Okay everyone, those of you who remember what the previous-generation Taurus looks like, raise your hand. No, I’m not talking about the egg-shaped sedan that graced rental fleet parking lots for 10 years. You know, the one that Ford used to call the Five Hundred but was rebadged as a Taurus? What’s a Five Hundred, you ask?
Be honest. The old Taurus didn’t register on the exciting-car meter, and the one before it didn’t, either. For 2010, however, Ford has come up with a more mature, more upscale and desirable Taurus. They even brought back the Super High Output version that critics drooled over back in the day.
While the first SHO had a 220-horsepower, naturally-aspirated V6, the short-lived second-gen had a rather modest, 235-horsepower, 3.4-litre V8 that didn’t quite deliver the goods. This third SHO episode stars a twin-turbo, 3.5-litre V6 that bolts out 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, good for 0-100 km/h blasts of 6.3 seconds.
But unlike the first SHO, no manual transmission is offered; a 6-speed automatic with manual mode and paddle shifters is the sole gearbox choice. And that’s ok, as only a few people would actually go for a manual transmission anyways.
The new SHO’s massive power and torque makes it very fast and mean. All-wheel drive is standard, so no wheelspin and—thank God—no torque steer. At idle, the car emits a low-pitched burble that almost sounds like a V8 is lurking under the hood.
Ford claims V6 fuel consumption with big V8 power. Alas, our average of 14.9 L/100 km is more V8 than V6. We might not be very easy on the gas pedal this week, but then again, it is a performance-minded sedan after all.
Wearing 20-inch chromed alloy wheels and riding on a sport-tuned suspension, the SHO obviously feels livelier than lesser Taurus models. As long as you don’t go thinking you can overtake Nissan 370Zs and Mustang GT s on twisty country roads, you’ll enjoy the dynamic personality of the sporty Taurus. However, keep in mind this car weighs over 4,500 pounds, so it’s not particularly nimble.
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| The new SHO’s massive power and torque makes it very fast and mean. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Be honest. The old Taurus didn’t register on the exciting-car meter, and the one before it didn’t, either. For 2010, however, Ford has come up with a more mature, more upscale and desirable Taurus. They even brought back the Super High Output version that critics drooled over back in the day.
While the first SHO had a 220-horsepower, naturally-aspirated V6, the short-lived second-gen had a rather modest, 235-horsepower, 3.4-litre V8 that didn’t quite deliver the goods. This third SHO episode stars a twin-turbo, 3.5-litre V6 that bolts out 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, good for 0-100 km/h blasts of 6.3 seconds.
But unlike the first SHO, no manual transmission is offered; a 6-speed automatic with manual mode and paddle shifters is the sole gearbox choice. And that’s ok, as only a few people would actually go for a manual transmission anyways.
The new SHO’s massive power and torque makes it very fast and mean. All-wheel drive is standard, so no wheelspin and—thank God—no torque steer. At idle, the car emits a low-pitched burble that almost sounds like a V8 is lurking under the hood.
Ford claims V6 fuel consumption with big V8 power. Alas, our average of 14.9 L/100 km is more V8 than V6. We might not be very easy on the gas pedal this week, but then again, it is a performance-minded sedan after all.
Wearing 20-inch chromed alloy wheels and riding on a sport-tuned suspension, the SHO obviously feels livelier than lesser Taurus models. As long as you don’t go thinking you can overtake Nissan 370Zs and Mustang GT s on twisty country roads, you’ll enjoy the dynamic personality of the sporty Taurus. However, keep in mind this car weighs over 4,500 pounds, so it’s not particularly nimble.
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| Our average of 14.9 L/100 km is more V8 than V6. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |