Follow us on TwitterFord Releases New Pics of Taurus SHO
The Taurus is back. Big time! What am I talking about, Ford as a whole is back. From the Fusion to the Fiesta, to the Taurus to the line of new products at Lincoln, Ford is undergoing a product renaissance. Couple that with the company not accepting government loans and you have a powerful combination out there in the marketplace. Ford has gotten a lot of free publicity over it’s stance on the loans.
Today is the launch event for Ford’s Taurus SHO, a model that car enthusiasts everywhere are drooling over. Driving impressions of the model are still under embargo, but Ford thought it was fitting to release some new pictures of the car to coincide with the event.
Wow! Is that good looking or what? The more I’ve seen of the new Taurus, the more I like it. This car is nothing like the recent cars that have worn this storied name. “Superman” Taurus indeed! I think it was smart to keep the name for the new model given all the press attention that it has received. Initial reactions have been fantastic, with Esquire naming the Taurus it’s first-ever car of the year.
It’s odd that a normally ho-hum family car like the Taurus would be so wanted. The SHO really is becoming an object of desire with people! While a good deal, at $45,175 it will be out of the reach of most though, so this could be a great aspirational vehicle for Ford.
As for the standard Taurus, is the revival of the Ford family car in the American marketplace upon us? Could we really the SHO catching on as a rival to performance luxury brands like BMW?
We’ll have to wait for the answer to that question, but the fact that Ford (and a Taurus!) is even being mentioned in the same sentence as those brands shows that something has changed. Drastically. Welcome back, Ford!
There are people out there trying to dismiss Ford’s staying above water as they were just “lucky” enough to get all their loans before the bottom fell out. I guess, in Detroit, foresight and the ability to read the writing on the wall are considered luck, but I digress.
The point: Exactly what you said, Tony. They got their own money early. They didn’t need any handouts and are the only US automaker still intact. While GM are Chrysler are leaner by Federally mandated liposuction, Ford has simply tightened their belt and used the time to focus on innovation.
I haven’t been excited about a Ford product in, well, ever, but the SHO is a solid shot in the arm. 360hp+ all wheel drive, twin-turbo saloon? If this car actually handles in the corners, Ford’s got a real contender on their hands. Expect to see at least half a dozen of these over 500hp in tuner magazines within the first year of availability.
Yeah, I want a Festiva, but the SHO has a LOT of potential just itching to be extracted. And there’s talk of an Ecoboost mill in the F150 somewhere down the line? Tasty!
Yeah, it was smart thinking plain and simple. Alan Mulally had foresight; there was a reason why he did so well at Boeing. He has vision; he came in and shook things up at Ford and it’s paying off. Ford’s brand image has improved SO much because of this. Just look at the sales numbers, they really prove the point. As much as I’m partial to GM, I say congratulations to them, I wish them all the best in the future!