The new Ford Taurus SHO is the sportiest Taurus yet to wear the coveted performance badge. With its unique blend of the award-winning, fuel-efficient EcoBoost® engine, enhanced driving dynamics and performance-inspired design, the new Taurus SHO shows it means business.
“The Taurus SHO has always followed the original formula of a stealthy sleeper and the new model is no exception,” said Gordon Platto, chief designer. “We wanted to keep the subtle, yet sporty elegance, but we aimed to even more fully differentiate the Super High Output model from other Taurus series models.”
- New Ford Taurus SHO sedan is sportiest model yet to wear SHO badge, offering unique, performance-inspired design and road manners to match
- Improved driving dynamics, larger brakes, torque vectoring control and specially calibrated electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) deliver superior performance
- Taurus SHO Performance Package adds new brakes, 20-inch wheels with summer performance tires and enhanced cooling system for more spirited driving
Distinctive design, signature technology
For the new Ford Taurus SHO, subtle differentiation from the other members of the Taurus family starts up front, with a performance-inspired grille in black mesh – unique to the SHO – flanked by series-specific high-intensity discharge headlamps. Behind the front wheel openings, a fender-mounted scallop contains a subtle SHO badge.Unique 19-inch premium painted wheels wearing standard P255/45VR-19 all-season tires fill out the openings, giving SHO a muscular, athletic look. Buyers can choose 20-inch machined and painted wheels.
SHO-specific sideview mirrors – also in contrasting black – are heated, have memory functionality and contain downward-facing puddle lamps; the driver’s side features auto-dimming. In the rear, Taurus SHO features a unique decklid-mounted spoiler.
Inside, the new Taurus SHO communicates its sporty characteristics with a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-trimmed sport seats with embroidered SHO graphics, unique woven aluminum trim and adjustable aluminum pedals with memory.
Signature Ford technology is a key attribute of the new Taurus SHO, with the addition of standard MyFord Touch® driver connect technology powered by SYNC® and the replacement of several traditional knobs and controls with clear, colorful LCD screens and five-way buttons. The screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each individual driver using voice command, a simple button click or touch-screen tap.
MyFord Touch is powered by the latest generation of Ford’s award-winning SYNC, including sophisticated voice control for vehicle functions, Bluetooth® enabled devices, MP3 players and a wide variety of external media.
Enhanced powertrain, refined dynamics
The new Taurus SHO drivetrain continues to use the award-winning and fuel-efficient 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, delivering 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a six-speed high-capacity 6F55 SelectShift Automatic™ transmission.
Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters enable the Taurus SHO to match revs for smooth, quick, manually selected downshifts. For the new model, these have been reconfigured for more intuitive operation, with one paddle for upshifts and the other for downshifts.
SHO dynamics have been enhanced with larger brakes, torque vectoring control – using slight braking to provide the effect of a limited-slip differential – and unique sport-tuned suspension.
Specially calibrated electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) has been further optimized for enthusiast-pleasing road feel and direct, communicative response. In addition to helping Taurus SHO deliver up to 25 mpg on the highway, EPAS enables the car to park itself with active park assist.
Taurus SHO brake system upgrades include a larger master cylinder, revised booster tuning for improved pedal feel, and larger front rotors with 19 percent more thermal mass and 67 percent more swept area to help brakes run cooler. Now vented, the rear disc brakes offer 53 percent more thermal mass.
As with the previous edition, all Taurus SHO models come standard with an advanced torque-sensing all-wheel-drive system to help deliver optimum traction in all weather conditions and to enable the car to efficiently deliver ample torque through all four driven wheels when driving in a sporty, enthusiastic manner.
SHO Performance Package
For discriminating automotive enthusiasts demanding the ultimate in uncompromised dynamics and response, the 2013 Taurus SHO offers a new Performance Package that is engineered to deliver greater handling responsiveness, power delivery and durability under more sporting driving conditions.
The SHO Performance Package includes:
- Package-specific sport-tuned suspension with unique dampers and springs
- Performance brake pads and unique track-tuned calipers
- Recalibrated EPAS
- Electronic Stability Control track mode with true off
- 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio for enhanced off-the-line acceleration
- Enhanced extreme-duty cooling system
- 20-inch machined and painted wheels
- 245/YR20 performance summer-compound tires
