Indeed, to bad there is no real easy bolt on stuff for the old SHO motors (definetly an engine for the hard core hot rodder since everything is pretty much made from scratch).

I've got a 3.4 SHO V6 collecting dust in a shed and I really cant decide on what to do with it (although I've always had the itch to do a SHO Foxbody)

 

It's alarming the number of naysayers who have canned the car before it even hits the streets.

This from autoblog and no matter whether you agree or not, some of the criticism has to be taken into account. People are very price sensitive and putting a Ford into BMW, Merc territory... where others have failed (Cadillac and Pontiac to name just two) is really asking for trouble.

Time will tell of the SHO's fate.

 

My thoughts exactly. That engine and awd in a Fusion would cross over to so many different groups it wouldn't even be funny.

 

You think so?

 

Touche.

This was my point earlier.
I think the work on teh car is awesome, and the package is awesome, and the price may not be all that bad for what is offered, but it should be a Mercury or Lincoln offering at that price - not a Ford one. It should be aimed/marketed to affluent folks that can drop $40K+ for a ride.
It's simply a target merketing faux-pas IMO.

Sorry... "Taurus" does not ring loud with "luxury/performance" buyers.

"Taurus" DOES ring loud and strong with common folks from the lower-middle to upper-middle class that want a quality vehicle at a great price to haul the family of 3 or 4 around in... and frequent travellers that rent lots of cars at airports. (stupid Ford of yore. )

 

Yes, I did read your post, PP.

But I just wanted to add another post in support of your comments.

I'm one of the most disappointed and disillusioned G8 fans on the planet as I know how good that car is... but they aren't selling in the US for one reason or another, no matter how good their owners believe they are. And I don't need to remind people how traditional BMW and Merc buyers are not cross-shopping with Cadillac.

I'm sure the new SHO will kick some goals (and most of us want this car to succeed BADLY) but will it be the all important sales goals? That's the $38K question. The RRP alone would be enough to scare some potential buyers away... and last I checked, Ford isn't even the designated luxury division of the FoMoCo.

 

Two questions though................ could the G8's problems be indicative of Pontiacs problems/image??

While Ford may not be a luxury brand, I don't think that their image is nearly as damaged as Pontiacs. When someone thinks of getting a new family car, they may think Ford............... but I rarely hear the name Pontiac every mentioned anymore. When they had the Grand Am, and the Grand Prix, yes............... now................ never.

Second, might the look of the G8 be too boy racer??? You talk about BMW's and Mercedes, and the first thing I think of, when thinking of those brands, is understated elegance. Its not about big hood scoops, thats for sure.

One thing that this SHO does right, to me (who is in the purchasing demographic), is it doesn't scream how fast it is, or how powerful it is. I find the regular 2010 Taurus to be an elegant design, and the SHO emits the same understated elegance that I want in my performance car. I am a 44 year old mother, with a 6-year-old............. and I love performance. This is why this car has me intrigued.

BTW, I someone stated, on another forum (a very well knowledged insider), that Fords internal goals for this car are WELL under 10K a year. They know it will not be a volume seller by any means, and they don't want it to be.

 

Looks wise, this one does it to me:

 

I've not seen any specs on the weight. But I'll be astounded if this comes in under 4000 pounds when the N/A MK-S is 4200. I'm betting on at least 4200 for the SHO.

Cars are heavy these days.

Edmunds test n/a AWD MK-S was 4349
Base model AWD 2009 Taurus is 3930

 

I would have no issue rocking one of these. Remember..some here will be paying $40 large for a Camaro. Hell people paid $34-38K for 4th Gen SS's and Firehawks. IMO..aside from raw power numbers and a sexy wrapper...you obviously get a lot more for your $40K with this Taurus than you do the Camaro. It's like $40K is the new $30K. This is the Ford brands flagship sedan..it will cost.

 

In 1989, the first Taurus SHO had a base sticker price of $19,750.
That same year, the starting price for a Taurus was $11,800/
The '86 V8 Camaros cost $11,895.
IROC Zs cost $14,145 that year.

The 1998 Ford Taurus SHO started off at $28,920.
The same year, the Taurus LX started at $18,245.
Camaro Z28s ran $20,995.

Again, the Taurus SHO (along with the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and later the Thunderbird SC) were high priced "Executive Toys", and not cars for families, young enthusiasts, or rental companies. These were rather sophisticated machines with intresting & powerful engines and suspensions that not only handled with the best of the day, but also rode very well.

Since 1998, a V8 Camaro has increased nearly $10,000.
Incidently, the Taurus SHO has also grown nearly $10,000.

With inflation and the current price of cars, it's going for the same price it was in 1989 & 1998.

It was never cheap. It was never a normal family sedan. Yet it created a loyal following.


http://members.tripod.com/~TaurusSHO/MSRP.html
http://www.5thgen.org/camaromsrp.htm

 

I think that we've read the same thing. It really seems to be a pretty brilliant business plan.

 

Regardless of price and transmission, it's still nice to see performance vehicles like this from the "Detroit Three." I like the G8 GXP, but 365hp from a V6 is impressive.

 

I've seen the loyalty the first ones generated. My only hope is that this one is a true-blooded SHO. And if the low production goals are true, Ford may have nailed a double-whammy with the new Taurus.

And this new driveline in a Fusion (with a stick) would also rock.

 

You are preaching to the choir.
You don't have to sell or convince me of what the car was or what it has become.

But I think even you are missing my point now...
In 1989, you did not have Mercedes-Bens C-class 2.3's starting at $20k (roughly 20% LESS than the SHO as it is TODAY - by that I mean that today's C starts at about $30K compared to the $38K SHO).
You also did not have the BMW 3-series starting at $11k (again roughly 20% less than this SHO offering TODAY).
There are LOTS of BMW's, Mercedes, Volvos, and other "luxury"-oriented players on the lots today at VERY competitive prices, far more that there were 20 years ago. POINT = the game has changed.

Ford was competitive against those foreign marques with other vehicles, and was playing the game of the day - at that time. Town cars, Continentals, LSCs, and a slew of other names were competitive in the high-end... today, not the same. In addition, Mercedes and BMW have done a great job of making smaller, coompact, luxury cars with I-4, I-5, and V6 power that are aimed dead-at the GM, Ford, and Chrysler mainstream markets... the middle-class families that "want to ride in a Bimmer" but couldn't affor a 5-series or 7-series.

I am complaining about this SHO just like I am complaining about the Mustang, and most of the others coming out recently... they cost too d@mn-much IMO.
Trying to place them "relative" to other offerings is only good for a point of reference, but does not "justify" the price.
You can stand 3-feet east of me, and we are close together, right?
NOT if I am on the 75th floor of a building and you are on the ground floor.
Relativity is just that... relative.

FORD is not a luxury name in the USA. Lincoln is. Mercury is to a point.
Ford = raw value, some features
Mercury = some value with some nice upgrades
Lincoln = Luxury

Marketing a $40k family car as a Ford (I don't care if it has 450hp or 950hp... it still has "Taurus" on it's fenders) just doesn't fit. Neither does a $40k Mustang, but that's another thread. And if you ask me, neither does a $30K base Taurus.

IMO, cars are becoming too expensive across the board - we've had these discussions before on this forum, and I have shown the rediculous margins that are available in these vehicles. I've also shown the pricing strategies that they use - with 2 identical vehicles costing as much as $10k difference between sales districts simply because they are priced to what the market/region will bear. I don't give a doo-doo about inflation, deflation, reflation, adjusted this and that... poop on it all. What I know now is that I can spend $20k on a base V6 Mustang stripper car or I can buy a house out of foreclosure for the same. When Hyundai is offering a 4-door sedan starting at $8988 but Ford and GM can't offer me anything under $12k, something's not right. At the bottom of the worst automotive recession in 19 years, and the 2nd worst automotive recession EVER, and with the 3 domestics all within earshot of bankruptcy, I'm thinking now is probably not the time to start trying to upscale everything you offer. Lot's of good it does me to ask for $40k on this car, only to turn around and have to offer you $6k cash-back, 0% financing, and a free vacation at the beach to get you to come look at it/buy it?!?!

Look, I am 100% advocating that Ford has some great product(s) out right now and coming too - NO DOUBT. I don't dislike the SHO, or what it is. In fact I love the cars - I can site the Yamaha numbers to you, and I have seat time in 2 of them myself. I am also not arguing that the vehicle isn't worth the $38-$42K they are asking for it. WHAT I AM SAYING is that most people fortunate enough to have a job that will allow them to buy a $40k family car, and are actually shopping in the $40k category, are probably NOT looking for it on a Ford dealer's lot. They are setting themselves up for another situation like the SVO Mustang, the Merkur, the LS, the last T-bird, and others in which the target buyer/market for such a vehicle is not where they are putting the vehicle... that's my opinion.

If they have a business model that only needs to sell 5-10k units - GREAT! Shame they couldn't sell 20K and slam the profit margin through the roof.

Likewise, if they have some kind of advertising plan to get the word out to potential buyers of $40k cars - GREAT!
That advertising money comes from somewhere - it better return itself and more.

I guess I'm just the old curmudgeon, and I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a car-price discussion. I simply let my thoughts/opinion be known about the price-point of this particular vehicle. If you want to discuss why cars are overpriced (again), let's dig up the old thread and rehash it separately. Otherwise, I've said my peace... let's sit back and see what happens.
I'm not going anywhere.