1995 Ford Taurus “The SHO”

The 1992 model year brought the second-generation Ford Taurus, a restyle of the front-wheel-drive sedan and wagon that grew slightly in size and weight over the first generation. The standard engines carried over: the pushrod Vulcan 3.0 V6 across most sedans and wagons, with the Essex 3.8 V6 standard on the LX wagon and optional elsewhere, both paired with the four-speed AXOD-E (later AX4S) automatic. The Taurus was the best-selling car in the United States across this generation, part of a run it held from 1992 through 1996, with reported Taurus sales of 409,751 in 1992, 360,448 in 1993, 397,037 in 1994, and 366,266 in 1995. The performance Taurus SHO continued with its Yamaha-built engine. For 1993 Ford split the SHO engine into two displacements: the original 3.0 dual-overhead-cam V6 stayed with the Mazda-built MTX-IV five-speed manual, while a new 3.2 version was offered with the AX4S automatic. The 3.2 retained the 220-horsepower rating, now at 6000 rpm, and raised torque to about 215 lb-ft. The 3.0 manual SHO ran through 1995. The Mercury Sable remained the badge-engineered sibling of the second-generation Taurus.