[Drivesthebeast]

I think the new SHO is going to be a great car to add to it's segment. Ford hasn't had an interesting fullsize in a while, and I agree that it's intent is to use it to replace the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, and let the Fusion take care of the midsize duties (btw, I was talking to some staff at a dealership not too long ago, and they said that the 2009 Fusion is the best selling midsize sedan in Canada and the US right now, along with the Escape being no.1 in small SUV's. They said they can't keep the 09's in stock, and the 2010's are going to sell like crazy too).

I agree with what OAC and DP had to say too...

[NOS2Go4Me]

darkpuppet,Jun 22 2009, 10:57 PM Wrote:

OAC_Sparky,Jun 18 2009, 08:16 PM Wrote:See, that's what I've  been saying all along. Everybody here complained that they didn't bring Europe's performance Focus over here, but when it comes to putting out the money people would pooh-pooh it because it's "still a focus".
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quoted once again for truth
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A Focus is a world-renowned sport compact, "hot hatch", rally car-based compact. It can haul groceries, kids and ass - at least in Mexico, the UK and the rest of Europe. In Canada and the U.S., it's been the laughing stock of performance. For 3 years we had the SVT, and while the chassis and brakes were great, as well as the interior, the motor still needed MORE. But as a first real effort, it was good. It's on my list of "cars to collect one day".

A Taurus is a large, unwieldly economical family transport that Ford tried to make interesting to compete with the 1980s 3-series BMWs and a few others. To wit, they couldn't even develop a respectable motor and they turned to Yamaha (and a bit of Cosworth if memory serves) for that. The V8 models were jokes, even more so than the original V6s. This new one is an attempt once again to steal some 3-series lunch. You know what that's going to get it? More of the same - lumps, bruises, black eyes and snickers.

Once again, Ford prices them out of the reach of the guys that appreciate them and puts them square in the hands of the guys that don't know what to do with them.

If I had the need, I'd buy a Mustang GT with the Track Pack just to spite the new SHO. It's all great on paper until you get to the (unreasonable) price.

[NefCanuck]

Here'ss the thing though NOS, developing motors isn't cheap and the new Taurus SHO comes standard loaded to the gills too (so as better to compete with the segment it's playing it, it's not a Mustang and never claims to be)

Personally I think the SHO is an interesting car, but not sure it would have that much more over a Fusion Sport AWD to make me choose it if I was shopping for a car ATM.

NefCanuck

[ZTWsquared]

Drivesthebeast,Jun 28 2009, 08:40 AM Wrote:I think the new SHO is going to be a great car to add to it's segment. Ford hasn't had an interesting fullsize in a while, and I agree that it's intent is to use it to replace the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis, and let the Fusion take care of the midsize duties (btw, I was talking to some staff at a dealership not too long ago, and they said that the 2009 Fusion is the best selling midsize sedan in Canada and the US right now, along with the Escape being no.1 in small SUV's. They said they can't keep the 09's in stock, and the 2010's are going to sell like crazy too).

I agree with what OAC and DP had to say too...
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^^QFT - IMO.

I'm pretty sure Ford doesn't intend for this car to compete on the track with the likes of Subies, Foci, or any other hot hatch - and come to think of it they don't even really see the Mustang in that role, either.

On the other hand, this new SHO just might attract a BMW 5-series intender, or someone shopping an Acura TL, who likes the idea of a domestic luxo boat with balls and firm suspenders.

I had the occasion to drive a new gen-1 SHO for two weeks as a loaner - and as much as I liked the engine I also hated the transmission ... and truth be told the only thing it did with style was shred the front tires - it didn't really handle much better than a regular Taurus and it had the same amenities ... for every day driving I prefered my loaded Taurus wagon LX 3.8 which actually had more torque than the SHO, and at way lower RPM.

However, this new SHO IMO is Ford's perfect answer (on paper anyway) to what a lot of people have complained Ford lacks ... a "higher performance" luxury sedan ... this car answers that need and with a nice dollop of high-tech Euro to make it interesting.

I just hope that Ford doesn't go redneck-crazy and label their NASCA entry the Taurus SHO - if they did, right after I took back everything I said above I think I'd puke.

In the meantime I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt - I'm really hoping the new Taurus is closer to a Mondeo than to the old car.

[NOS2Go4Me]

NefCanuck,Jun 28 2009, 07:13 PM Wrote:Here'ss the thing though NOS, developing motors isn't cheap and the new Taurus SHO comes standard loaded to the gills too (so as better to compete with the segment it's playing it, it's not a Mustang and never claims to be)

Personally I think the SHO is an interesting car, but not sure it would have that much more over a Fusion Sport AWD to make me choose it if I was shopping for a car ATM.

NefCanuck
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That's my point, Nef. It's a niche car - for a niche so small we're all missing it. I never meant that it was going to compete with the Mustang. I just meant if I wanted to go fast with a Ford oval on the grille / hood / trunk, I'd get a Mustang (of the '10 offerings). They're shooting for some serious luxury touring cars and unless I'm horribly wrong (which does definitely happen), they're going to get burned.

Ken - one of my fave "bibles", Car and Driver, has pronounced the '10 GT with the Track Pack as the current best of the existing pony cars - that's right, beating out the Challenger R/T and the Camaro SS overall. It's the June issue IIRC. It's definitely a track-worthy car. As I mentioned to Dan, it's not that the SHO belongs on a track. It's that it doesn't belong, period.

The only guys that are going to buy them are the 1st-gen romanticists who will put somewhere around 5-20k on them and then store the bastards while driving more worthwhile vehicles every day. I guess Ford should be congratulated for building the first 4-door collector's item in quite some time.

[ZTWsquared]

NOS2Go4Me,Jun 29 2009, 07:42 AM Wrote:

NefCanuck,Jun 28 2009, 07:13 PM Wrote:Here'ss the thing though NOS, developing motors isn't cheap and the new Taurus SHO comes standard loaded to the gills too (so as better to compete with the segment it's playing it, it's not a Mustang and never claims to be)

Personally I think the SHO is an interesting car, but not sure it would have that much more over a Fusion Sport AWD to make me choose it if I was shopping for a car ATM.

NefCanuck
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That's my point, Nef. It's a niche car - for a niche so small we're all missing it. I never meant that it was going to compete with the Mustang. I just meant if I wanted to go fast with a Ford oval on the grille / hood / trunk, I'd get a Mustang (of the '10 offerings). They're shooting for some serious luxury touring cars and unless I'm horribly wrong (which does definitely happen), they're going to get burned.

Ken - one of my fave "bibles", Car and Driver, has pronounced the '10 GT with the Track Pack as the current best of the existing pony cars - that's right, beating out the Challenger R/T and the Camaro SS overall. It's the June issue IIRC. It's definitely a track-worthy car. As I mentioned to Dan, it's not that the SHO belongs on a track. It's that it doesn't belong, period.

The only guys that are going to buy them are the 1st-gen romanticists who will put somewhere around 5-20k on them and then store the bastards while driving more worthwhile vehicles every day. I guess Ford should be congratulated for building the first 4-door collector's item in quite some time.
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Don't get me wrong - I wasn't saying that the Mustang wasn't track worthy - I was saying exactly what you pointed out - - it's competition is the other pony cars and not the hot hatch segment. Ford doesn't give a rats ass if the Mustang can't beat an STi around the track so long as the traditionalists prefer it over the Camaro and Challenger. And as we all know that's a sizeable market still.

And in that same way I'm sure that Ford doesn't care if the SHO is deemed track worthy or not (although hopefully it will surprise us in that regard) ... based on what I see of the car and it's specs, I'm pretty certain that Ford's demographic for the SHO is indeed different than for the first-gen SHO (boy racer wannabe) and is in fact closer to that of the 2nd-gen SHO - (young-at-heart luxury intender wanting elevated horsepower and sophistication but not a Lincoln - maybe drives a Mustang on weekends) - I just hope for their sake the execution this time 'round is better.