Ford introduced the Taurus SHO performance sedan in 1989.
The Taurus SHO was a high-performance version of the Ford Taurus developed with Yamaha. It used a 3.0-liter V6 engine with four valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts, giving the family sedan substantially more performance than ordinary Taurus models.
The SHO combined discreet styling with a powerful engine, making it a notable sleeper car. Its initial version was sold with a five-speed manual transmission, unusual for a mainstream American sedan of its period.
The SHO name stood for Super High Output. Later generations changed engines, transmissions, and body details, so specifications vary by model year. The original 1989 SHO is specifically associated with the Yamaha-developed V6 and manual transmission.