2010 TAURUS SHO PROVES THAT FORD LEARNED LITTLE FROM THE MARAUDER DEBACLE
[Get the latest “Truth With Speedzzter” here.
At the Chicago Auto Show, Ford Motor Company announced the return of the Taurus SHO (tm) in 2010.
For TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS more than a pedestrian Taurus, the new SHO will feature a 365-horsepower Eco-Boost (tm) twin-turbo V6 and all-wheel-drive.
No manual transmission . . .
No Eco-Boost V8. . . .
No symphony of high performance V8 sounds . . . .
According to Automotive News, Ford’s Jim Farley, V.P. of marketing and communications claims that "The car has better performance and much better gas mileage than a BMW 550i, which uses a 4.8-liter V-8."
That, of course, remains to be seen.
The early photos of the car suggest an almost-sleeper profile, with only big tires and a rear spoiler distinguishing the new SHO from the Tauri that Ford may end up peddling to fleets and rental car houses (like Dearborn’s new friend Dollar Thrifty – just when you thought the Glass House Gang was FINALLY kicking the addiction to residual/reliability score-killing “program car” sales . . . .)
While the new SHO isn’t approaching the market as down on power as the 2003-04 Mercury Marauder and will have the traction advantage of all-wheel drive, the price point ought to give some cause for concern.
Will enough Taurus buyers pay a one-third premium for a V6 turbo car with no particular competition heritage or image?
(That much markup stinks of price gouging – and that’s before Ford’s dealers kill off initial demand with greedy “additional dealer markups” and other add-ons).
Is Ford prepared to move enough SHOs to prevent the “sales constipation” borne of dealer greed that killed initial demand for the Marauder and hurts GT500 sales to this day?
Are there enough buyers who want an American-sized WRX/EVO (sans all of the entertaining boy-racer wings, scoops, flaps and body kit) or more likely what will be seen as an Americanized Audi?
Will the SHO be compared favorably in the market to the simpler, cheaper V8-powered offerings of Dodge (Charger) and Pontiac (G8)?
Will it get killed on the street and the drag strip by 415-horse G8 GXPs and 425-horse Hemi SRT-8s?
Is 365 horsepower enough for the last blast of the Second Supercar Era?
Does the SHO sap all of the excitement (if any) for the paltry 315-horse Mustang GT?
There are a lot of questions that the new SHO has to answer.
Certainly many will celebrate the SHO, even as they lament the huge price markup that prevents many of them from purchasing it. And perhaps it’s enough of a halo model to make people forget twenty years of neglect and damage to the Taurus/SHO franchise.
But is it too little, too late (and for too much money)?
[Get the latest “Truth With Speedzzter” here.
At the Chicago Auto Show, Ford Motor Company announced the return of the Taurus SHO (tm) in 2010.
For TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS more than a pedestrian Taurus, the new SHO will feature a 365-horsepower Eco-Boost (tm) twin-turbo V6 and all-wheel-drive.
No manual transmission . . .
No Eco-Boost V8. . . .
No symphony of high performance V8 sounds . . . .
According to Automotive News, Ford’s Jim Farley, V.P. of marketing and communications claims that "The car has better performance and much better gas mileage than a BMW 550i, which uses a 4.8-liter V-8."
That, of course, remains to be seen.
The early photos of the car suggest an almost-sleeper profile, with only big tires and a rear spoiler distinguishing the new SHO from the Tauri that Ford may end up peddling to fleets and rental car houses (like Dearborn’s new friend Dollar Thrifty – just when you thought the Glass House Gang was FINALLY kicking the addiction to residual/reliability score-killing “program car” sales . . . .)
While the new SHO isn’t approaching the market as down on power as the 2003-04 Mercury Marauder and will have the traction advantage of all-wheel drive, the price point ought to give some cause for concern.
Will enough Taurus buyers pay a one-third premium for a V6 turbo car with no particular competition heritage or image?
(That much markup stinks of price gouging – and that’s before Ford’s dealers kill off initial demand with greedy “additional dealer markups” and other add-ons).
Is Ford prepared to move enough SHOs to prevent the “sales constipation” borne of dealer greed that killed initial demand for the Marauder and hurts GT500 sales to this day?
Are there enough buyers who want an American-sized WRX/EVO (sans all of the entertaining boy-racer wings, scoops, flaps and body kit) or more likely what will be seen as an Americanized Audi?
Will the SHO be compared favorably in the market to the simpler, cheaper V8-powered offerings of Dodge (Charger) and Pontiac (G8)?
Will it get killed on the street and the drag strip by 415-horse G8 GXPs and 425-horse Hemi SRT-8s?
Is 365 horsepower enough for the last blast of the Second Supercar Era?
Does the SHO sap all of the excitement (if any) for the paltry 315-horse Mustang GT?
There are a lot of questions that the new SHO has to answer.
Certainly many will celebrate the SHO, even as they lament the huge price markup that prevents many of them from purchasing it. And perhaps it’s enough of a halo model to make people forget twenty years of neglect and damage to the Taurus/SHO franchise.
But is it too little, too late (and for too much money)?
Labels: 2010 Mustang, Ford Taurus, Jim Farley, Pontiac G8, SHO, SRT-8
posted by Editor at 16:58
1 Comments:
Answer: no. I don't understand why you think an EcoBoost V8 is a good idea. 365 HP is great, and I'm certain that a tuner can come up with an ECU reflash that adds more HP, torque and fuel mileage. Speaking of torque...
http://jalopnik.com/5151498/2010-ford-taurus-sho-live-and-with-a-ridiculous-torque-curve
That's a torque curve that only a diesel-powered F-Series Super Duty could love.
Oh, and comparing the SHO to the WRX STi and Evo X? Um, no. Ford is aiming for the BMW 550i and Audi A6. That's more of an apples-to-apples comparision. The WRX STi and Evo X comparisions would be better suited for a hot-rodded Euro Focus, like the Focus RS that Europe gets. And having no gaudy bodykits is a plus. The SHO heritage is one that doesn't need to stand out in a crowd.
Stop looking at the glass half-empty and being a pessimist. The SHO has the ingredients of being an awesome car.
Post a Comment
<< Home