2009 Chicago Auto Show – The SHO Hits the Show

Ford may have introduced the new Taurus in Detroit but in Chicago the new SHO was the hit of the show.

SHO me the performance

Originally introduced in 1989, the first generation Taurus SHO was the perfect stealth vehicle. Most performance cars at the time – especially those from the domestic manufacturers – featured everything from domed hoods to side body cladding and rear spoilers, not to mention badges, badges and more badges wherever you looked. The SHO, on the other hand, took the European approach. Exterior changes over the standard Taurus included different bumpers, restrained side cladding and fog lamps.

 The big difference was hidden away under the hood where Ford engineers had placed a 3.0 liter 220 horsepower Yamaha V-6 that pulled the D186 platform from 0 to 60 in roughly 6.8 seconds and possessed a top speed of about 143 mph.

Ford went on to produce the SHO for the next 10 years that covered the first three generations of the Taurus. The final version, for the 1999 model year, came equipped with a 3.4 liter V-8 compromised of a Cosworth engine block and Yamaha heads. This engine produced 234 hp and 230 lb.-ft. of torque. But with sales of just over 3,000 units that year (over 15,000 were sold the first year and more than 100,000 were sold, in total), Ford pulled the plug.

It’s Baaaack!

For 2010, the SHO returns. This time around, it features an engine even a tree-hugger could come to love as well as all the latest technology from the blue oval to wit:

•    The 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost engine delivers an estimated 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm without compromising the fuel economy expected from a V-6
•    An enhanced six-speed automatic transmission that provides conventional automatic operation with steering wheel mounted control paddles for manual mode that allow “match-rev” downshifts and will hold manually selected gears for precise control
•    A sophisticated torque-sensing all-wheel drive system that contains an array of internal electromechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction
•    A fully-independent front strut/rear multi-link suspension system with standard stability control

Subtle design cues are also part of the package. Painted wheels with either 19-inch Goodyear Eagle or optional 20-inch Michelin high-performance tires, a decklid-mounted rear spoiler and twin exhaust tips plus a special grill treatment and parking lamps separate the SHO from standard Tauri, while special leather seats, aluminum appliqués and aluminum-trimmed accelerator and brake pedals differentiate the SHO interior.

Tags: 2009 chicago auto show, 2010 taurus sho, Chicago Auto Show, ecoboost, Ford, ford taurus, goodyear eagle, michelin, taurus sho