The Ford Taurus SHO (Super High Output)
is the high-performance variant of the
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
. Originally intended as a limited-production model, the SHO would be produced for the first three generations of the model line, from the 1989 to the 1999 model years.
After an 11-year hiatus, the model was revived for 2010,
continuing through the 2019 discontinuation of the Taurus model line.
In contrast with standard versions of the Taurus, the Taurus SHO was not designed with a
Mercury Sable
The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles manufactured and marketed by the Mercury brand of Ford Motor Company. Introduced on December 26, 1985 as the replacement for the Mercury Marquis, the Sable marked the transition of the mid-size Mercur ...
counterpart; however, the 2010-2019 SHO served as the basis for the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (replacing the long-running
Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (colloquially referred to as the CVPI, P71, or P7B) is a four-door, body-on-frame sedan that was manufactured by Ford from 1992 to 2011. It is the police car version of the Ford Crown Victoria, and wa ...
). The final version is the only Taurus ever offered with the twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine.
The first three generations of the SHO were assembled by Ford at
Atlanta Assembly
Atlanta Assembly was an automobile factory owned by Ford Motor Company in Hapeville, Georgia. The Atlanta Assembly plant was opened on December 1, 1947.
Harbour Consulting rated it as the most efficient auto plant in North America in 2006. As par ...
(
Hapeville, Georgia
Hapeville is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States, that is 2.5 square miles wide. Hapeville is located inside I-285 between the city of Atlanta to its North and the Atlanta International Airport to its south. The population was 6,553 ...
); the fourth generation was assembled by
Chicago Assembly Chicago Assembly (sometimes referred to as Torrence Avenue Assembly) is currently Ford Motor Company's oldest continuously operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch section of Chi ...
(
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
).
Background
In 1984, executives of the
Yamaha Motor Corporation
is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was established in 1955 upon separation from Yamaha Corporation (however, Yamaha Corporation ...
signed a contract with the
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
to develop, produce, and supply a compact 60°
DOHC
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...
V6 engine based upon the existing Vulcan engine for
transverse
Transverse may refer to:
*Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle
*Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally
* Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...
application.
There has been some confusion about the original intended use of the engine. It was thought this engine was first intended to power a mid-engine sports car, that project (known internally as GN34) was canceled. Patents have been found and pictures of prototype SHO powerplants installed in the Taurus show that the original intent was for the larger FWD setup and the GN34 would have come later.
There were a few GN34 prototypes produced, most with standard Vulcan engines and a few other factory swaps, a SHO
Ranger
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
being one.
First generation (1989–1991)
The SHO differed from the normal Taurus on the exterior by having a Mercury Sable hood, different bumpers, side cladding, and fog lamps. The interior also differed, with sports seats and an 8000 rpm
tachometer
A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute (RPM) on a calibrated anal ...
. The SHO had a
Yamaha Built V-6 engine that redlined at 7,000 RPM and became the only Taurus to feature a
manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
since the
4-cylinder
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
MT-5 was discontinued in that year.
The
transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
*** ...
was designed and manufactured by
Mazda
, commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan.
In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...
and had the following gear ratios with a final drive ratio of 3.74:
The first generation Taurus SHO can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds
with a quarter mile time of 15.0-15.2 seconds. ''Car and Driver'' reported in their December 1989 issue a top speed of .
A special edition of the SHO called the Plus package became available in late 1990. It came as part of option package #212A and contained different styling cues from the standard SHO, including a plastic 'Power Bulge' hood, chrome window trim, a plastic spoiler without the 3rd brake light, body colored stripe in the lower cladding, black mirrors, black B and C pillars, rod shifter upgrade, and a body color TAURUS badge. There were also some SHOs that came with only part of the package options known in the community as a 'partial plus', but these were really only regular SHOs that received the other options because Ford needed to use up what they had with the body change coming in 1992. White painted pluses had the option of white painted "slicer" wheels.
1991 was the only year that a "Mocha Frost" color option was offered. Also in 91 a green called "Deep Jewel Green Clearcoat Metallic" was available, but only with the plus option.
Second generation (1992–1995)
The SHO was redesigned for 1992, although it continued with the same powertrain as before: The
Yamaha Built V-6 engine and 5-speed
manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
. The second generation SHO borrowed from the
Mercury Sable
The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles manufactured and marketed by the Mercury brand of Ford Motor Company. Introduced on December 26, 1985 as the replacement for the Mercury Marquis, the Sable marked the transition of the mid-size Mercur ...
's front fenders, hood, and headlights, but used a different bumper, fog lamps, and no middle lightbar.
The SHO also got unique seats, side cladding, dual exhaust, as well as a unique rear bumper. 1992 models can be visually identified by not containing a rear trunklid spoiler, having downturned exhaust tips, and only a driver's side airbag (later models have both driver's and passenger airbags). For the 1993 model year, the rear brakes on the SHO were converted to solid discs, replacing the vented discs of almost identical dimensions that were used in the 1989–1992 model years.
The lack of an automatic transmission had hurt sales, which was a situation that Ford rectified for MY 1993 . A 3.2 L version of the
Ford SHO V6 engine
The Ford SHO V6 is a family of DOHC V6 engines fitted to the Ford Taurus SHO from 1989 to 1995. The designation SHO denotes Super High Output.
Due to the engine's unusual and aesthetically pleasing appearance it is sometimes transplanted into o ...
was introduced for the automatic-equipped SHO, which still had , but now boasted , a increase over the 3.0 L version.
It was later discovered by enthusiasts that Ford had put less aggressive intake camshafts in the 3.2L motor to maintain the same horsepower rating as the 3.0L, while still having more torque. The 1993 to 1995 automatics use the AX4S (previously named
AXOD-E) transmission with these ratios:
For MY 1993, Ford did a minor redesign of the SHO interior, updating the center console. Other changes for 1993 included a trunklid spoiler, with integrated center high mount stop lamp, and "Italian" or directional Slicer wheels. With the addition of Italian slicers the SHO now had right and left specific wheels.
The 94-95 model years featured very subtle changes. They no longer came with chrome trim around the windows, the door handles were now painted body color, and black was no longer offered as an interior or exterior color.
By request of ''
Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...
'' magazine, a SHO station wagon was created by the Car and Driver staff with the help of Ford engineers.
They started with a production Taurus wagon, and from there installed SHO bodywork, including its unique front end. They then replaced the stock engine and drivetrain with SHO drivetrain. Inside, the interior was replicated of that of a high spec SHO sedan, including its sport seats, steering wheel, and included most of the SHO's equipment.
The staff then tested it, and took it on a cross country trip. The Car and Driver staff as well as Ford admitted that the SHO wagon was created "just for fun", and was never meant to be a serious production vehicle, though a second example was built, and used for brake testing.
Rear tire clearance was a primary hindrance for a production version, with Ford unable to justify the modification of the rear body shell.
This generation of SHO has become prominent in American pop culture due to comedian
Conan O'Brien using a green 1992 model that he personally owns in a number of comedy sketches. He would later facetiously claim to be the main influence behind Ford's decision to revive the model in a 2009 sketch when he "reviewed" the 2010 SHO with a Ford employee.
Third generation (1996–1999)
For 1996, the SHO was redesigned, following the
Ford Taurus (third generation)
The third-generation Ford Taurus is an automobile that was marketed by Ford from the 1996 to 1999 model years. While the chassis underpinnings were largely carried over, the redesign gave the Taurus its first complete exterior redesign since its ...
design . Unlike its predecessors, this SHO was more refined and used less radical bodywork. It differed from the normal Taurus with different seats, Alloy
wheel
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...
s,
bumper
Bumper or Bumpers may refer to:
People
* Betty Bumpers (1925-2018), American activist, First Lady of Arkansas, wife of Dale Bumpers
* Dale Bumpers (1925–2016), American politician, governor of Arkansas and senator
* Bumper Robinson (born 197 ...
s, V8 drivetrain, as well as a wind deflector being placed on the driver's side
windshield wiper
A windscreen wiper, windshield wiper, wiper blade (American English), or simply wiper, is a device used to remove rain, snow, ice, washer fluid, water, or debris from a vehicle's front window. Almost all motor vehicles, including cars, tru ...
, to keep it on the
windshield
The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. Mo ...
at high speeds. This SHO model sold in lower numbers than the previous SHO generations, with sales peaking at 9,000 units in 1997.
As a result, Ford cut the SHO when redesigning the Taurus for its fourth generation. It was also the only Ford Taurus generation with a
V8 Engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
.
Engine
A 235 hp (175 kW) aluminum
3.4 L V8 engine with heads from
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
and block from
Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industrie ...
was specified for the SHO model, but it was given the same four speed transmission as the LX: the manual gearbox option was no longer offered on the SHO.
Separation of the
camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft that contains a row of pointed cams, in order to convert rotational motion to reciprocating motion. Camshafts are used in piston engines (to operate the intake and exhaust valves), mechanically controlled ignition systems ...
from its sprocket has been implicated in a growing number of engine failures, at around 50,000 miles (80,000 km).
This problem can be rectified by having the camshafts welded.
The number of engines with failure has been documented at about 1,200 out of about 20,000 engines.
Other undocumented cases very likely exist. There was no SHO for the 2000 model year, some believed that the then President of Ford Motor Company Jac Nasser influenced the designers not to design a SHO model for he was focusing on the
Premier Automotive Group
The Premier Automotive Group (PAG) was an organizational division within the Ford Motor Company formed in 1999 to oversee the business operations of Ford's high-end automotive marques. The PAG was gradually dismantled from 2006 to 2011 with the ...
that consisted of Lincoln, Jaguar, Volvo, Aston-Martin and Land Rover built under that umbrella and the SHO would detract sales to that division of Ford Motor Company.
Transmission
The 1996 and later models got the AX4N transmission, which has the same gearsets (and thus the same gear ratios) as the AX4S used in the 1993 to 1995 SHO, except for the final gear at 1:3.77, but had improved torque capacity and shift quality, such as 3-2 downshifts.
SARC system
As of 1996, The SHO V8 came with a Semi-Active Ride Controller, (SARC) which modified the hardness and stiffness of driving at different speeds. When energized (Lower speeds) it is full soft, when no power (fast speeds and hard braking), full hard. This included modified suspensions strut and Adaptable Assisted Steering. Each corner of the car can be in either mode and acts independently. This eliminates dive on heavy braking and drastically reduces squat on acceleration. The shock solenoids on all 4 struts and the solenoid on the ZF rack and pinion steering changes their behaviour (hard or soft) based on (independent) suspension sensors and ABS sensor based speed detection.
The 1996 and 1997 models had sensors on all 4 wheels. The 1998 models only had sensors on the 2 front wheels. The SARC suspension option was deleted on the 1999 models using the same struts of the 1996-2007 (non-SHO) Taurus, but keeping the adjustable power steering option.
Fourth generation (2010–2019)
A month after the introduction of the sixth generation Taurus, Ford unveiled the much-awaited return of the SHO at the 2009
Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place
convention center. It is the largest auto show in North America.
History
Samuel Miles, formerly a promoter of bicycle shows, produced the first "official" Chic ...
.
[
]
After skipping two Ford Taurus generations, the resurrected sport sedan went on sale in the summer of 2009 as a 2010 model. In a first for the SHO nameplate, permanent torque vectoring all-wheel drive
An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand.
The most common forms of all-wheel drive are:
;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...
was standard. The power-plant was a 3.5L direct-injected Twin-turbo
Twin-turbo (not to be confused with a twincharger setup, which is a combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger) refers to an engine in which two turbochargers work in tandem to compress the intake fuel/air mixture (or intake air, in the case ...
''EcoBoost
EcoBoost is a series of turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engines produced by Ford and originally co-developed by FEV Inc. (now named FEV North America Inc.). EcoBoost engines are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with thos ...
'' V6, which utilized a pair of Garrett GT1549L turbochargers and produced at 5500 rpm and of torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
at 1500-5250 rpm. This engine was mated to Ford's 6F55 six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
with a paddle or console activated manual mode.
The fourth generation SHO came with Ford's new SR1 suspension setup with MacPherson front struts and a multi-link design in the rear. This included SHO-specific shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars and strut mount bushings. An optional Performance Package offered better brake pads, recalibrated steering, a "Sport Mode" for the stability control, additional cooling capacity by way of an engine oil cooler, transmission cooler, and PTU cooler; a shorter 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio, summer tires, spare tire delete, mobility kit (tire inflator with sealant), and an Alcantara wrapped steering wheel. Adaptive cruise control was not available with the Performance Package. Notably, many of the features found on the Performance Package (including the power-train) were shared with the EcoBoost version of the 2013-2019 Ford Police Interceptor Sedan
The sixth generation of the Ford Taurus is the final generation of the model range manufactured by Ford (in markets outside of China and the Middle East). Introduced for the 2010 model year, the sixth-generation Taurus is the second generation o ...
.
A 2012 SHO was featured in the film ''Men in Black 3
''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film se ...
'' as the MIB's official car.
Visually, the differences from the regular Taurus were subtle. The 2010-2012 models were even more subtle, sporting a 3-bar chrome wide-toothed grill, SHO C-Pillar logo and 5-spoked wheels. The 2013-2019 model employed a black grille with small honeycomb-shaped/mesh-like look, 19" or optional 20" "flower" design wheels with other 20" designs in later years, and SHO fender badges. They all had a SHO-specific decklid spoiler, dual polished stainless steel exhaust tips, new parking lamp bezels, and a SHO EcoBoost rear logo.
While the 4th generation SHO remained largely unchanged after 2013, 2017 brought a few light updates to the SHO. Ford SYNC 3, which featured both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was made standard on all SHO's. A revised Sony audio system featuring ClearPhase and Live Acoustics technology was introduced as standard equipment as well. Additonally, two new 20 inch wheel choices were made available. The final update to the SHO was the deletion of the power rear sunshade for the 2019 model year. The 4th generation Taurus SHO ended production along with the rest of the Taurus line on March 1st, 2019.
Awards
The 2010 Taurus SHO was named Car of the Year by Esquire magazine.
See also
*Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
*Sleeper (car)
A sleeper (US English) or Q-car (British English) is a car that has high performance and an unassuming exterior. Sleeper cars are so called because their exterior looks similar or identical to a standard or economy-class car. In some cases ...
References
External links
Official Ford Motor Company website
Ford Vehicles website
National SHO Club
EcoBoost Owners Forum
- Owners Forum
Taurus Car Club of America
http://www.shoforum.com SHO Forum]
SHO Source
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford Taurus Sho
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