Test driving the new SHO

After driving the standard Taurus yesterday, Top Speed finally got a chance to get behind the wheel of the almighty SHO and it was a pleasant surprise , and we’d love to tell you about it, but we can’t, not until June 23rd. However, we can tell you a little bit more about the 3.5 Liter Eco Boost engine that it has under the hood. This is Ford’s next generation engine with plans for the six cylinder that has the benefits of a V8 while getting the efficiency of a smaller motor.

This is the first twin turbocharged direct injected V6 in North America, making 102 additional horse power over the base car’s Duratec motor of the same size. Direct injection is a beautiful thing, initially developed for endurance racers, this method of fuel delivery allows for the most controlled combustion possible, injecting exact amounts directly into the combustion chamber. These systems have the benefit of getting better gas mileage and making more power at the same time compared to traditional multi port fuel injection.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO also features a beefed up transmission to handle the 12 psi of boost from both snails to make a ground pounding 350 lb-ft of torque from the next generation internal combustion engine. Ford is so dedicated to this engine design, that the last American automotive manufacturer left standing plans on introducing Eco Boost into 90% of their future product lineup. If you are partial to an inline setup, and hesitant to go with a V6 there is good news, because Ford is also working on a 4 cylinder version of Eco Boost.

Continued after the jump with video of Ford Advanced Engine Design and Development Manager Brett Hinds talking about the new Eco Boost in the 2010 SHO.