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Ford unwraps the 2013 Taurus SHO

The 2013 Taurus SHO features a new front end, but the rest of the sport sedan's details should seem familiar.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
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Antuan Goodwin
2 min read
Antuan Goodwin/CNET

The concert venue's lighting was less than ideal, but this is our first look at the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO.
The concert venue's lighting was less than ideal, but this is our first look at the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO. Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Ford and Sony threw a party and somewhere along the way unveiled a new car. That's how the automaker and consumer electronics supplier's pre-New York auto show event felt. After building a bit of suspense, the cover was pulled back on the new 2013 Ford Taurus SHO. A few specs were shared, a bit of praise hefted on the sedan, but whole event seemed to have more to do with the show that followed the unveiling than it did the SHO itself.

The new Taurus SHO--which will go into production in 2012, bearing a 2013 model year designation--features a larger, more angular grill that ditches the tri-bar grill of the previous generation in favor of a more aggressive aesthetic that's more in with Ford's most recent offerings. Looked at indirectly, the SHO now looks more like Ford's own Mustang than ever, but there are hints of the Fiesta and Focus to be found as well. Most importantly, the overall proportion and mass of the Taurus is retained.

Behind that chrome honeycomb grill breathes a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine that displaces 3.5 liters and outputs 365 horsepower. If those numbers sound familiar, it's because they're unchanged from the 2010 model that we've tested previously. That's OK, because we weren't exactly left wanting for power by the previous generation.

Of course, the 2013 Taurus will feature Ford Sync and a Sony premium audio system with a custom built subwoofer enclosure and the standard plethora of tweeters and woofers that we've come to expect from Ford and Sony's previous car audio partnerships. No word as to whether MyFord Touch would make its way into the Taurus' dashboard.

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The rest of the Taurus doesn't undergo too much of an aesthetic change.
The rest of the Taurus doesn't undergo too much of an aesthetic change. Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Ford seems to be holding onto a few details to be unveiled at tomorrow's official press conference.
Ford seems to be holding onto a few details to be unveiled at tomorrow's official press conference. Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Details about the expected fuel economy of the EcoBoost V-6 haven't been revealed just yet, but we expect them to fall in line with the previous generation SHO. Rumors point to a second, more economical 2.0-liter EcoBoost mill similar to that of the upcoming Ford Focus ST finding its way under the non-SHO Taurus' hood tomorrow. Either way, expect to hear more about the next Ford Taurus when the 2011 New York auto show officially opens its doors to the press tomorrow morning.