1997 Ford Taurus “Midnight”

The 1996 model year brought the third-generation Ford Taurus, a full redesign built around an oval styling theme that extended from the grille and rear window to interior details. The engine lineup changed: the pushrod Vulcan 3.0 V6, rated at 145 horsepower, continued as the base engine, while a new dual-overhead-cam Duratec 3.0 V6, rated at 200 horsepower, was offered on the upper LX trim, both with a four-speed automatic. The performance Taurus SHO switched from the Yamaha V6 of earlier years to a 3.4 Yamaha V8, a 60-degree dual-overhead-cam 32-valve engine rated at 235 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque, paired only with the four-speed AX4N automatic. This was the only V8-powered Taurus SHO, and it ran for four model years, 1996 through 1999. The oval theme was not well received, and the Taurus lost its position as the best-selling car in the United States to the Toyota Camry for the 1997 model year after holding it from 1992 through 1996. The 3.4 SHO V8 later became known for a camshaft-sprocket failure traced to how Yamaha attached the sprockets to the camshafts. The Mercury Sable continued as the badge-engineered sibling.