& TEST DRIVE THE FORD Taurus SHO (super high output) is a souped-up version of Ford's popular mid-sized Taurus sedan, and dollar for dollar, is one of the best buys in the performance sedan cat- egory. Its closest domestic rival is the Chevrolet Lumina Z34, but as far as European and Japanese com- petitors are concerned, there's nothing comparable within $20,000 of the SHO’s base $30,095 price tag. First introduced in 1989 and revised along with other Tauruses in 1992, the SHO benefits from the Taurus’ nicely balanced front-wheel-drive platform and four-wheel independent suspen- sion, New additions include firmer shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, larger 16-inch tires, disc brakes on all four wheels and an anti-lock system, and a sophisticated 220-horsepower 3.0-litre V6 engine with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. This high-revving powerplant is built in Japan by Yamaha — the only Yamaha engine that | know of installed in a regular produc- tion passenger car. For the first time, the 1993 Taurus SHO is available with an optional automatic transmission in addition to the standard five- speed manual unit. When equipped with the four- speed automatic, the SHO offers a bump up in engine displacement to 3.2 litres, however horsepower and torque figures remain the same. The SHO was very conservative in appearance when it first ap- peared, and this, along with the lack of an automatic transmission, was the major customer camplaint about the car. To give it some more pizzazz, a number of changes have been made for the 1993 model year. The new model has a slightly dif- ferent front bumper, larger 15- inch aluminum unidirectiona! six-spoke wheels and high-per- formance P215/60 R16 radials, a small rear lip spoiler on the trunklid, twin chromed exhaust outlets, and a rear bumper with SHO letters imprinted in it. Otherwise, the SHO looks very much like your garden-variety, four-door, five-passenger Taurus sedan, Step inside and you'll find the same roomy five-passenger interi- or as the regular Taurus with a peor Friday, June 25, 1993 ~ No CaCtee CK aed STBURR NEWS photos Nell Lucente THE 1993 Ford Taurus SHO now offers a four-speed automatic transmission in addition to the standard five-speed manual. few differences. Racing-type front seats with electrically adjustable side and back bolsters offer excellent later- al support and proved quite com- fortable during my test drive. A telltale 8,000 rpm tachometer (redline at 7,000 rpm), 240 km/h speedometer and leather-wrapped, airbag-equipped steering wheel give some indication of the car's sporty potential. A passenger air- bag is also available. The SHO’s interior is well equipped, Standard features include floor-mounted console shifter, premium AM/FM cassette stereo, tilt steering Wheel, automatic climate control, central door locks, speed-sensitive variable- assist power steering, power win- dows, electrically operated outside mirrors, and centre armrest with storage compartment, Popular options include leather upholstery, moonroof, remote keyless door locks, and higher- grade stereo/CD players. My (est vehicle was equipped with all of these options and came to $34,987, including freight charges. While the SHO’s manual transmission is somewhat stiff to operate, the new automatic transmission eliminates the need for stick-handling with its smooth, well-timed automatic shifts. The 3.2-litre V6 has a high- pitched, sporty sound similar to that of large-displacement V8 engines, and offers better off- the-line performance than many THE 3.2-litre V6 pulis quickly and stron 7,000 rpm redline in a continuous, neck-snapping stream of power. V6 engines of this size. Torque steer is always a worry in a high-powered front-wheel- drive car, but the SHO has sur- prisingly little steering pull at full throttle, particularly when equip- ped with the automatic transmis- sion. The standard disc brakes with anti-lock are very powerful and quite capable of hauling down the 1,400-kilogram (3,168 Ibs.) SHO in very short order. The standard Taurus is a well- balanced, easy-to-drive car, and the SHO model simply stiffens the suspension — slightly for flat- ter cornering. Quick as it is, the SHO is also very practical. It has a roomy 510-litre trunk with flow liftover height for easier loading, roomy five-passenger in- terior, and relatively good fuel economy (13.5 L/100 km in the city; 6.4 L/100 kin on the high- way), according to Transport Canada figures. Though the Taurus design is getting somewhat dated (the first Taurus arrived in 1985), the SHO derivative is stilla well- engineered, practical family sedan that happens to go like a bat out gly alf the way up to its Price as tested $34,987 Base price $30,095 Type four-door, Passenger sedan Layout transverse engine/front-wheel drive Engine 3.2-litre V6, DOHC, 24° valves, sequential multi- port fuel injection Horsepower 220 @ 6,200 rpm Torque 200 @ 4,800 rpm Transmission four-speed automatic rub weight) 1,399 kg/3,084 bs. Wheelbase in. Length 4,877 mm/192.0 in. Width 1,808 mm/71.2 in. Height 1,410 mm/55.5 in. Luggage capacity 510 litres/ 18.0 cu. ft. Tires P215/60R16 radials Fuel consumption City 13.5 L/100 km (21 mpg); Hwy 8.4 L/100 km (34 mpg) Warranty three years/60,000 m Inquire about the Ford Taurns SHO at Dave Buck Ford, 879 Marine Dr., North Vancouver. five- front 2,692 min/106.0 of hell. And unlike many performance cars, the SHO looks conservative enough that neither vour boss nor your spouse can accuse you of reliving teenage hotrod fantasies.