Taurus is due to get the engine right behind the upcoming Lincoln MKS.

Should be pushing close to 400 horsepower in the Lincoln, and about 50 less for the Taurus.

Should make a run in with a 303 horse Impala SS interesting.

 

In the article it states that they expect it to get to sixty in the low to mid sixes.

Most Impala/Monte Carlo SS's have been in the mid to high fives. So for a stoplight drag, assuming traction for both, I wouldn't say "spanking" yet...

The ST does sound impressive none the less.

 

Agreed. If they aren't even expecting high 5.x 0-60 times, it will not be spanking any impala ss.

 

Very encouraging. And hopefully going with the ST branding is a hint that we'll be getting a Focus ST as well.

 

Aren't they about the same weight? 350HP > 303HP

 

Fixed.

Although the Taurus should spank a Impala SS due to it's horsepower and some very serious torque advantage, until we see how Ford manages sending that much frigging power through the front tires (weight shifts aft during hard acceleration), we can't know for sure, so my spanking comment might be premature.

But.. Ford's claim of low to mid 6 seconds is almost certainly a smoke job. A 4000 pound Chrysler 300C does that before the computer relaxes when it's convinced the engine's broken in. If the lighter Ford Taurus ends up doing that, Ford's ponies must be a bit smaller than everyone else's.

 

They're close.

The current 2008 Taurus AWD Limited has a base curb weight of 3930. This is without turbos and other performance weight adders if they come to be.

The current Impala SS has a base curb weight of 3711.

It would be an interesting run.

 

The new Taurus will be a hit for Ford, especially with this newfound power.

 

Interesting..

 

I honestly think that if Ford's next Taurus was getting 35 mpg instead of 350 hp it would be a large hit.

Times are changing folks, it is time to recognize that best in class economy will be a bigger seller than best in class power.

 

I think people intrested in 35 mpg will more likely get one of the other versions of the Taurus that will likely make up about 90% or more of it's sales total than the 10% or less that will purchase a fire-breathing, 350 horsepower, top of the line performance version of that car.

The next Taurus is by all indications going to be a hit... a huge hit compared to the current version.

 

Manual or Auto Tranny?
Price?

 

That engine would sound a whole lot better in an AWD Fusion...but what do I know.

 

SVT Contour might have scared Ford a bit into not going down that road.

 

Sounds like a pretty good pkg. I think they should use the name SHO, those Tauruses from the early to mid-90s where very popular cars, and really changed the sports sedan market. I remember test driving one a '94 model that was bright red, 5-speed....I remember being not very impressed with the power. That was probably because I had just stepped out of a "94 Impala SS test drive just before test driving the Taurus SHO. The Impala SS torque made it feel much faster, where the SHO had to rev some to make power.