TAURUS SHO -an extinct breed

THE FORD TAURUS SHO has all of the sights and sounds that high performance cars should have. Make no mistake about the SHO versus the other Taurus models. This car has the full luxury treatment and the power to back up the name. The SHO gets model specific body-side molding, unidirectional wheels, a long list of options, and a super high output Yamaha V-6 engine. The SHO is the only factory built car to ever receive a Yamaha engine. (Yamaha makes some of the top performing motors for motorcycles today.) Many SHO owners and enthusiasts nicknamed the engine the "snake-pit". The car has all the right stuff to be called a performance sedan, and keeping up with many V-8 sports cars, this is a unique sedan. The SHO has competed with the $50,000 to $80,000 BMW's and Jaguars with equal performance.
The SHO has options that make the car even more luxurious and desirable. The optional JBL Stereo System with CD Player is a step up from the Premium System in that it comes with four JBL speakers and an 8-inch subwoofer mounted to the underside of the rear deck, and an extra amp (which makes two total) to power the subwoofer. Another nice option is a power moonroof. Other options include remote keyless entry, dual power seats, dual airbags, a spoiler, and an automatic.
On the road, the SHO is very impressive. The stick will get you through the 1320 faster by a quarter of a second and will turn harder by 0.2 g's. The upside to the automatic is that is has an extra fifteen pound-feet of torque that is produced at a lower RPM which is produced with the larger bore to increase the displacement to 3.2-liters. The gearing on the automatic is also nice, first gear is capable of almost 60 MPH, and fourth gear sits at 2000 RPM at 60 MPH. When high-speed turning came around, the SHO was quick to stiffen for turns and unexpected bumps. Ford put weaker tires on the automatic than the manual to add a more luxurious feel. The other downside to the automatic is that is weighs about 200 lbs more than the stick.
While the $25,000 1st and 2nd Generation SHO had a 220 HP V-6 and the 3rd Generation SHO had a 235 HP V-8; the closest competitors today are still sporting a max of 240 HP in V-6 engines that have a larger displacement. (3.0-liters in the SHO vs. 3.5-liters in other cars.) The closest sedans in competition with the SHO use supercharged engines or big V-8's and cost at least twice as much.
This family performance sedan is a real prize-winner without showing off, or as some would say, a wolf in sheep's clothing. This 4-door sedan can outrun most sports coupes and can hang with a few sports cars. The SHO is also full of performance potential, and most upgrade parts are cheaper than OEM replacement parts. Ford made a great decision by cooperating with Yamaha to put a high performance engine in a high selling sedan such as the Taurus.