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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ferendon" data-source="post: 4495112" data-attributes="member: 578259">The 89-95 had a Yamaha designed, developed, and built V6. The V8 was done by Ford. It's a Duratec 2.5 V6, with 2 cylinders added. Don't believe me, then do some research and do the math.Gen I and II SHOs for for $1000 and less all the time. Check out fordbastards.org. There's plenty of really nice ones under $2k.There's no difference in price. The SHO is much nicer, but also much more costly to own. A regular Taurus will usually carry a higher resale value, to be quite honest.The 'new SHO' has been a concept for years. Years ago, the concept started as a car called simply the '427'. Named for the engine, 427 Cobra Jet, RWD, 500+hp w/o boost. Then gas got pricey. They ended up turning the concept into a FWD sedan, the Five Hundred. The SHO was supposed to be a slightly modified Five Hundred chassis, with a 3.5l Duratec V6, compared to the regular 3.0 V6 that was in the Five Hundred. Instead they made the 3.5 standard, and renamed it the 'Taurus' for purposes of familiarity and recognition. In all honesty, the Five Hundred was a redesigned, renamed Taurus, to begin with. Most people think the Fusion replaced the Taurus, and it did in the sense that it fills the midsize gap in the line-up left by removing the Taurus. But, the Five Hundred shares the some blood with the Taurus, the Fusion is a whole new car. The SHO concept is now supposed to be a 4.4l V8 from the Volvo XC90, which a complete Yamaha engine, or a TT 3.5 Duratec. Either way, with Ford financial status, and the economy the way it is, a FWD sports sedan is the last thing Ford will be making. It started as a 2002 concept and is now a 2009 concept, last I checked.And as for the 3.4 V8, it's a great engine, to the right owner. With good maintenance, and the camshafts welded, it's a good solid engine. The transmission is the real weak spots. It's a sluggish-by-design 4-speed, and really doesn't allow the motor to shine when it's at it's peak. A 30 punch typical puts you right at the bottom of second gear, with the computer preventing a downshift to 2nd. So, from ~30mph, if you hit the gas, say to get on the freeway, you don't get the response you should, because you're starting at about 1500 rpm, trying to accelerate. It's still faster than many comparable cars, but not near as good as it could have been. The Gen Is and IIs, despite the 15 less hp, are substantially faster. Of course, Gen I and II SHOs are much faster than the numbers tell. That 220hp is distributed VERY well, and with a good driver, a well maintained 5-speed Gen I/II is capable of pulling a 350Z, G35, or S2K from a 60 punch. I own 2 of them, one a former DD, now a parts car because of some drunken fvcktard, the other in my driveway, far from stock.</blockquote>

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