Why wasn't the 80s Taurus SHO engine used in other Ford vehicles? (sedan, coupe)
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Here was a 3.0L V6 capable of around 220 HP and moving the large FWD Taurus sedan 0-60 in under 7 seconds. Why didn't Ford apply this engine to its Mustang or Ford Probe? Was it to keep base Mustang prices low? Was it to prevent a Ford Probe from out performing the V8 version of the Mustang of that era? Were there problems with the engine that made it better suited to a limited production?
I bleive in the mid 80's ford wanted to replace the RWD Mustang with the FWD Probe but the sucess of the fox-body EFI 5.0L Mustang saved the Stang and killed the Probe.
As for the Taurus SHO it was a sleeper car that not many knew about and Ford made sure not to advertise that a Stock SHO from the showroom could beat a stock showroom V8 Mustang GT of the same vintage.
plus do not forget back then the base engie was a 2.3L N/A 4 banger (used in the Ranger as well) making 120HP their was no V6 after 1986 in the fox-body and the V6 did not came back till the 4th Gen 3.8L in 1994
The sho was used in some european supercar, it was a sho engine in an escort. Pocket rocket!
Believe it was called the sho-gun. To see the concept being used today, sort of, in low displacement turbo/supercharged engines.
The 3.8 supercharged engines of around the same time were a big deal too. I believe the sho engine retained its exclusivity, here in the us only. The US dont make cars like the Australians!
The SHO was a special ride, and the should have made the sho model as stock as possible. Car guys like to suprised their opponents.
Took this pic at the Taurus SHO convention in Atlanta in 1991 (IIRC). SHO powered Lotus Espirit. Obviously a custom one off, but it's indicative of how special the SHO engine was at the time.
The sho was used in some european supercar, it was a sho engine in an escort. Pocket rocket!
Believe it was called the sho-gun. To see the concept being used today, sort of, in low displacement turbo/supercharged engines.
The 3.8 supercharged engines of around the same time were a big deal too. I believe the sho engine retained its exclusivity, here in the us only. The US dont make cars like the Australians!
The SHO was a special ride, and the should have made the sho model as stock as possible. Car guys like to suprised their opponents.
I bleive in the mid 80's ford wanted to replace the RWD Mustang with the FWD Probe but the sucess of the fox-body EFI 5.0L Mustang saved the Stang and killed the Probe.
As for the Taurus SHO it was a sleeper car that not many knew about and Ford made sure not to advertise that a Stock SHO from the showroom could beat a stock showroom V8 Mustang GT of the same vintage.
plus do not forget back then the base engie was a 2.3L N/A 4 banger (used in the Ranger as well) making 120HP their was no V6 after 1986 in the fox-body and the V6 did not came back till the 4th Gen 3.8L in 1994
ford did want to replace the mustang with a front driver, and it probably would have been successful except for teh fact that ford wanted to put the mustang name plate on the car, and that is what pissed off the mustang enthusiasts to the point where the fox body sales jumped, and letters written to ford asked them what kind of stupid were they, and even went so far as to question their parentage, among other things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapikap
The sho was used in some european supercar, it was a sho engine in an escort. Pocket rocket!
Believe it was called the sho-gun. To see the concept being used today, sort of, in low displacement turbo/supercharged engines.
The 3.8 supercharged engines of around the same time were a big deal too. I believe the sho engine retained its exclusivity, here in the us only. The US dont make cars like the Australians!
The SHO was a special ride, and the should have made the sho model as stock as possible. Car guys like to suprised their opponents.
The Yamaha engine was contracted around 1984 for use in some sort of Ford project. The biggest debate right now is whether the GN34 program was the original reason for the SHO engines, and the cancellation of the program required Ford to find a home for the contractually obligated engines, or if the Taurus was always a designated home for the engine.
Either way, in the early 80's. Ford was always about trying to go high tech. They were experimenting with Turbo's (SVO Mustang) and playing with FWD as a platform of the Future. Had the Probestang become a reality in 1989, we potentially cou;d have very well seen a SHO-engine FWD Mustang come out of the ordeal, but fortunately public outcry over the Probestang, set in stone the future of the V8 RWD Mustang.
ford did want to replace the mustang with a front driver, and it probably would have been successful except for teh fact that ford wanted to put the mustang name plate on the car, and that is what pissed off the mustang enthusiasts to the point where the fox body sales jumped, and letters written to ford asked them what kind of stupid were they, and even went so far as to question their parentage, among other things.
you beat me to it john.
And then they named the car a Probe. Geez, they could have gone with Maverick and it probably would have sold more. Mazda MX6 based sports coupe with good handling is a good combination. But who wants a "Probe"?
I bleive in the mid 80's ford wanted to replace the RWD Mustang with the FWD Probe but the sucess of the fox-body EFI 5.0L Mustang saved the Stang and killed the Probe.
As for the Taurus SHO it was a sleeper car that not many knew about and Ford made sure not to advertise that a Stock SHO from the showroom could beat a stock showroom V8 Mustang GT of the same vintage.
plus do not forget back then the base engie was a 2.3L N/A 4 banger (used in the Ranger as well) making 120HP their was no V6 after 1986 in the fox-body and the V6 did not came back till the 4th Gen 3.8L in 1994
Close...many mustang enthusiast boycotted the fwd platform change over and it would've been the end to the marque. 79-85 the 2.3 was carbed with 88hp, 86-93 EFI 2.3S had 110hp. It did not see 120+- hp until the DIS 2.5 in the rangers.
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