The Taurus SHO returns in 2010. As the sporty version of the 263 horsepower/249 torque Ford Taurus, the Taurus SHO starts alive and roaring every time the driver gets behind the wheel, and the ability to shift gears with steering wheel paddles adds to the Taurus SHO’s giddy-fun ride. The sheer power generated from the 3.5-liter, direct-injected, twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine (producing 365 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 350 pounds-feet of torque from 1500 to 5250 rpm) is surprising in the context of a full-size, four-door sedan. The original SHO was produced 1989-1999, but the 2010 version isn’t a retread. Today’s SHO has electric power assist steering, sport-tuned suspension with unique shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars and strut-mount bushings as well as push-button start and Ford Sync (an in-vehicle voice-activated communications system that links up MP3 players, iPods and more).

Luxury abounds inside the SHO via leather-trimmed/suede insert seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, an ambient lighting system (you choose from five colors), and a 12-speaker/390-watt Sony audio system. The SHO is an exceedingly roomy car, and the 20.1 cubic feet capacity trunk is absolutely enormous. With a curb weight of 4,368 pounds, the torque-sensing all-wheel-drive SHO is appropriately fitted with various safety items, including standard electronic stability control, standard 19-inch Goodyear Eagle or optional 20-inch Michelin tires, a blind spot detection system that illuminates a yellow-orange light in the appropriate side mirror whenever a vehicle is in the blind spot as well as an optional rear-view camera system. SHO collects mpg estimates of 17 city and 25 highway. MSRP starts at $37,995.