lincoln takes up residence underhood. Ride height is elevated somewhat over stock, but this should help Neff when it snows, and the new wheel/tire package allows him to avoid traffic by simply driving over it. All this for a paltry $800. This is what we call a complete win-win situation for El Jefe Neff. Commence peer-pressuring Autoblog's Editor in Chief below. Make him do it. Props to Stephen for the tip!
Click above for high-res gallery of the BringBacktheSHO Concept V2
We heard yesterday from a group of Ford Taurus SHO fans who were questioned in a focus group by Ford employees working on the next Taurus program, so we know that the Blue Oval is at least considering a high performance version of the next Taurus. Combine that with a grainy cell phone pic we posted of what could be a design study for the next Taurus and you've got fertile elements for our friends over at BringBacktheSHO.com who specialize in letting their imaginations run wild. Ryan Pasch who runs the website actually attended the focus group in question earlier this week, so these renderings based off of that grainy camera phone pic may be more accurate than we realize. Pasch calls the car in his renders the BringBacktheSHO Concept V2, and judging from the pics in our gallery below, we're as ready for the SHO's triumphant return as he his.
Click above for gallery of more modern Taurus SHO renderings
Being an avid Super High Output fan, any news of a Taurus SHO return gets my imagination going. Should it be FWD, AWD, or RWD? V8-powered or have a twin-turbo V6 underhood? Should it be light and handle well or compensate for its mass with awesome amounts of power? I ask these questions to myself, but last Monday a group of 11 Chicago area SHO fanatics were asked those same questions by members of the Taurus program from Ford.
As told by Don Mallinson on V8Sho.com, the story goes that this band of brothers participated in a focus group and had their brains picked for an evening about what makes a SHO a SHO, and if the much missed name were to be resurrected, what should the car be like today? Mallinson is clear that he and the focus group participants did not see a prototype, sketches of a prototype, or anything else that would confirm development is well on its way. The experience was pretty much a one-way street of questions, but these 11 people may have influenced Ford's decision to bring back the SHO and, if so, in what way. Such an awesome responsibility, I probably couldn't handle it.
Warning: If you are not a fan of the Ford Taurus SHO, look away. I'm indulging my own affection for the crown pinnacle of Taurus evolution by sharing with you a couple of posts found on DrivingEnthusiast.com. The first features two original Taurus SHO commercials for the Gen I and Gen II models. The Gen I spot is glorious dressed in its mid-80's production values with a soundtrack sourced from a $40 Yamaha keyboard and the late, great Ford tag line, "Have you a driven a Ford... lately?" The second commercial advertising the Gen II model glams up the SHO with a string section while the caption reminds us that the Taurus was the best-selling car in America at one point. Sigh... those were the days.
Finally, we bring you a video of something that never actually took place: a Gen III Taurus SHO running the famed Nurburgring in Germany. We have Sony Computer Entertainment's Gran Turismo 4 to thank for this one, which allows one to choose from an exhaustive palate of undeserving automobiles to race on the world's most prestigious tracks.
From what we've heard, there's little to no chance that Ford is working on reviving the SHO using the new 2008 Taurus (read: Five Hundred) as its base, and we can't blame them. The Five-Hundred is an even worse platform on which to build a performance sedan than the original Taurus. Nevertheless, we continue to hold candle vigils for the original SHO (specifically the first gen that remained truest to form), which played to host to an outstanding, high-revving 3.0L V6 from Yamaha that looked like underhood art and went like stink.
click the above image to view all the new 2009 Ford Taurus SHO concept renderings
For those entirely uninterested in the recently renamed Taurus and the potential it holds for a new SHO machine, stop reading here. We've confessed our unabashed appreciation for the original SHO and the excitement, yes excitement, over the prospect of its return, even if it would be based on what is essentially the ho-hum Five-Hundred. Our partner is this crusade of hope is the website BringBacktheSHO.com, the primary purpose of which is to prove to Ford that there's a viable business case for a new Taurus SHO.
To that end, BBTS has been producing new renderings of what a 2009 Taurus SHO might look like, and we all agree that grafting on the front end of the upcoming Taurus X makes a marked improvement. The new renderings also include new profile views that reveal a drop in ride hight on what must be a significantly stiffened suspension. At this point, we're convinced a new SHO should offer the 7/10 the attributes and performance of something like a BMW M5 for half the price, while still managing to undercut the potent Chrysler 300 SRT-8 in price. 400 horsepower from a supercharged V8 would do nicely, combined with the surefootedness of all-wheel drive.
Since it seems we have the the BBTS artist's digital pen at our disposal, we thought we'd take a poll to let him know what renderings we'd like to see next. Choose your preferred iterration of the SHO, and hopefully in a few weeks time we'll see some results.
click above image for renderings of the 2009 Ford Taurus SHO Concept
Those that know me are well aware of my infatuation with the Ford Taurus SHO. Those not among the automotive literati scoff that I would waste my affections on a Taurus, but those in the know realize that in 1989 Ford introduced a pivotal sports sedan with a gem of a motor called the Taurus SHO, a.k.a. Super High Output. With the reemergence of the Taurus name in 2008, we've already had fun speculating what a SHO version of the new Taurus might look like. Some folks who are as serious about the SHO as I am have gone one step further, however, and created a website, the sole purpose of which is to convince Ford to once again produce a Taurus SHO.
Bringbackthesho.com (BBTS) went live on February 11th immediately following the announcement at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show that the Five-Hundred would henceforth be known as the Taurus. The BBTS site features concept renderings of what a 2009 Taurus SHO might look like (see gallery below courtesy of BBTS), all convincing and attractive IMHO. It also features a section discussing possible engine candidates that include the 4.4L V8 from Yamaha that's a distant cousin of the last SHO motor and currently used in the Volvo XC90, as well as the concept TwinForce motor introduced in the Lincoln MKR concept. You can brush up on your SHO history and even watch an original commercial for the Gen. 1 Taurus SHO!
click on above image to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Ford Taurus SHO photoshop
I've never been one to hide my unabashed appreciation for the Ford Taurus SHO (the first generation in particular, as they got progressively worse with each gen IMHO). Readers got a total kick out of the Ford Taurus Heritage Edition we showed you a week ago, and we think it's time Ford also consider bringing back the Super High Output. Fortunately, we were pointed to another Photochop artist that already took digital pen to paper and dreamed up what such a car might look like.
The rendering, posted by BlackManta on the CarSpyShots.net forum, is actually more ingenious than its first impression might suggest. BlackManta grafted the face of the Taurus X, previously known as the Freestyle, onto the Taurus to create a look that's more aggressive and interesting than the standard Taurus front end. The car's C-pillar has also been enlarged, which reduces the amount of harmful greenhouse glass (tee hee) and kind of reminds us of the now defunct Mercury Marauder, kind of.
We're having fun imagining the mechanicals, too. BlackManta would like to see the Yamaha-sourced 4.4L V8 used that currently powers the Volvo XC90 since it's roots can be traced back to the 3.4L V8 used in the third-gen Taurus SHO. That engine was a blight on the SHO's legacy, though, and we believe a proper tribute would be a 300-hp version of the new 3.5L V6 paired with the new six-speed auto and all-wheel drive. To be true to the legacy, a six-speed manual version would be even better. The mind reels at the thought.
I have an unhealthy obsession with the Ford Taurus SHO, the Super High Output version of Ford's workhorse family sedan, the last example of which was built not even two days ago after being in production for over 20 years. It's an unhealthy obsession because, quite frankly, the Taurus is not a vehicle worthy of anyone's obsession. But obsess I do, mostly over the SHO's 3.0-liter V6 developed by Yamaha, but also because the SHO was a killer car back in the day, especially the first generation. In the late 80s, the SHO could stand grille to grille with a BMW M3 for about half the price.
I've been mocked plenty of times on account of my affection for the Taurus SHO, but today I learned that I'm not alone. None other than late night host Conan O'Brien considers himself a SHO lover like myself, and this YouTube clip proves it. Mr. O'Brien owns a second-generation 1992 Ford Taurus SHO in Emerald Green (that's even my favorite Taurus color!) and is rather proud of that fact as the video shows.
Pay particular attention to the Ferrari guy he gets to sit shotgun in the SHO. His revulsion is more apparent than the surface rust for which the Taurus is famous. Sigh... they'll never understand us, Conan.
OK, earlier today we took the time machine back to see the introduction of the Ford Taurus SHO. Now, we fast-forward to the present day, where devious youths find a forlorn, decrepit, and long-junked first-gen SHO much like the one in this morning's post and use a track hoe to complete the car's transition to the automotive afterlife. During the process, you'll note that the SHO's distinctive-looking Yamaha is still sitting in the engine bay, its 220 horses having gone to the glue factory long ago. They won't outrun fate today.
Only two words can accurately describe this contest between the SHO and heavy machinery: Advantage, Komatsu.
John's got one more bit of SHO fun in store for you later tonight, so be sure to check back.
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...
It is time for Neff to put up or shut up. There's a '93 Ford Taurus SHO on Craigslist that will provide him with both the car of his dreams and the ability to handle the extreme driving conditions he faces during Cleveland winters. It's been slightly modified by the current owner, who retained the original bodywork and interior, but then chose to mate them with a '76 Ford F-150 underpinnings. The high-zoot Yamaha motor? Also jettisoned. In its stead, a 460 cubic-inch V8 from a '78 Lincoln takes up residence underhood. Ride height is elevated somewhat over stock, but this should help Neff when it snows, and the new wheel/tire package allows him to avoid traffic by simply driving over it. All this for a paltry $800. This is what we call a complete win-win situation for El Jefe Neff. Commence peer-pressuring Autoblog's Editor in Chief below. Make him do it. Props to Stephen for the tip!
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