Taurus SHO -original post date 3/26/2013

 

Here is the Ford Taurus SHO. I took one of these beasts on a test drive last year and found it both thrilling and comforting. Thrilling, because these cars feature a 3.5L twin turbo termed "Ecoboost" V6 that spins out 365 HP -that's one horsey for each day of the year!- and 350 lb ft of torque. That's a lot of thrust for a family sedan. Comforting, because it is a big ol' family sedan that envelopes its passengers, giving you peace of mind that should you wreck, there's lots of car between you and whatever has caused the impact. Comforting too, because all SHOs come with All Wheel Drive, which is like a clever version of 4x4 that automatically adjusts power distribution between all four wheels (the primary drivers are the front two) and sends power to wheels that have traction to keep you going in the direction you intend to go.
So, why rehash this? Because, it's follow up to my law enforcement Charger from yesterday. You've probably already seen some police departments rolling these cars, and most of them are essentially SHOs with a little less flare and a few interior adjustments (like split bench seats in front to better suit utility belts and radio equipment). Agencies can also opt for a naturally aspirated version of this engine that makes 265HP and has front wheel drive instead of AWD, but in Minnesota, it makes more sense to go with the AWD. Short of completely bottoming out the car in some deep snow, or slogging down in deep mud, there isn't a whole lot that can hold up an AWD equipped car. So, while it's packing very close to the same power as the police interceptor Charger's Hemi V8, I'd venture to say that the AWD Taurus cop car is the more potent of the two in terms of its ability to follow a fleeing vehicle through whatever driving conditions there may be.
State patrol also seems to have identified the SHO as a winner, and although not nearly as hide-in-plain-sight sneaky as the cherry red Charger, it seems they have gotten their hands on a black on black on black Taurus SHO -at least I assume it was a state patrol vehicle I saw stalking around on HWY 100 a few weeks ago.
This thing looked absolutely sinister. It was unmarked, but I could tell it was law enforcement because the sun caught just a slight glint of the lights tucked away behind the grille. It was jet black, and everything on it that might have otherwise had bright work or some type of metallic finish was painted matte black -like automotive evil embodied on four wheels. If it's possible for a car to disguise itself as a panther, this Taurus was doing it at an expert level. I wasn't even speeding, and I was scared that it was going to whip around and pull me over as I passed it going the opposite direction. The car might as well have had a light bar mounted to its roof, because it looked far too predatory to just be out for a Sunday drive. I don't know if they'll get as many speeders by trying to lay low in that black Taurus, but if their goal is prevention rather than apprehension, then they ought to just put cardboard standies of that car along side the highway at various intervals, because that was one scary looking vehicle and the mere thought of having a car like that chase you down on the highway will have motorists braking and coasting down to proper speed left and right -and to think it's essentially the same car as the sweet, hospitable, family sedan rocket I test drove.
I've got some good stuff coming up for car du jour in the next few days, as I stopped by a dealership and took some neat toys out for a spin with Sales guy Stas... but sooner to come than that is tomorrow's featured vehicle.. I'll give you a hint -BEARCAT.

Here's a Taurus that looks more like what you're likely to see the local PD rolling in. This one was at the Ford dealership I stopped by today. The guy I spoke to said they're trying to permanently disable traction control - which the officer driving the vehicle thought was hampering his ability to employ the driving techniques he's trained to use.