2012 Ford Taurus SHO to Get More Pizazz

Yeah, how about drop the ecoboost BS and put a V8 in it? The 5.0 from the (new) mustang? I mean it's not like it's a mid-sized family car anymore. It's pretty close to the size of a Crown Vic....

Or at least drop the "eco" part... It's just a boosted V6.

Who cares if it's a boosted V6 if it makes the power of a V8. 365hp is 365hp. I'm not really into 8cylinders so I don't know what their torque curve generally looks like but 350 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpms seems nice to me and I'm certain just about anyone else that drives it.

Go test drive it and then come back and say it has to have a V8. Although I preferred the twinforce moniker it had previously, I don't mind it being called ecoboost either. The world's on this eco/green movement and in that single name Ford has basically explained what the system is as well as it's purpose-economical turbocharging.

*headslap*

Pizzazz? Why not just slap a Type-R decal on the damn thing?

Maybe it's just me, but I always considered the modest appearance of the SHO to be a GOOD thing. It was a sleeper, with all the effort expending on attempts to make it faster than snot.

Nah, the 2012 model will have a 5 foot wing on the back, NASCAR stickers slapped on the sides, 24" spinners, and a stereo that never gets quieter than 250 decibels - so that when you drive down the road, everyone knows how pimpin you are!

Wow, imagine a 2012 model that looks like a 1970 Plymouth Superbird! The wing on it isn't 5 feet tall, thou. (Totenglocke, :thumbsup).

I will have to reluctantly admit it really doesn't matter whats under the hood to me, 365hp is 365hp. I grew up in the muscle car 70s with the rule, 'no substitute for cubic inches'. That rule was shattered for me after I drove a 2008 350Z, which is now in my garage.

I always thought the SHO was born a sleeper. What's up with Ford making the SHO 'obvious'? I must have missed something....is that to possibly cover up a lack of performance?

They need to do something. Even the last generation SHO had more features that separated it from the avg Taurus. Low profile may work on other seadns but the SHO has a history of standing itself out from the rest of the Taurus pac and i'm glad they are changing the looks up a little bit for the 2012 model. I mean at the very least they could have put charcoal headlamps on this version, lose the chrome finish and put a blacked out grill and blackeout fog lamp trim on it. I know if I owned one that's what I would do to make it stand out.

I test drove one at my local dealer. This car is amazing. I def doesn't need a 8 cyl. It's the best all around car I have driven in years, but 46k??? Ouch!!!!

I agree with the sleeper comment. That's the charm of the SHO. Besides its a beautiful car just the way it is.

I concur on the sleeper comment. The SHO was supposed to be low key and be a Q Ship. If the buyer wants flash, buy something else that is flashy. This car is not intended for kids, it is intended to be a fun car for a middle age dad to have to pull both sedate family duties and to be able to have a little fun with on date night with his wife or commuting in rush hour traffic.

My only problem with the current SHO is the weight / size of the thing (though that's a complaint with the Taurus in general, really). The Taurus used to be a mid-size sedan, now it's a 4,300 lb behemoth. If it was even halfway between the size of the Taurus from 10 years ago and the current one, it would be MUCH faster and get better mpg.

The new SHO sure looks and sounds like a winner, but $46K?! That is just silly. At that price level I'd be looking at many other autos like Audi, BMW, Lexus, Acura, etc. The SHO should not be more than the high $30's.

Again I'll go back to my V8 argument:

Pro's: cheaper (no turbo or turbo plumbing), easier maintenance with less moving parts.

Cons: No Ecoboost moniker...

It's like saying, "All the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a V8..." wait, wha...

Like I said back when the "new" Taurus came out, it's about 5% smaller than a Crown Vic... That's not mid-size family car, that's grandpa's boat. If you put 300hp in the last gen SHO it would probably more fun to drive than this one. (And no I'm not going to go test drive one. I have no intention of buying it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know from the size/weight how it's going to handle. ex: The new Challenger.)

I'm all for Ford going with the flow or whatever, but I hate when car companies keep making the car bigger and bigger, only to replace what use to be in that size with something new.... (Yeah I'm looking at you Toyota.)

@Brian

Yea, I'm actually amazed that cars can still fit in garages as bloated as they've become. There's just no need for a car to be THAT big. I mean, it's a freakin 5 seat sedan - not a 7 seat SUV.

The SHO has always been a sleeper, which made it understated, now with more bling we have something the cops will watch, too bad.

The presen SHO might not seem to some to be dfferent enough from the standard Taurus, but that's a testiment to the basic goodness of the base Taurus. I definately like the "sleeper" aspect of the SHO's personality.

I'm looking forward to the 2012 Tauras Sho.
I hope a Automatic transmission will be available.
400 plus horsepower appeals to me. I think the Tauas Sho will offer me what I'm looking for in a car having upgraded power and performance. I like the ideal of having room for passengers to be comfortable and the spacious and comfortable rear seat of the Tauras is much appreciated.

I could very easily give up my 2008 Bullitt. I'm just bored to death with Mustangs and it is time for me to relax and enjoy a comfortable ride.

Just 2 things bother me about my '11 sho. The car should have H.I.D. headlights not projector beams. And no car built now should be built without fog lamps. Two foglamps in the lower grill would have set the car apart nicely from the standard Taurus. Living in Canada I find a lot of European car owners taking a close look as they drive by my SHO.This car got me back home 200 miles throught the worst blizzard this year comfortably and safely,even on supposed summer tires.Finally the eco V6 brings back excellent mileage . 8litres per hundred kilometers.