Find of the Week: 1999 Ford Taurus SHO

Late last week, Ford announced that production of the Taurus had ended – for the second and likely final time. So in tribute to that ubiquitous of family sedans, we've found something special: one of the sleeper Taurus models that trickled out over the years. The autoTRADER.ca Find of the Week this week is a V8-powered 1999 Ford Taurus SHO.

The Ford Taurus debuted in 1985 and at the time it was a shapely surprise in an era of, well, not the greatest styling to ever see the road. It was a revolution for the brand. The car would continue on for a total of six generations. Skipping only a few years that everyone would probably like to forget when it changed name to the "Five Hundred" from 2006 to 2007.

Over the decades, the car topped the sales charts on many occasions, and Ford built and sold more than eight million of the sedans and wagons. Shuttling tens of millions of kids to school, business people to and from the airport, and even saw duty as Robocop's futuristic patrol car.

While most of those were sold with four-cylinders and V6 engines, even twin-turbo V6s, the really special ones came with an eight. For just a few short years, Ford offered eight cylinders hidden under the strange styling of the third-generation Taurus.

The third-gen Taurus wasn't the first time Ford had gone quickly in their family hauler. The SHO, or Super High Output, badge started back in 1989. A Yamaha-built V6 that could rev to 7,000 and came with 220 hp. Later cars pushed that sweet-singing engine to 3.2L, with more torque but the same power.

For the third-generation car, the Yamaha relationship continued. The new car was to get a new engine. This time, the SHO got a V8.

It was a 3.4L engine that used the same bore and stroke as the 2.5L V6 that Ford used in the Contour. The engines are slightly related but very different. The aluminum blocks were manufactured in Windsor, ON, using a process designed by engine builder Cosworth. Then the blocks were shipped to Japan where Yamaha finished assembly. Then they were shipped back for installation.

The new V8 offered up 235 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque. Quite respectable numbers for 1997, when the car launched. The engine could rev to 7,000 rpm, and while the intake wasn't the work of art of the V6, it was still a very attractive piece under the hood.

Suspension changes to the SHO included dual-level computer-controlled damping and stiffer anti-roll bars. The body changes to the car were subtle and included a slightly revised front fascia with larger openings, 16-inch wheels, rocker sill extensions, and a logo on the rear bumper. In short, it looked virtually the same as the standard Taurus making it quite the sleeper at the time.

The SHO we've found is a 1999 model. It's for sale in Etobicoke, by the original owner. It has just 102,000 km on the odometer over the years, and the owner says that all of the service was done at the same Ford dealer. There was an issue with some of these V8s that saw the camshaft and timing gear detached, and this owner has had them welded together, which is the usual fix to help prevent that issue. Since 16-inch wheels are looking a touch small these days, this one has 17-inch alloys fitted. Though the stock ones come with should you want the original look.

The SHO is one of those 1990s cars that could end up soon becoming a classic. It's also one of very few front-drive cars with a V8 powering the wheels. It's our Find of the Week, and it could be yours.