The Ford Taurus was a decent family sedan, but who would have thought there would be a version that could be seen on the quarter-mile track. Now, that is not to say that the base-level Taurus would have much of an impact on the competition, but starting in 1989, Ford Motor Company created the Ford Taurus SHO. The SHO was the performance version of a car that not many would consider when talking about good-performance cars. The SHO is a trim level that has been used off and on for numerous years, but the 1989 version was the first and has sadly been mostly forgotten about. Here's why it should never be completely forgotten.
10 Yamaha Worked With Ford To Create A V-6 Based On The Vulcan Engine
Ford had found in the past that it was very beneficial to collaborate with other companies when building a performance car, and the SHO was no different. Yamaha had created a state-of-the-art V6, the Vulcan V-6, that could easily be modified to fit under the hood of the Taurus. Ford asked Yamaha to adjust this engine to produce a modified 60-degree V-6 that could work in a transverse setting. The resulting engine was an advanced Yamaha V-6 ahead of its time, offering up to 400 horses, and red-line levels that gave the car an edge in any street race or track visit.
9 The Shogun Engine Could Rev Up To 8500 RPMs
The Shogun engine, as it was called internally at Ford, was unique in many ways. It was built with an iron block, aluminum heads, dual overhead cam, 24 valves, and a variable-length manifold placed on top of the engine designed to optimize cooling when it was running at high RPMs. The Super High Output (SHO) could easily run at 7300 RPMs when needing fast acceleration and excess power, which is where the rev limiter stopped the increase. However, the engine is more than capable of running at 8500 RPMs, which shows how high the SHO's red line really is.
8 The 1989 Taurus SHO Had Mazda Built Manual Transmission
In 1989 a manual transmission was not an option with the base-level Ford Taurus. In fact, not even one in production by the company would be a good match for the Yamaha-built engine. More outside help was asked for from another company based overseas. They were asked to build a manual transmission that would pair with the advanced engine to create a high-revving mid-sized family sedan. Mazda took up the task and produced the five-speed manual transmission that was eventually used in the 1989 Taurus SHO.
7 The Taurus SHO Was The Most Powerful Front-Wheel Drive Car
The combination of a Yamaha Motor, a Mazda transmission, and a front-wheel drive car created a performance car like no other. The SHO could push out around 220 horsepower at 6000 RPMs, producing a torque rating of 200 foot-pounds when the engine was revving at 4800 RPMs. This made the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO the most powerful front-wheel drive car at the time. The problem was that front-wheel drive cars in the late '80s were not designed for that much power, so it was common for the car to have issues launching. It is difficult for any vehicle to maintain steering when accelerating fast, but when the front tires are also supporting the weight of the engine and being responsible for the traction for the launch, it all comes down to the driver's ability to feather the throttle and launch without pressing the pedal to the metal.
6 The Taurus SHO Engine Controlled By Ford EEC-IV
In the '60s, not many vehicles used fuel injection systems, even though it was officially introduced back in the '50s. By the mid to late '70s, most production cars that came off the assembly lines took advantage of fuel injection systems, putting the carburetors on the shelf for good. One of the most common fuel injection systems for Ford is the EEC-IV, which is the version that was used to convert some of the older 5.0-liter Mustangs over to fuel injection. The Ford EEC-IV was also the system used to feed fuel to the V-6 engine found installed in the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO.
5 The SHO's Track Times Can Be Surprising
It would definitely not be thought that a mid-sized family car could be turned into a high-speed vehicle that could put up good times on the track. That is, for classic cars anyway, because today, it is becoming a common occurrence. In the late '80s, it was not common to see such a car line up on the starting line. With the Mazda transmission and the Yamaha engine, the SHO could accelerate from a dead stop to 60 in under seven seconds and shoot through the quarter-mile track in just over 15 seconds. Impressive for a car that is not generally thought of as a high-speed model.
4 The Taurus SHO Was Only Outperformed By BMW As A Four-Door Sedan
Some other great cars in 1989 could easily beat the Taurus SHO in a drag or street race, such as the 1989 Chevrolet Corvette, which could put up times like 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds. What needs to be compared, though, are four-door family-designed sedans, such as the BMW 750iL and M5. The point is that the only four-door production cars that could put up better times than the SHO was the two BMWs mentioned. That is pretty impressive, considering that the Taurus was not built to be a speed demon, at least not until the SHO appeared on the scene.
3 The Taurus SHO Differed From Base Taurus And Sable
It may be hard to tell the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO apart from the base model unless knowing what to look for. Obviously, if the hood is opened, the engine will give it away, but other than that, there are a few tell-tale signs. On the outside, the hood is taken from a Mercury Sable, it had different side cladding, bumpers, and fog lights. On the inside, the SHO had bucket seats and a tachometer. The differences may be subtle to the unknowing eye, but those that do know will take full advantage of the unaware rival sitting at a red light.
2 The Taurus SHO Had Redesigned Suspension To Prevent Roll
Every performance car ever made that was designed from a base-level model has trouble with rolling when going around corners. This is especially important when a front-wheel drive car is being discussed. The 1989 Ford Taurus SHO would have been no exception to this rule if the engineers at Ford did not think ahead. Luckily, they did, so the SHO received some suspension upgrades to eliminate the problem. The designers increased the size of the front anti-roll bar, added firmer shocks, and increased the spring rate by up to 30-percent compared to a base-level Taurus. The final improvement was in the front and lateral links bushings, which were stiffened to allow more toe-in when cornering.
1 The 1989 Taurus SHO Plus Package Was Basic Styling
The 1989 SHO had very few differences from the base-level Taurus, so it is hard to tell them apart at a glance. Thankfully, the following year, Ford created a way to solve this problem if the original buyer wanted to. And since the '89 model was similar to the '90 version, it could be swapped over. The Plus Package, as it was called, gave the SHO a bulging hood, a spoiler with a third brake light, chrome window trim, body-colored striping, black mirrors and pillars, and a Taurus badge that matched the color of the car.
FAQ
Q: Did the 1989 SHO have a V8?
The original 1989 Ford Taurus SHO engine was a V6 designed through a collaboration with Yamaha. The V8 engine installed in the SHO did not become available until 1996. The V6 could produce around 220 horsepower and push out a torque rating of up to 200 foot-pounds.
Q: How fast was the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO?
The 1989 Ford Taurus SHO had a Yamaha designed and built V6 under the hood. It could accelerate from 0 to 60 in around 5.3 seconds and sprint down the quarter-mile track in 15.2 seconds.
Q: Did the 1989 Taurus SHO have a Ford-built engine under the hood?
Ford Motor Company decided to get help from some of the other carmakers that had advanced technology within the designs of their car components. Ford had Yamaha design for the engine and built a V6 engine that could be used in a front-wheel drive car.
Q: Was there a Mercury version of the 1989 Ford Taurus SHO?
In 1989 there were a Ford Taurus and a Mercury Sable available on the market, but the SHO was strictly an upgraded trim level for the Ford Taurus. No Mercury counterpart was ever built in 1989 to match the speed and power of the Taurus SHO.