The Taurus SHO is the fastest, most expensive Ford sedan | Revelations with Jason Cammisa | Ep. 08
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2021
- With a development budget of $3.5 billion, the Taurus was Ford's most expensive project ever. It was also a Hail Mary for the company, which was in financial trouble.
And the SHO was the fastest version of the Taurus.
If the Taurus failed, so, too would Ford. It was so important to the success of the company that Ford restructured the engineering and design teams to work together on the new family sedan.
The Taurus's design was so revolutionary that Ford kept its previous mid-size sedan, the LTD, in production at the same time, just in the new car failed - as the other American car executives predicted it would.
Instead, Taurus was an enormous success, eventually becoming the bestselling car in America. The performance version, the Taurus SHO, used the same basic 3.0-liter Vulcan V-6, but instead of pushrods, it used four overhead cams and 24 valves. The DOHC 4-valve heads were designed, manufactured, and assembled by Yamaha in Japan.
The SHO used a Mazda-sourced 5-speed manual and was the most powerful front-wheel drive sedan in the world. The only four-doors quicker or faster in America were the BMW M5 (E34) and 750iL. It was a performance bargain.
But although Ford sold around 400,000 Tauruses per year, it didn't come close to its target of 20,000 SHOs annually. Except for the first year with the new, optional automatic transmission and larger 3.2-liter SHOgun engine.
Why didn't the SHO sell? Well, because it looked like a Taurus - then, the de rigueur family sedan for the person who didn't care about performance.
So the SHO was a victim of the Taurus' success.
===
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That SHO V6 is one of the most aesthetically pleasing engines ever made. The intake manifold is nothing short of a work of art.
One of the best patrol cars in the U.S.
Wish they had put that into the design of the car itself.
@@dwaynesbadchemicals you know it
Unbelievable torch steer and noise vibration and harshness the likes of which you couldn't even explain to someone unless you rode in one
How can the result of nazi slave labor be a work of art?
You do know that Ford helped the Nazis and that Henry Ford loved Hitler and wanted to suck his antisemitic peepee. Right?
You do know that Ford used SLAVE LABOR, which was known for being tortured and STARVED until many of them DIED?
You do know that many of those in that slave labor pool, were SOLDIERS?
How aesthetically pleasing is your U.S. soldier's blood covered intake?
You can't be a patriot OR a good human being if you embrace a nazi-loving coolant that never owned up, never apologized, and never made reparations.
You are just a supporter of a nazi-loving criminal car company.
How is that for aesthetics?
I had an 89 SHO when I was in high school. I remember thinking it was an absolute rocket at the time and could do burnouts through 3rd gear. It was the ultimate sleeper car of its day.
Like a full-package '64 Studebaker Commander with the R3 engine.
My brother in law had an '89 and it was scary fast. Complete sleeper unless you knew what to look for. Fun car!
same.
Bet you wish you still had it.
Must be nice having rich parents.
I am one of the few that actually loved that the SHO didn’t stand out. The little styling tweaks Ford did do to the SHO were perfect, understated, handsome, and tasteful. And made it into one of the greatest sleepers of all time.
I absolutely LOVE that
Exactly my friend. The sleeper look of the muscle car days was the cool thing about the SHO . Very deceptively fast and great handling .
@@Viper81766I had Trans Am and was never sure the Taurus next to me was a regular one or a SHO. I didn't want a granny car keeping up or even beating me so I was careful
@TheBandit7613 Trans Ams were beautiful muscle cars
the whole fwd drive thing kinda ruins it for me, though
@@billymanilli that’s fair. It does ruin some of the fun being front wheel drive, but if it was a daily driver and being from Pa and the snow we get (or at least got lol the past few years have been pretty tame with snowfall) I’d actually prefer it being front wheel drive. Rear wheel drive is fine in the snow, but a front wheel drive is just a bit better and with snow tires can go nearly anywhere a 4x4 can go lol 😂
But yeah to be completely honest during the summer months I’d be wishing it was rear wheel drive lol
My dad had an original Taurus SHO as a company car. An important reason why not many were sold is that you just couldn't find them at dealers. The few that had one would put them in the middle of the showroom and not let people test drive them. My dad ended up ordering one without having driven it based on magazine reviews alone. As it was a company car he didn't care too much, but I imagine the average consumer would want to drive one before deciding to take the plunge.
Ford screwed up the rollout of the 2012+ SHO with the 3.5L EcoBoost too! In addition to this, they didn't even bother to advertise this powertrain was an option in the Flex and Lincoln MKT as well. Seems like everytime they develop a brilliant vehicle that's NOT a special edition Mustang or F-150, they don't market them at all. This behaviour (one of many stupid business practices that Ford always seems to fall into) has led to customers shopping elsewhere...
I saved the C&D article pitting the SHO vs the Z34 and Spirit R/T. I was always a Chevy guy(still tend to favor them over Ford), but could not deny the SHO and since the Z34 was coupe only, found a used '92 and held it for a decade. I did get to test drive it, though. That SHO was such a cult car. It drew in automotive fans from all over the spectrum...
my understanding is that they made that exact same mistake with the high powered focus ST. no one bought because the dealerships wouldn't allow anyone to drive one... its a cool car that had a very short life span.
scams scammers scam ford japan made yamaha engine sho v6
can we just take a second to appreciate the production value of this video. These guys made an exceptionally good looking, well made, well lit, excellent audio quality, tv quality youtube video.
Couldnt have said it better, very good video. Thx for making
Not to mention how to make a video of a Ford Taurus actually entertaining!
Well said! This was a treat.
I was scanning CZcams for a video about a 1998 Volvo S70, and stumbled on this. It's INCREDIBLY well-done, from start to finish. I see it just came out. My question is, how does this video make money? I know about the SHO engines, and do like the newer models. I miss Crown Vics too. Thanks for posting this. I do hope you guys make some money, as you spent a lot in production.
Ok
When the SHO breaks down, you fix the SHO
Because the SHO must go on
Its Always somebody in the Comment section trying to SHO off😂😂😂😂
sho 'nuff right!
Very good
The Engine never broke on those- everything bolted to the engine did.
The last two comments ruined the running joke
Fo sho
I owned an '89 SHO and later a gen 3 '97, absolute maintenance nightmares but I still enjoyed them both. Worst was the '97 and the cam shaft gear / bent valves problem ughgh. Loved this video!
Did any of them make it to rusting out.
@@dannysee1 No, the 89 blew a head gasket and the 97 was traded in with a faulty overdrive solenoid
I’ve heard that the only way to avoid eventually grenading the 97-02 V8s is to take it to someone to weld your cams, is that correct?
@@videogamefreak221122 yes that is correct. You'd see v8 shos listed on Ebay with *welded cams* in the title. I had both of mine welded by a friend when I pulled the heads and changed the bent valves in the front head
@@tailslide5053 Might be part of the reason why I never see them anymore, not even on auction sites and whatnot. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person at all…
One of the best sleepers ever. I got one as my first car and was addicted. I owned 8 after that. Watching that spirited drive at the end makes me miss mine terribly. I still have a supercharged 1990 that’s been in storage for years. That car would surprise the hell out of people. The most beautiful intake manifold ever.
Get it OUT! Drive it! If you don’t want to, then hit me up! 😂
I always wanted one of these with a license plate that says “SHO TIME”
Is your profile picture a play on the plastic love photograph?
I showed my tail lights to the SHO no problem in my 92 Olds Achieva SCX 2.3L light modified W41 engine. It suffered from a poor exhaust, it needed a better long tube headers to let the exhaust out. I used to have to do a factory recall on the cats on the stock Tauruses.
Or "SHO EM" ;) !!!!!!!!!
I have a 95 S.H.O. with license plate GR8-SHO
@Oldskol Acura Depends where you live. Many States have 7 characters.
I remember when the SHO was released and on the road. It was a factory-made sleeper car. Most people had no clue the balls it had because it looked like the regular Taurus.
It's still that way with the new ones too. I have roughly 1k into aftermarket parts, and I beat a scatpack charger from a dig
And that's why they didn't sell. Nobody wanted a sleeper. Had they glued some ground effects and a spoiler on it, it may have done better.
No it didn't, it had fog lights and distinct body cladding that could be spotted from a hundred yards away.
@@Guy_de_Loimbard Yes de tect ive status like.
The Yamaha engine would not last. Had big failure with cam sgafts and rockers. Basically the aluminum engine couldnt hold up. The Buick GN is a better choice for muscle. Not even close.
When you get Yamaha involved in the engine design of your car, you know you're going to end up with something weird and exciting. The same problem that sank the SHO (the lack of differentiation from the base model sedan) is the same thing that sank the Fusion Sport. The Fusion Sport was easily one of the best sedans out of America in terms of power, handling, and creature comforts. The problem was that you couldn't readily tell it apart from the standard Fusions, and that's a problem when you're paying a non-trivial premium to get one. I got the 2.0L ecoboost AWD with the titanium and electronics packages, so it's every feature from the Sport model at the time, except for the V6 (which I do wish I could have afforded at the time. The extra power at marginal fuel economy sacrifice would have been really nice).
The coubterintuitive problem is this, the Taurus' new design looked like it was made for speed, the SHO was supposed to be the norm over the base model coubterpart. But design evolved, the radical spaceship became the norm.
Your Fusion also lacked the semi-active dampers with pothole mitigation that the Sport model had. After test driving the 2.0 then the 2.7 I simply had to have the Sport model. The torque difference is staggering.
@@kingkrimson8771 Yeah, the Sport variant of the same model year cost an extra $5k. It wasn't happening.
Never compromise on a car, go all out. When I bought an 87 regal- it was a gnx, when I bought my g35 it was an 07 sedan s 6mt special edition Japanese model with dealer nismo options , when I bought my lotus, it was an exige s , when I bought my wife her suv it was an srt , because the explorer sport died. Top end or nothing
@@ThorOdinson-zc2kq Believe me, if I could make the choice again then I would have just driven further to find the Sport model. I can't even imagine how much more powerful the ecoboost V6 model would be after a mod chip retune when the same mod already brought my little 2.0L ecoboost to over 300HP/400lb-ft. But, having said that, my car is perfectly suitable for my needs. I have the same problem that my friend with the Model 3 has: I have nowhere to use the performance it already has. I don't feel like losing my license and there's just too damn many people on the road for me to actually carve up corners even at reasonable, law abiding speeds. So, while I would have liked to have the even more performant version of my car, I don't have as many regrets as I might have if I lived in an area where it was easier to actually utilize such excess.
Unless you live somewhere that has a track and you've got a membership on an annual subscription basis and can just drop by for a track day, I can't understand why people would ever want a car with more than, like, 500HP. You'll never get to use it properly. Driving my car and particularly my friend's Tesla are just exercises in constant restraint. I haven't even had the opportunity to find out if my car is gear, torque, or electronically speed limited (I just know that is hasn't given up accelerating even at 140mph).
I was working at Ford when the Taurus rolled out and it was a happy time for sure. Then Ford claims to have outsold the Honda Accord and spent millions on advertising claiming the achievement with a grand celebration planned. But then Honda called foul and had damning evidence to back up the claim.
As the model year registration numbers were coming to a close Ford was still behind Honda so they decided to call all the rental companies, Hertz, Avis, Alamo with give away pricing on the Taurus. They bought enough vehicles to put Ford on top but Honda disputed these claims as the "best selling vehicle title" is based on individual retail sales only, no fleet sales.
Similar tactics applied to the F-150 sales numbers, Chevrolet and GMC had outsold Ford combined, (both are produced on the same assembly line) but they cried foul and demanded CHEVROLET and GMC be counted as two separate brands.
Oh wow!
Sounds about right..
I drove a black 1990 Taurus SHO with the darkest window tint I could legally get in college. It had the benefit of being invisible to cops and super visible to "those who knew". It was a fabulous car.
Ha. The cops thought you were a mom with her kids in the back.
@@BravoSeven Exactly. But drive a bright red mustang, and every cop in the city is actually looking for you. That's the point, be so pedestrian the cops don't even think you're going to break a traffic law somewhere.
@@Tagiau the dark tint wouldn’t help that. He’s overplaying the story drastically. It was an okay family car.. that’s all
“Those who knew” 😂
scams scammers scam ford japan made yamaha engine sho v6
These type of reviews are really important to be on the internet. Thank you Jason!
You're very welcome - I love making these videos, so I'm glad y'all love watching them!
@@JasonCammisa we do love watching them... as well the colab ones with Throttle House, for exemple. It was a lot of fun!
@@JasonCammisaqi
L
Why is this important? Maybe 30 years ago but not even then
Absolutely
1991 SHO was my first car. What a fun car to drive, plus it's spacious. Unfortunately, it eventually needed too many repairs, and at the time I couldn't afford to get it fixed. After sitting in my driveway for years, I finally sold it to a neighbor who was interested in it. Happy it went to a good home, but sad that it's gone. One day when the stars align, I'll get another 1991 SHO!
My dad still talks about the cool digital dash in his 92 Taurus to this day. Revolutionary stuff back then
A lot of 80’s cars had digital dash, I have a 87 300zx which came certain models had the digital my model is analog I prefer actually looking at a needle or analog. But I will have to say digital is pretty cool
The SHO was a sleeper back in the day. Kicked a lot of ass!
I used to beat fox body’s , and BMW 3 and 5 series all the time. My first car at 18 years old was a Blue with tan interior 1994 Taurus SHO.
Fun times! I had a 85 RX7 cut port 13b from the next year with a 2200cc diesel truck turbo turning 467 hp at 7200 rpm, and it would embarrass a SHO very much like a Telsa just eats the top hellcats. No point in muscle cars when mommy in her Tesla passes you, and does not even realize your trying to race her.
@@MegaMeaty Those RX7's were fun until you got 8 miles down the road and realized its time for another APEX replacement. My buddy had an 88, I think he rebuilt that motor (if you count APEX seals as a rebuild) like 4 times in under 100k miles. He beat that car to death though. And I'd argue there is plenty of point in muscle cars, they are fun as hell to bang through gears in. I wouldn't feel that embarrassed if a $130k performance electric car beat me in a race. Plus approximately 0 people are going to ask you rev up a Tesla, or even know you are gunning it haha.
Hell yes it did. I had never heard of the SHO until i was getting my car fixed. There was one up on a lift getting the clutch replaced because the owner was 16/17 years old and learned to drive a stick in it.
@Bobby Jackal never been a big car guy but, as a kid, the Buick Grand National was my favorite. Mainly because of it's looks and my friend telling me how awesome it was.
As a 2015 SHO owner, I will always love the original.
The 2015 is still full size sedan and i love it. Doesnt try to copy no-one
As a 2010 and 2014 SHO owner I will say the 89 SHO was awesome. The 4th Gen SHO was not true to form.
Imagine a 2nd gen Fusion (2010-2014) with that engine and a stick... I had a 2010 with the V6, and it handled better than it had any right to with some decent tires on it.
Have you driven one?
@@GeorgiGeorgiev-ne9ps lol, we have a 2012 Focus and the fact that the Taurus seems to have less space for people inside is hilarious. Would still love one anyway, even the non SHO models are great drivers.
The words in the commercial....they are English words. Yet they are expressed in such a way that they carry no meaning.
Got a 94 SHO that currently needs a little TLC.. hope to have it back on the road soon! Truly an amazing car. They sound great, handle way better than I thought it would at first glance, and have one of the most beautiful intake setups you’ll ever see!
I bought an '89 SHO back in 2004 from a Dealer Auction for $650 and it had "No Problems" & it was SUPER FAST!!! I loved it!!
@Frank Basile Wait...there is a story there that the internet needs to hear lol
@@kirkm1976 he's Definitely capping that didn't happen lol
Why is No Problems is quoted?
Show me the CarFax
@Frank Basile start talking....lol
Cappin
Jason has really been a... Revelation to me. He's such a perfect host for this show.
He and roadkill were my favourites on motor trend.
@@Dilbagh0210 I certainly wouldn't mind if Hagerty snatched the Roadkill people from MT tbh, they're also great.
Legend
@Drone Strike I'd like to add Henry Catchpole from Carfection to that list.
Yeah, Henry’s great
Now that’s a blast from the past! My parents bought an early 90s black Ford Taurus when I was a teenager. It wasn’t the SHO unfortunately, but it was really fun to learn how to drive and took us on road trips hauling a little trailer all over the west coast. A co-worker of mine had a 90s silver manual SHO with the rear spoiler back in 1998. That thing was fast and comfy.
That’s what’s up. I took driver’s education in high school and the car we used was a first generation Taurus. It had become a beater by 2003, but there was always a sense of comfort when it came to driving the old Ford. The nostalgia, Good Car 👍🏽
Let's not forget the SVT Contour....Hagerty should definitely do a piece on that car.i had one, loved it ....such a unique car that was quick and had great handling as well!
My dad used to work at Ford back in the day. He always told me how he enjoyed working on the Taurus project. Just wish he was around today to ask him more questions about it. Thanks for the video Hagerty.. and Jason!
Sorry to hear he’s gone, it’s a reminder for me to make a video or something for myself, my kids and their kids and so on and so on. Just imagine if we could have some perspective of events from our ancestors that lived in the 1800’s or beyond. We have that ability now, where 1000 yrs from now, our descendants will have an idea of what life was like for us. It’s crazy to think about but it is a reminder to cherish every moment we have before it’s lost forever
Thanks for this share….
Where is ur dad jimmy? Why can't you ask him?
@@EmorSceneForME
He died.
Ford is my favorite brand and I own a Crown Vic LX
SHO was such a huge name back in the day
Oh yeah, Drangus! ALL CAPS!
@@SonnyGTA hell yeah
I cannot even tell you how many times I have rewatched these videos...this channel, this series, they're sooooo good.
I own a 3rd gen SHO and I get soooo excited when someone actually knows what it is
My dad had a blue one as his first company car back in the late 80’s, he still talks about how much he loved that car, as a truck guy, I think that really speaks to how good that car really is.
My dad had the silver blue one too lol
Could only imagine being some hot shot sonofabitch and getting a state of the art SHO handed to me as a company car do u know how hard I'd thrash that thing day in and day out even if I had a desk job 🙃
@@kevinjohnson9372 it’s wasn’t a SHO.
This is the reason why Ford doesn't make cars anymore!!! Lol
My mom had one and I loved it because it was pretty quick.
I own a '13 Taurus SHO and it's a great car. Very comfortable, very fast, and it looks like an undercover cop car. And I got it for less than $15k
All wheel drive?
@@thecouldntbe They are all AWD. They are surprisingly fast even though they are heavy as hell and have a really small back seat for the size.
I was going to buy one after I sold my 13’ Regal GS, but scared to death of the repair bills out of warranty.
"Fast" is definitely a point of view.
Maybe "Fast" in ford's explanations is "Fast to break".
You paid $14K too much
I remember the original Taurus SHO. It was similar in size and shape to a Tempo, but the quality, design, and build quality were totally in another class.
The drive scene was very authentic...the engine light was on the whole time.
Hahahahahaah
I thought I was the only one who caught that. LOLOL. That killed me, so perfect.
They turn off?
@@Myotis1134 It's actually defective IT it turns off. Engine light is for ambient driving; yellow is a well known stress reducer.
@@Myotis1134 They burn out!
as an owner of an early SHO, black and subtle, I loved how the cops failed to notice me. I was a family man in a sedan. An awesome advantage. and top speed was more like 155, in my experience. 10% under drive, and fresh tires.
That was the thing - the SHO was a sleeper - in fact, an Ultimate Street Sleeper. The Vulcan V-6 from Yamaha had 24 valves (four per cylinder).
Thanks for the memories. Had a 99 SHO. Got the cams welded and really enjoyed that car. Very nice...
My uncle used to own one of these, and it was such a blast to be a passenger as a kid. I was never in anything remotely like a performance car until that day and it was unforgettable.
Born in the Midwest in 1981, I remember the SHO when they were new. Even as a little kid, I knew the SHO was something special. I always used to look for the dual exhaust and SHO letters on the rear bumper of Tauruses.
I still do on the rare occasion I see any
@@rcyalater...2305 GEN 3 is a rare site these days. Most of us that still own one are few and far between, and I have not seen one around my area in many years.
The singing alone earned a like. Talent.
Hey, Jason is Italian through and through.
Former 95 SHO driver here. Y'all can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall the engine ever being referred to as the "Shogun." The Shogun referred to a very specific build of a Ford Festiva using the SHO engine. We always called it the Yamaha V6.
Also, I agree with the idea of people not wanting the SHO because it's based off the ubiquitous Taurus, but that's also what made it appeal to the diehard fans. It was a sleeper that would spring off the line, and it had additional comforts like the JBL sound system with a subwoofer in the back.
Last, thank you for the footage at the end. I got goosebumps hearing the sounds of that glorious engine again.
Had 2 Tauruses and a Sable. All early 90s and nothing fancy but I LOVED each one !
When those things, and the Probe, hit the streets it was indeed some next-level stuff.
The Ford Probe!
Only problem was it was marketed to young professional women. The Probe? No, not gonna fly.
The SHO, yes!!! The probe, no way!
I haven't saw a probe forever , I was just thinking about how long it has been
@@ericmolinsky7571 wait, Eric Molinksy the podcast host??
The last minute or so of sub 7k rpms in the twisties almost brought a tear to my eye. I sit in my 1992 SHO with PRIDE.
My man.
My 1991 SHO make 7800 rpm
@@mavericksav they're meant to go to 8k! Accessorie drive cant keep up according to Ford in 1988
I have a modded '89 that won 3 ESP SCCA regional Autox championships. On "slow" courses, just leave it in 1st gear. I've seen the tach wound around past 9000rpm more than once!
@@RobertBrown-vm3ce dude, i love this.
I currently own a 94 SHO in great condition and love it. It's my first and only car so when I drive anything else I always feel like, "where's the acceleration!?"
I had a SHO. I loved that thing. When it hit that power band in 3rd it was a great feeling. Miss that little guy.
Despite all we can Say and think, I really miss the 80's. That were the best days of my life.
heck yeah im 47 i was a teen in the 80s....it was so fun to wake up on saturday mornings for the cartoons!
So right my friend they were crazy times 👌👌👌👌🏴🏴🏴🏴
I’m 45 now and if I was 45 in 1986 I would have totally bought an SHO! I remember my parents coming home with a brand new Mercury Topaz in 85. I was blown away 😃I loved the 80’s
heck I miss anything pre-internet and smart phones. I was in my 20's during the 80s. they still play new wave music all over the place. can't seem to do anything really "new" that is good today in that regard. I drove a regular taurus back then and was amazed how comfortable and powerful it was. too bad they couldn't have put that engine into something that looked halfway decent instead of the box design.
@Super Genius soooooo true !
Moral of the story: Yamaha motorcycle company was the unsung hero of the show!
As usual.
And Mazda !!
Yamaha makes exhaust notes for some super cars 😚
@@EmorSceneForME they make great pianos too 🐱🐱🐱👍👍
@@fidelcatsro6948 😊 yes indeed!
I had a 91 plus with the rod shifter. The powerband was insane. Good times
Years ago my buddy was given one of these as a courtesy while his truck was being worked on. We were young and doing a lot of coke at the time. We took that poor car up our local national forrest gravel roads full speed. Somehow we managed not to go over any cliffs and my friend returned it in relatively decent shape, all things considered.
Surviving youth is primarily about inadvertently dodging bullets.
The good old days.
man ol man them sounds like some good ol times.
That Ford commercial at the beginning of this video had a “Team America” vibe. I was waiting for “F - Yeah!” chorus.
Sounded like a Tim & Eric song lol
Perhaps, there could also be a "Bummer Remix" like in the movie, too!
😂😂😂😂
haha - totally
Lmfao yup
I had a 95 sho 5 speed I put a ton of performance parts into it and I must say it was one of the fastest and best handling cars I've ever owned. I really miss that beast.
I bought a 92 brand new, dropped a ton on it too and had it for 240k miles (19 years later) and sold it for $4500! I had 3.2 heads by way of the SHO Shop, polished/ported intake runners, Baer breaks, LPM from SHO Shop, subframe connectors, front & rear strut towers braces, Koni adjustable struts, slotted the front upper strut towers, progressive springs from SHO Shop, Quaife LSD, short throw shifter, solid engine mounts, cold air intake, borla exhaust w/dual DTM exhaust tips, gutted the cats Nd I’m sure there was some other things. Really fun car!
stick shift would have been cool.. these cars are so hard to find now..anything 90s thats not rusted out..you better buy it if its cheap..
@@SpaceRanger187 Even if it's not rusted out, it's likely at one point it was owned by a hoonigan boy racer wanna be who beat the crap out of it. A decent substitute is a first gen Mazda6 V6, which you can get in manual. It's a scooch faster than the SHO with a decade of engineering and metallurgy advancements.
@Steven Of course there is. More horsepower/torque moving less weight.
@Steven Bullshit. There's most certainly a enthusiast community for the Mazda6. You can easily get all manner of performance parts for them.
The 1st gen Mazda6 does have the same HP. It's got a Porsche engineered DOHC V6. So it revs. According to the automotive catalog website, it's 1/10th a second faster than the SHO. Because it weights a bit less.
The world most certainly does revolve around hp/torque to weight. Especially in terms of performance cars.
I remember the first time I saw that Taurus, in the wagon form and thought how cool and futuristic it looked.
Bought an '89 in early '91 from a Ford dealer that was foolish enough to offer an extended warranty. The transmission was far too fragile, but they bought me 5 of them before they stopped... all within less than one of the most fun years of my life. I got what Hypertech claimed was the first chip they released for it... probably not but I felt cool. Got me 2 more mph on the top end at 142 (that is where the wall of air stopped it) and a 9K rev limiter. I ran the numbers using an Atlas (the GPS of the time) on a timed run, and I averaged 113 MPH from Richmond to the border of NC one very late night.
The motor though. Bulletproof.
And what a sleeper. So fun to jump on Mustang GTs of the day. Yeah. They could take you by a little... if they were ready.
I've probably never left the ground more in any other car since. It should have killed me and my best friend 20 times over... but it didn't. Love that car.
Remember how RoboCop used this vehicle and it was considered soo cool
The 6000 SUX, lots of torque at 8.2 MPG. I'd buy that for a dollar!
Yes, And at one scene in the movie, it lost a hubcap which spun out of control straight toward the viewer
@@gavincurtis , well, in my dimension, at least the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Hellcat Redeye, or Demon will be seen as a far better vehicle. Also, which moron thought that SUX would be a good letter nomenclature to add to a number? The Pontiac 6000 was a bad enough vehicle as it was, but the people in your dimension not only somehow made Pontiac survive past the 2000s, but also revived that vehicle as well.
@@paxhumana2015 Those would all rust away before the 6000 SUX would need its first oil change. It holds 5 gallons in the sump.
@@paxhumana2015
You do know that China now owns Dodge I'm assuming ?
I can't wait to see what they're churning out by 2030, my guess is that they're gonna take quite a few steps backwards.
Ford on the other hand provides more American job's than all other auto manufacturers combined and are #1 in owner loyalty.
Ford also didn't take any multi billion dollar bailouts, something a lot of loyal Americans take into account when spending their hard earned money.
My guess is Ford will be around forever, the others I wouldn't bet on.
I worked in a Ford dealer when these came out and they were absolute fire! Would kick a 5.0 Mustangs butt and embarrass a lot of Corvettes.
I was actually told to stop racing people in Corvettes while doing PDIs the GM dealer down the road was getting pissed😂
And a few years later a version of the Dodge Spirit was more powerful than the SHO and now a Camry is more powerful, even some Sentras.
lol...I had the same issue back then. Another hot Yamaha powered Ford was the 2nd gen Probe GT.
By '86 Corvette's were coming into their own and pretty quick... but an '84 Vette with Crossfire injection was trash. If they slept on the line or you took them by surprise, new 5.0 Mustang's didn't have a chance. By 60 - 70 MPH the SHO was pulling away, so a 5.0 needed to rely on V-8 torque and RWD to get a good jump. If the SHO was rear wheel drive instead of FWD, man... it would have been... wow.
@Ip Man The Mustang GT or LX of the time had a 5.0 liter V-8, good for 225 HP. The SHO had a Yamaha modified/tuned 3.0 liter V-6 good for 220+ HP. I think both cars were comparable weight. The torque and weight transfer gave the Mustang an big advantage off the line. The SHO had much better aero and more power higher in the rev range... so as they went down the road any edge the Mustang had slowly got eclipsed by the SHO.
@Ip Man No idea. Maybe? Would be tough plumbing around that intake system.
I never owned a SHO, but my first car was an '87 Taurus sedan that was originally my parents'. I remember how happy Mom was when they bought that car, and it was truly an awesome thing compared to the other cars of the day. I have a lot of very fond memories of my time owning it until it was rear-ended and totaled a couple years after I got it. For a 5 seat sedan, she was a little rocket, and handled amazingly well.
Fast forward to last year when my oldest kid needed a car. I tracked down a very well cared for, low mileage 2000 Taurus for her that she has absolutely fallen in love with. Every time I drive that car I'm reminded of my teenage years and how much that old '87 meant to me.
I'm a sports car guy at heart, but that old Taurus will always be a bright point in my car history.
I love these old sleeper sedans, we used to get something like it every decade or so but not really anymore. Had an SHO for years and years and I desperately miss that monster.
I owned 2 of these bad boys back in they day, an '89 & '94 and really enjoyed winding out the RPM's. The '89 was the best car deal I ever made......bought it for $4,500 and about a year later I totaled it when a guy in a Mustang GT pulled out in front of me. His insurance company called a fews days later and said they had a check ready for me for $9,200. 😋
@Oldskol Acura I bought the '89 SHO used,.with 100K on the ODO.
Did you cream yer jeans ?
I wanted a Taurus Sho or a Mercury marauder as a kid… still my faves
Don't forget the Impala SS. All 3 cars were bad asses.
@@cedrichaney5368 but soooo many doors!!
@@cedrichaney5368 Definitely!
@@SonnyGTA lol I know. But it was for classification. To help us poor folk with insurance. It was classified as a sedan or at most a sport sedan rather than being a coupe or sport coupe. I found that out after I was so upset over the remake of the dodge charger being a 4 door. Its classified as a sedan for cheaper insurance costs. Charger hellcat....classified as a sedan.
@@cedrichaney5368 yup, don’t forget the 94-96 SS 👍
My dad had one of these when I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed since
Interestingly enough 9/10 times I see a first gen Taurus on the road it’s a SHO. They’re the only ones people keep looking nice and driveable I guess.
Very hard to believe you see that many, since such little number got sold people who bought it probably don’t daily it anymore. Sucks Ford gave us a sweet car the U.S didn’t appreciate. Now you know why we never got the Escort RS Cosworth, Focus RS for very few years never saw the BarraCoyote 4 door Falcon.
Of course, I sold my 92 Taurus for $500. At the time I remember seeing one of these for 5k. lol,
That would be ten times more then I see a first gen taurus
One thing not mentioned in these comments nor in the video was how ridiculously bad the Taurus was in terms of mechanical issues. That's probably why you never see them on the road TBH. They just had so many problems and never lasted beyond 85k before needing a tranny rebuild or a new head.
@@LeviBulger Not nearly as bad as the 4 banger Tempo and Topas from 86 to 90. That was the worst years for ford. The 3.0 was actually a pretty good engine back then. Altho the steel oil pan would rot and drain all the oil out, and to fix it , the engine had to be raised 5 inches. NOT A CHEAP FIX>
My grandma had a 95 Taurus SHO, it was the car I took my drivers test in 17 years ago. Great torque band, and handled great
I took my drivers test in my parents' 1989 SHO
I had a 93' SHO manual and that was my favorite car I ever had. Miss it
Dad had an 89 sho we loved it when the secondary’s opened up it went like hell
I've had 4 SHOs and still have a 93 ...
Great cars
Thats awesome to know bro
Yooo! That “Taur-Us For Us” Theme Song Was Lit🤣
Can I get track ID plz !!! lmao
BAZINGA!!
Hilarious! And I was there.... Wow.
Go make a TikTok with it LMAOO
Festivus for the rest of us!
Loved the shot where y’all just basically recreated the ‘dreamy, steamy, angelic, shot of the 80s’ awesome production value!
A 91 SHO was my first car after an engine swap on my 88 RX-7 fell through. I had four more before I finally moved on. I always liked calling them a diamond wrapped in a turd BECAUSE of the fact that such a beautiful engine was dunked into a Taurus. After all these years, the sound of the engine in the driving section brought back ALL the memories of the joy that turd would bring from that diamond ensconced within. When you hit mid revs under wide open throttle and hear/feel the secondaries open? Nothing like it for a SHO enthusiast.
I bought an '89 when they first came out. Light Titanium like the one you have. As you said, it was very understated and easy to mistake for grandma's Taurus. Another reason for the slow sales was the price. They were not cheap. I paid just over $22,000 for mine. To compare, a Mercedes 190E was $24,000. It was a pretty good car. The first ones had major issues with their clutch not releasing correctly. I believe they used a 3 finger pressure plate and had either bad fingers or springs. I paid to replace mine and not too long afterward Ford quietly issued a Dealer Notice (not a recall) to fix them if needed. Of course I didn't get compensated but I got a second "free" clutch a year or two later. That Mazda trans had a crap 2nd gear syncro. You had to be very careful going into 2nd, up or down. It had excellent steering and brakes. I got nearly 80,000 miles out of the first set of brakes. The car was an absolute touring king. It had a sweet spot at 100-110 mph. At 120, the nose would start to lift and the steering would start getting light, so it could have used a deeper air dam. Top end was 145 indicated, which I believe is accurate as I had an early morning run against a, new for the time, Corvette. The Corvette's top end was supposed to be 155 and that Vet slowly pulled me on top. The old two lane bridges on the 101 got really skinny at that speed. I put 180,000 nearly trouble free miles on that car before I sold it. Overall a great car. I still have the metal model SHO that the dealers sold.
Here on the Canadian west coast, they were going for about 32,000. My Dad almost bought one in 89 after he and I test drove one and yeah, we were really impressed. But you're right, for that kind of money, you could easily get into a BMW or a Benz 190E. A little expensive for a Ford.
@@codyluka8355 you don't but the brand, you buy the car...
My 3rd gen SHO was the same way. over 110 it would start to lift the front end and get a little sketchy to drive. They never quite got the aero handled during the first 3 generations
It was an absurdly excellent highway cruiser at 80 mph.
@@noth606 very true. But retained value is something to consider.
*Conan O’ Brian still owns his Taurus SHO to this day.*
@Pat Pat Pat 6 neutrals?
Ol Bessy Lou!
My friend's older brother snatched this 1986 SHO from a dealership for a low price. This car was the true definition of a sleeper back then. To sit inside was as comfortable as my 2011 Maybach.
The video itself is a work of art, just like that intake manifold on the SHO! Excellent work guys!
My parents had a 1996 SHO and I had it at 152 on the highway and It had a little bit more in it before I let off. It was such a surprising car and the engine looked insane to me and my buddies because we were used to our carburated v8s at that time
It wasn't the Yamaha 3.0 though. That Yamaha engine is LEGENDARY!!!
I got a 2011 SHO with 48875 miles on it. Second best car I ever had, after my 1980 Pontiac Grand Prix.
The " Have you driven a Ford? LATELY? Ad campaign was actually pretty good. I haven't heard it in years and instantly bought back memories of signing along to that.
I remember in the summer of 89' my mom fell in love with the light blue Taurus station wagon..The car was reliable and had 1 service trip in the 8ish we had it.She traded it in on the last year brand new 97' T-bird. The last station wagon we had was a mid 70's Ford Country Squire.
We found a wrecked SHO and put it's running gear in a wagon, it was worth it just to have a rocket wagon
I did the same.
I wanted to do that back in 2002. My exs mom had 3 wagons and said I could have one but The transmission was bad. As they all eventually were
Car and Driver did one too
If there's one for sale in FL let me know!
I have a 2002 SE Taurus Wagon. I want to get an 04 or 05 model and put a SHO engine in it!
I wanted a SHO when I was young
Same, in a manual transmission
I still want a SHO to this day and I'm 41 lol
I had a '93 5-speed. White with white wheels and black interior. That car was a blast, and is the one car from my past that I wish I could have back.
Same here still do. I wanted the 95 in 2010 now in 2021 I want the 2010 sho
I was lucky enough to have one but unlucky enough to wreck it pretty bad. RIP 93 Emerald Green 3.2 ATX SHO!
I can't belive that content with this level of quality is free
Love the video!! Great stuff,love the old SHO also my buddy had one in 2000 when I was in high school,and it was a blast!
Conan O'Brien still drive his 1992 manual taurus SHO lol Fantastic video as always!
the last time I was at Conans show, he was actually driving an Audi A8L, but I am sure he still has the SHO,. He used to talk about it/make fun of himself for still having it, once in a while.
@@paristrout8469 somebody ask about the Taurus on his podcast, he said he kept it in storage. He said Brad Pitt burned the clutch and then he didn’t get that repaired.
Edit: I think he drove a Tesla now, based on what he’s in on sketch involving a car.
@@kevins718 Damn Brad Pitt should buy him a new clutch it’s pocket change to him.
@@1PotatoeMasher1 it's pocket change to Conan, too.
He’s a lame
The Taurus SHO is one of the few American Fords from that era that I'd LOVE to own.
American made....lol
Did you not hear what the japanese did for it, thats why asian brands are taken over.
Unfortanately
Save some money for tie rod ball sockets, you will need lots of them.
Just follow various car outlets, but never buy a car from ebay. Beware that the Yamaha engine in the SHO is not reliable. Oh, and you will pay through the nose for one of these cars.
I loved the 88 t bird…
Cosworth Sierra would be nice too shame those are so damn rare and expensive
My 2nd gen SHO was one of my favorite cars,I loved that thing,it was amazing and a big step from my Ranger lol.
I saw this car for the first time in RoboCop, fell in love with it.
Thanks for giving this car so much love! When I got my '89 back in 2001, I fell head-over-heels in love and still have it. It ignited a love for sports cars in me. I've done some modifications to the chassis, and it's now as fun as any other car I've ever driven. I haven't even touched the engine.
I'm sure that car would fetch a pretty penny today.
My family had a police version in Chicago when I was a kid that thing was unbelievably fast it would hit 140 and the Speedo would start to clock over. highway monster for a old v6
The police version was not that fast. The only special equipment on a police Taurus was the cooling package and most didn’t have that either. Taurus’ were issued because either the chief or an investigator needed a car to putt around in. They might have said police package on the door jam but they were pretty much your standard Vulcan V6. They briefly gained popularity when police departments were looking to give beat cops slow cars to “ keep them outta trouble”. Once the panther platform 93 and up crown Victoria appeared with the mustang’s 4.6 modular V-8 the Taurus police cars sat in the lot and saw only occasional use. My little town had one, the wiring harness self immolated and caught the car on fire. It was no loss as a pair of crown vics had replaced it several months earlier
^^^^ Guys a fuckin nerd am I right?
@@theraginggam3r679 is he wrong tho?
That 3.8 V6 was a motivator tho. I loved mine until I popped the heads
@@matthewcaughey8898 lol it didn’t have anything about police on it but a flashlight on the door but yeah it was nice . It don’t matter if it’s not the fastest but it goes fo sho .
I remember my step dad trying to get this thing to start for an hour everyday dont miss that
I always wanted an SHO back in the day. What a sleeper beast and pretty comfy too.
Jason is like the Ryan Reynolds’s of automotive journalism. Love it.
adam Sandler
Looks like Adam Sandler but personality is certainly similar to Ryan 😆
Agree 100%
scams scammers scam ford japan made yamaha engine sho v6
They need to bring back the "have you driven a Ford lately?" Slogan
The problem was that it just reminded us Ford owners how much we were spending to rent a Toyota while our Fords were in the shop
They better hurry and get the slogan out there before those Ford's are doing the driving for us....... some day!
@@billyjoejimbob56 sure will, kind of hoping to get a newer mustang In the next couple of years. 2017-2020 stick car, whether its a GT, bullitt etc
@@natejones963 Good choice... enjoy!
they should simply get to the point in the marketing slogan: We put Japanese superbike technology in our Fords!
My dad used to have a manual SHO and let me shift from the passenger side... while he worked the clutch. It was pretty awesome 😀
"Taaaaurus! For us!"
That was some effective marketing. This car was introduced when I was about 11 and whenever I see one this commerical plays in my head. 😂😂
Then Ford went and destroyed the styling on the next design of the Taurus
The bar of soap was awful
Are you talking about 92-95 or the 96-98?
1992 Pontiac Bonneville: You dissin me bro?
They turned it into a roach coach.
@@jamesr2888 more specifically I think they are referring to the 1996 to 1999 frog eye cars.
Honestly, we loved the Ford Taurus when I was a kid, because awesome cup holders. That was the key feature that we loved, you just pushed a button and the cup holders popped out. My aunt got one and we loved the cup holders and so my mom bought one.
Ah yes, the awesome cup holders. Heard they adds 50 hp lol
@@MINISTREETS1 It was the the late 80's. Whether you got the full 50 hp depended whether you supersized your value meal or not.
Bought a Taurus because of the cup holders??? Everyone has their reasons I guess.
In 2007 my son bought a 1999 SHO for his first car. I loved it! It gave me the confidence to be able to pass people on a two lane highway that doesn't have many good places to pass on. I loved the V8 engine
i have had many over the years. I currently have 5. All 89's. They are great cars
Loved the SHO back in the day , love to find a mint one now
Think this is what we called the Sierra in the UK and a Sierra Coswroth runs £30k to Group A at £125k. Bentley money.
Just prepare to have in on jackstands more than its driven
@ OG-BIG-SHEPHERD. Actually they were quite reliable. In the 110,000 miles that I had mine, it had a clutch (Cenerforce), timing belt change, spark plugs, belts, tires, brake pads and rotors and a power steering hose replacement. Everything was wear and maintenance related other than the hose. Nothing every kept me from driving it. Even with the hose failure I was able to drive home. Now if the car wasn’t maintained, you would have a lot of work to do, just like any other car
The Taurus SHO: when you need to gap all the corvettes and mustangs in your small town, and pickup the kids at daycare afterwards
How much you dumping in that to gap those ? Definitely stock won’t get it done lol
I think he meant the mustangs and vettes of the era. If I remember correctly, the 89 SHO was actually faster than its contemporaries.
@@foxwithtubesox1075 the 89 gt? No. That car always made it to 66 mph before the sho did. 29psi on both on stock tires. And the 89 vette best both of them hitting 69 . The Sho was just unheard of when it came out, gm had a 1 Hp euro sedan, and while we talking, the turbo Sundance lost the 0-30 but 3rd gear out the sho in its place. This was my era I remember all these cars.
@@InkedMisfit the SHO actually walked the Mustang GT (same years 89-95 both stock) from a roll. I know from experience. Corvette? Not so much.
Yep, my friends brother in law had one. I was sitting in the back seat when it hung a 5.0 foxbody mustang out to dry
When I was a kid the oldest boy on our block turned 16 and got his license and we all used to pile into his dads Taurus and cruise around town. It was a lot of fun.
I had a friend who just out of high school had 3-4 of them over the years through to the early 2000s. He even worked for the SHO shop (a performance SHO focused speed shop) out of Atlanta. I have mad MAD respect for a Yammi powered SHO. Me personally I always wanted (but sadly never got) an SVT Contour which was kind of the SHOs little brother, because I dug the Euroness of adopting the Mondeo to be a performance masterpiece for US shores.
the clip where you actually drove it on the mountain road made me seriously want one, it looked like so much fun and it sounded awesome
Nothing sounds quite like those secondaries opening up and giving you a little kick in the back while at wide open throttle.
Ikr. The SHO is truly an underrated gem.
Guys, I cannot get over how incredible the production quality is on this. Best automotive series out right now. So good!