Autoblog

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.


[Source: BringBacktheSHO]

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.

What SHO do you want to see next?
	Ford Taurus SHO Wagon
	Ford Taurus SHO Coupe
	Mercury Sable SHO

[Source: BringBacktheSHO.com]

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!

[Source: Bringbacktheshow.com]