If Ford Was to Re-Do the SHO, Would You Buy It?

[Agent Smith]

How about this... I'll pick one up in 2022 when I can get one for under $5000 and it'll potentially be a classic!
For 35 G's right now, I can think of a lot of other new cars I'd rather have.

 

[JCE]

I love Dougie too, I think we all do. I think deep down inside he knows how awesome American cars are, he just won't admit it.

When I first started driving Volkswagens I had to question my preferences towards GM, but it goes away after a while. I still love my VWs, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benzes, but if the General has got something good too, well, then things get difficult.

In summation: Passat > A4, Doug rocks, Fusion isteh ROXORZ!

But American cars aren't awsome as a whole. There are a decent amount of good ones but alot of sub-par ones--and some that are ghastly.

And for the record, A4 > Passat.

I like Fusions, too. Fusion's whole lot better than the car it replaced.

I would fully support the "Re-Do" of SHO, but not on the current "Five Hundred" Taurus form, and certainly not as a coupe, or with ridiculous looking Mustang stripe kit. If they are coming out with SHO now, I feel it should be on the Fusion(or "6") platform. But that will screw up the model naming, so I think they should wait.

Or they can call the Fusion SHO, a Taurus SHO, and confuse people like with the American Accord vs JPN/Euro Accord(TSX).

I wish the TSX was the Accord, its such a better looking car all the way around. And the next SHO should use the Fusion stretched platform--but it just wouldn't make sense to even CALL it a SHO if it wasn't a Taurus to begin with. Thus meaning the SHO won't happen, but maybe a Fusion SVT would. A coupe Fusion SVT with AWD and some power would just flat out own hard core. Especially if it had this type of grille instead of the mach3 one:

How about this... I'll pick one up in 2022 when I can get one for under $5000 and it'll potentially be a classic!
For 35 G's right now, I can think of a lot of other new cars I'd rather have.

For $35k you money should be spent on the new Camaro.

 

[YSSMAN]

And for the record, A4 > Passat.

Sure, now they are with their V8 models. But generally speaking, on the lower spec models, there still isn't enough of a difference to win me over.

The Passat W8 will always bring the pwnage to the A4.

 

[neanderthal]

quick answer, NO.

its wrong wheel drive and would have too much power to be done right. for FWD to work it requires a delicate balance of light weight, amazing chassis tuning and just enough power to make it work. see integra type R as definitive model.

also, i believe that the volvo "chassis" that compared well to other europeans was the S60, as tested in the S60R, (same as fusion and mazda 6 IIRC) not the S80 which has the bigger platform underpinning the volvo SUV and also the ford 500/ taurus. different chassis'

 

[neanderthal]

Sure, now they are with their V8 models. But generally speaking, on the lower spec models, there still isn't enough of a difference to win me over.

The Passat W8 will always bring the pwnage to the A4.

are we spending comparable money on both cars? if yes then that^^^^ is a blatant lie

if youre comparing the bottom feeder A4 to the W8 then true. but probably only in a straight line.

 

[YSSMAN]

I believe the officially unofficial plan for this SHO reincarnate was to do the Twin-Turbo 3.5L V6 with the AWD system already made available on the car. IMO, that sounds just about right, particularly if SVT goes about doing the suspension. Problem is, AFAIK, the current transmission and AWD setup won't be able to handle the 350+ BHP. That would be left to the ad-wizards at Ford, by which I don't have much confidence...

===

are we spending comparable money on both cars? if yes then that^^^^ is a blatant lie

if youre comparing the bottom feeder A4 to the W8 then true. but probably only in a straight line.

Whats a lie? That the Passat is outright better than the A4 or that the W8 will always be better than any A4, save of course for the S4. Personally speaking, back when they were so closely related (much less of course today), I couldn't have fathomed choosing the A4 unless I was utterly convinced as a badge-snob that I needed four rings on the front. The performance was nearly identical under most circumstances (hey, they even offered the same engines and transmissions!), and while the VW would take a few hits in overall performance from time-to-time (it is a VW after all...), IMO, it was never enough to make much of a difference.

The problem of course was the W8 model, buy which I'm sure Audi was a bit upset about, and VW was quick to dial it back a bit to save their bigger sibling's butt. If I'm not mistaken, the W8 was quicker than the majority of A4 models at the time, and even with the standard suspension handled nearly as well (the sport packaged changed that significantly). The problem was that the Passat was too heavy; Chalk it up to the big W8, AWD, the slushbox, all of the luxury goodies and gadgets, which put it several hundred pounds ahead of its sibling. Furthermore, the price was quite high... Nearly $50K as I recall in some models.

That would get you a very nice Audi or BMW, and that was the problem.

Personally speaking, the Passat W8 still stands as one of the best cars Germany ever made, and nobody knew about it. You can find them for outrageously cheap prices in the US now. I looked at one the other day for $17K with less than 65K miles on the clock... A 2004 model with the six-speed (super rare!) and the sport package. I found one closer to home, a 2002 Estate, for $13K, literally around the corner from my house.

I'd call that the steal of the century, something I'm seriously considering in the not too distant future...

 

[neanderthal]

self evident sentence mate. if were spending comparable money the A4 wins hands down.

your 17K for a used W8 gets me a used S4.

ergo the pawnage was the lie

 

[YSSMAN]

Oh, okay, I understand now...

Generally speaking, S4 is going to walk all-over the W8. That goes without saying. Still, the Vee-Dub is my pick of the litter, but thats just me...

 

[Tornado]

also, i believe that the volvo "chassis" that compared well to other europeans was the S60, as tested in the S60R, (same as fusion and mazda 6 IIRC) not the S80 which has the bigger platform underpinning the volvo SUV and also the ford 500/ taurus. different chassis'

Nope. The S60 and original Volvo S80 shared the same platform, which is now used in the Ford Taurus. The current S80 sits on the Ford EUCD platform, as will the next S60, but the Ford Taurus does sit on the same platform as the current Volvo S60.

 

[neanderthal]

P2/ D3, i stand corrected.

 

[Tornado]

That being said, the modifications done to put it under the Taurus (most notably stretching it) would probably make them have to retune it anyways.

 

[Jim Prower]

If Ford Weren't to introduce the FPV GT, I'd buy it.

If Ford introduced the FPV GT, I wouldn't buy it.

(This would be true if i had the money to spend.)

To tell the truth, that's what the car on the front page reminds me of, though I have to keep telling myself that it's based on an FF.

 

[YSSMAN]

...And that FF car would more than likely be AWD by the time it hit the streets...

 

[TestECull]

If Ford brings back the SHO, it must have these requirements:



MANUAL TRANS ONLY!

Rear wheel drive, AWD option.

V8, bigger V8 and GT40 V8 as engines.

Stripped interior, keeping the AC, power windows and locks and needed safety crap ala Washington.

Neatly integrated, as in not obnoxiously huge, airbags. I want the airbags as tiny as possible when they're not deployed, but if I must use them, big enough to catch me face.

A switch to allow the car to start without the clutch being pushed in, provided the parking brake is on and the trans is in neutral.

A panic switch to allow you to use the starter to limp off the road, should the engine acually fail where there's no shoulder. This can be tied into the computer to only work when the OBD-II(I) detects a fault that would prevent the engine from running, such as no fuel pressure or catastrophic ignition failure.

Give us a pushrod engine, so we don't have to worry about belts snapping.
Make it easy for us to do our own maintenance/work on it. We know what we're doing. And if we don't, we will soon.

Give it an electronic distributor, guys.

Allow us to tune the suspension in all directions. A few of us might acually race this thing.

Integrate a factory rollbar that meets all major racing body regulations. Make it invisible, as in hidden behind the paneling.

And finally, give us a panel of switches in the glovebox to disable the electronic aids, such as TCS, ABS and ESC. We may not want them on 24/7.

And please, PLEASE, make it look awesome. No fugly cars, please.

If it met those standards, I'd buy several of them.

 

[Gil]

While I very much like the concept, I must have a car with 4-doors.
Also, the racing stripes must go.
I wanna be fast, but be benign looking.

Then I'm the guy that would strip the m5 badges of a BMW or the GT badges off a Mustang so, the cops wouldn't be sniffing around me all the time.

 

[JCE]

This is what a SHO to embody...

Sleak, discrete, and plenty fast. At first glance any normal person would just thing its a regula-ass car...but to the trained eye one knows not to mess with it in your riced out Civic as you'll get your ass handed to you.