Maybe because it was the late 1980s and early 1990s. Maybe it was because I was a pre-teen and then a teen. Maybe it was because this was an era where pretty much every car that everyone was making sucked out loud and the SHO was a beacon of light. No matter the reason, I loved the Ford Taurus SHO and did the “ears perked up, eyed glued to it on the way by, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS thing that kids do when they see cars that they want. The Ford Taurus SHO was a radically awesome thing for the time period. It was a slap back at all of the Japanese and European sport sedans that were making inroads into the market place. This was an American sedan (with a Japanese engine) that could hang with them.
Ford only offered the car with a stick for several years because they claimed not to have an effective enough automatic to handle the horsepower and torque the little Yamaha V6 made therefore it was a manual only car. Our opinion? They were managing volume by going with the stick only. They kept it exclusive and low volume for a few years and then took the blinders off and let the sales flow with an automatic model from 1993 on.
By the sounds of the review the automatic car was completely different and less hardcore than its stick counterpart. Weenier tires, weak suspension, and a more generally soft performance curve seem to have been the hallmarks of this car. The Motor Week crew loved it but it seems they were a bit confused regarding the intentions of Ford regarding their direction for the car.
What do you think?
I’ve always considered the Motor Week guys the bought and paid for mouth pieces for the manufacturers just like they get tuned up “ringers” for the tests. The oldest dog and pony show in town…
I owned one once. Hauled butt for what is was. 5 speed stick. Always fun to leave a car show smoking the front tires. Wife wore out the clutch in Houston traffic. Traded it for a Hemi Charger. Miss the SHO a lot.