As you might be used by now, every year at SEMA Show Funkmaster Flex comes with a customized Ford. And this year’s show was no exception; he came with a customized version of the all-new 2010 Taurus SHO.
The Funkmaster SHO is painted in a two-tone black and metal grey paint job and features a lowered ride height, 22" wheels and Pirelli tires, custom door handles, a one-off front spoiler and rear window wing. The interior remained unchanged, with the exception of adding a black suede headliner and the signature FMF logos on the headrests./p>
"Here’s a vehicle that has so much history and stands on its own in terms of design and attitude," said Funkmaster Flex. "It’s definitely different from anything that I’ve ever done before. It’s much more subdued and doesn’t scream at you in terms of its paint job and overall effect. I really took a vehicle that already had everything in terms of its styling and design and gave it a real stealth-like feel."
For the longest time, the Ford Crown Victoria has been a criminal’s worst nightmare, not because the car has some sort of crime repellent, but because it is, by far, the most used police cruiser in North America.
But now, word has it that Ford is ready to retire the Crown Victoria in favor of a newer – albeit less intimidating – line of cruisers: the new Taurus.
It has to be mentioned that the Crown Victoria has been synonymous with police cars as much as hamburger and fries. But the model has been used for well over 30 years now so it seems that the model is fit and ready for the retirement home.
With the new Taurus, police officers will be getting behind the wheel of a car that isn’t as powerful as the Crown Victoria. But it’s not a pushover either. The car comes with a set of V6 powertrains, and combined with the Taurus’ reputation for being toughness and efficiency, makes it a formidable adversary for law breaking citizens across North America.
Leaving behind a legacy that saw it being used by over 85 percent of the 75,000 police cruisers being every year, the Crown Victoria rides off into the sunset to leave the criminal-chasing duties to the new Ford Taurus.
For the better part of two decades, the Ford Taurus was regarded as the ‘everyman’s car’ in America. It’s popularity back in the day was unrivaled, and during the late 80’s, the Taurus was the top-selling vehicle in the US, capable of selling around 500,000 units a year.
But somewhere along the way, the Taurus lost its appeal to Americans and after years of extracting whatever appeal it had left, the car was officially canned in 2007. Ford even toyed with the idea of dropping the ‘Taurus’ name altogether and renaming it as the Ford Five Hundred.
It wasn’t until recently when Alan R. Mulally, Ford’s new chief executive, made an about-face and decided to bring back the Taurus, despite its growing reputation as a run-of-the-mill vehicle. Apparently, Mulally figured that the Taurus still had a noticeable brand recall among Americans.
The Ford engineering team set out to build a vehicle that was engaging and fun to drive, they succeeded. Ford’s new flagship was designed by a group of cohesive engineers and was developed in the digital world, a process that cut 12 months off of the new car’s development cycle. The new Taurus offers the latest and greatest from the blue oval, and is a step in the right direction for any American automaker. Led by Chief Engineer Pete Reyes. The Exterior Design Manager Earl Lucas assured us that the 2010 Ford Taurus is more about me and less about we. Meant for the consumer who is past the Crossover phase of ownership and settling into a comfortable lifestyle. The new Ford Taurus is meant for the new car buyer who wants something that is fun to drive and nice to look at, with a touch of style from Ford’s European design team.
The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is one engaging vehicle to drive, with its powerful Eco Boost engine and responsive all wheel drive system. The 3.5 Liter turbocharged V6 works like a V8, making 365 HP, while getting 25 MPG on the highway; this Super High Output model is the future of sport luxury sedans. The styling is 21st century and the forward thinking power plant is a must in todays conservation minded society.
The base Taurus will sell for around $30,000 and the high horsepower model will retail closer to $45,000. Ford has something for every price level with their new four door, but we recommend the SHO.
Top Speed recently had the opportunity to learn a little bit about the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and we figured who better to tell you about it than the men who put the plan into action, the design team. So without further ado, please enjoy this walk around of Ford’s new flagship, with Exterior Designer Eric Lucas and Interior Designer Lon Zaback.
In an attempt at a bit of viral video marketing, Ford showed this video to a group of journalists at the recent launch of the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. The drag pits Ford’s factory tuned flagship model against an upscale Audi A6 with Quattro all wheel drive and a Hemi powered Chrysler 300. Which do you think won?
What’s interesting is that Ford is playing up the four wheel drive and V8-like capabilities of the new for 2010 SHO, but what would have happened if Ford put their best four door sedan up against an Audi S6 or an SRT-8. Either way, the blue oval group proved that a boosted V6 can outrun a V8, and use less gas while doing it.
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.
So we are about to drive the new for 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. Despite all the talk about the “SHO,” we have yet to see the factory tuned Ford to be referred to by its proper name. For anyone who doesn’t remember the original badass four door was known as the “Super High Output” model. We couldn’t think of any other words to better describe the new high performance people mover.
There are a few touches that separate the SHO from the lesser Taurus models, like the chromed front grill and the new power bulge on the hood. The SHO also upgrades to a set of LED driving lights on the front corners and SHO emblems just behind the rear windows and another EcoBoost badge on the trunk. The rear end of the SHO is also distinguishable by the rear wing and chrome strip that ties the taillights together. The Ford Taurus SHO also rides on a asset of unique 19 inch rims or a set of optional 20s.
Most importantly the SHO will have a twin turbocharged version of Ford’s new 3.5 Liter EcoBoost V6 under the hood making 365 HP. This is the same motor that the blue oval has been using in their vehicles for the last few months. The power plant offers the benefits of V8 power with the emissions and fuel consumption of a V6. Is this the next evolution of performance vehicles? We’re not sure, because we are about to take the SHO for a spin ourselves, however we won’t be able to tell you about it until June 22nd.
Ford has a new flagship vehicle in their lineup and they brought Top Speed along for the ride. So far from what we have learned about the new Taurus from our press trip is that it is a car that is more about me, and less about we. Intended for individuals who have outgrown the responsibilities associated with owning a crossover, but still want to be able to take the occasional passenger for a ride. The new for 2010 Ford Taurus packs the same attitude and style that the blue oval is famous for instilling in their trucks. The Ford engineers and marketing team are calling the new Taurus America’s smartest full size vehicle due to the laundry list of safety, comfort and performance features that are packed into the attractively styled four door.
The design team focused on creating a bold exterior and a great interior, two tasks at which they have succeeded. Their goal was to infuse the new Taurus with what they call Ford DNA: the look, the feel and the fun of a Ford. While we can’t tell you about how the new car handles until June 22nd, we can tell you that the look and feel are spectacular, we especially like the massaging front buckets.
The Ford engineering team set out to build a vehicle that was engaging and fun to drive, they succeeded. The Taurus was designed by a group of cohesive engineers and was developed in the digital world, a process that cut 12 months off of the new car’s development cycle. The new Taurus offers the latest and greatest from the blue oval, and is a step in the right direction for any American automaker. Stay tuned to Top Speed for future updates about the Ford Taurus and high output SHO model that we will be getting our hands on tomorrow.
Ford unveiled the new 2010 Taurus today at the Detroit Auto Show. sales will begin in the summer, and prices will start at $25,995 – the same price as 2009 models.
The 2010 Taurus comes with a more sculpted and powerful design, with new headlights combined with recessed parking lamps frame a new expression of the signature Ford three-bar grille and a new lowered roofline. It gets new exterior colors: Candy Red Metallic Tint, White Platinum Metallic, Steel Blue Metallic, Gold Leaf Metallic and Ingot Silver Metallic and new 17- to 20-inches wheels.
Inside, a forward-leaning center stack – home to the climate controls, audio components and available navigation screen – flows in a continuous unbroken form through the instrument panel and down into the center console. The smart design allows for the interior to be formed with unbroken lines to impart seamless quality and craftsmanship.
The 2010 Taurus comes standard with Ford’s proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6, generating 263 hp and 249 lbs-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a Grade-Assist hill-holding rollback prevention feature, paired with an economical 2.77 final drive ratio.
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