Ford Taurus Sho

Ford is offering the re-incarnated version of the Ford Taurus SHO sports sedan that swept car lovers off their feet in the late 1980s. The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO debuted in the Detroit Auto Show. Though it is inspired by the erstwhile SHO, the new Ford Taurus SHO has a host of new additions. The engine is a 365-hp twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that has the USP of offering the power of the V8 with the fuel economy of the V6. The SHO model formerly meant Super High Output, which actually makes more sense in the modern version. The V6 engine is backed up by Ford's six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.

The SHO also has a better suspension due to SHO-specific shock absorbers and springs. There is also an optional Performance Package on offer that includes better brake pads, recalibrated steering and a "Sport Mode" for the stability control system. Nineteen-inch wheels made of Goodyear Eagle rubber are standard for the model.

New wheels are the most obvious feature that sets the SHO apart from other Taurus trim levels. The grille features a dark grey finish that matches the wheels. There is a SHO/EcoBoost badge on the trunk lid. The nostalgia inducing Atlantis Green, which has been inspired by the Emerald Green of the second generation SHO models, is a color that SHO buyers can opt for.

The seats are leather-trimmed and feature two-tone with recycled Mike Suede inserts. Classy aluminum trim and SHO branding on the floor mats and passenger-side dash panel contributes to dressing up the interiors. A perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel and 10-way power adjustable front seats contribute to driving comfort. The accelerator and brake pedals as well as the console, instrument and door panels feature SHO-specific aluminum trim and appliqués. Ambient Lighting allows the Ford Taurus SHO driver to program interior lighting from a choice of five attractive colors to cater to individual sense of aesthetics.

SHO also boasts of several fabulous features like

• Intelligent Access with Push Button Start which renders the conventional key redundant.
• MyKey which activates a restricted driving mode incorporating persistent safety belt reminder, audio system volume limits and speed chimes.
• Easy Fuel Capless Fuel Filler System, which eliminates the need for a traditional fuel cap.
• Ford SYNC, a fully integrated, in-vehicle voice-activated communications and entertainment system. The system combines 911 Assist, Vehicle Health Report and GPS-based features.
• Reverse Camera System, a distinctive SHO option along with Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support.
• Multi-Contour Seats, which impart a massage to passengers to help prevent back pain and fatigue.
• A Voice-Activated Navigation System with multiple features.
• Hi-tech Sony Audio System with multiple features.

The 2010 Taurus SHO comes standard with a range of safety equipment and features. The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO will be priced at $37,995.

--Source:  Press Release Point

Marketers for Ford call the Ford Taurus SHO the company's flagship. Once you get behind the wheel of the car, you'll understand why. The Ford Taurus SHO has a V6 engine, Ford’s new 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost engine, that exerts an amazing 365 horsepower and 350 ft. lbs. of torque. As a result, the Ford Taurus Sho has all kinds of punch power in all kinds of driving situations.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 uses twin turbochargers instead of a single unit. Each one of the turbochargers is smaller which helps to reduce internal inertia. This allows the engine to neutralize the “turbo lag” found with the earlier turbocharged applications.

The new Ford Taurus SHO driveline includes a high-capacity, 6-speed automatic transmission with a sophisticated torque-sensing all-wheel drive system. The SHO also is equipped with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which offer the driver a bit more control over the powertrain on the open road.

The car has a sport-tuned suspension with unique shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars, and strut mount bushings. Ford’s steering and brakes have also incredibly improved in the past few years.

The combination of a well-tuned suspension and crisp steering give the car a solid feel on the open road. The car also has a sense of control that complements the raw power, pushing you up against the back of a comfortable leather-trimmed seat.

The exterior of the Ford Taurus SHO has been restyled to give it more sophisticated lines, giving the car a more modern feel.

The Ford Taurus SHO includes sporty, painted wheels, a deck lid-mounted spoiler, and twin chrome exhaust tips. The SHO comes with Ford’s three-bar grille with SHO-specific, parking lamp bezels.

The interior of the SHO is comfortable and driver-oriented to relieve some of the tedium that is inevitable in heavy traffic or long drives.

The list of standard features on the SHO includes Intelligent Access with a push-button start that allows the drivers to enter the car and start the engine without using a conventional key.

Another feature designed for families with youthful drivers is MyKey, which allows customers to restrict the speed and persistent safety belt reminder, as well as limits on the audio system’s volume. The top vehicle speed can be limited to 80 mph, and speed chimes can be programmed to engage at 45, 55 or 65 mph with this system.

The Ford Taurus SHO also comes equipped with the Ford SYNC system, which includes 911 alert, vehicle diagnosis capability and GPS-based features such as business search. SYNC also connects to MP3 players, iPods, memory sticks, and PDAs, and now brings traffic updates, and directions via a turn-by-turn route guidance.

Ford Taurus SHO also comes with the capless fuel filler system, a feature unique to Ford.

An ambient lighting system with MyColor also allows the driver to program interior lighting from a choice of five soothing colors to suit their mood or the driving conditions.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO comes standard with the full array of active and passive safety equipment and features offered across the Taurus range such as front- and side-impact air bags.

Ford is also making a long list of options available on the SHO, including equipment normally found on more expensive luxury cars, such as a reverse camera system, adaptive cruise control (which allows the driver to set the Taurus SHO cruising speed while using radar technology to monitor traffic traveling up to 600 feet ahead), and a collision warning system, which is linked to the adaptive cruise control and the brakes.

A Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert, which provides driver warning in the corresponding sideview mirror is also optional on the SHO. The Cross Traffic Alert uses existing BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when the car is backed from a parking space.

Multi-contour seats with active motion are also options as is a voice-activated navigation system, a Sony audio system with 12 speakers, a digital amplifier and 390 watts of continuous power.

The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is priced at $37,995. It gets an estimated 17 mpg (city), and 25 mpg (highway). The car weighs about 4,368 pounds.

--Source:  The Oakland Press

Just when you thought that print advertising was down for the count, it comes back swinging hard.  With new and innovative forms of interactive advertising, print advertising will be the unlikely competitor of the Internet.  As new technologies emerge, traditional media advertising will merge with online advertising in creative and engaging ways.

Technology, such as mobile phones, is taking print advertising off the page and into the realm of interactivity.  One such example is how consumers can now use their camera phones to take pictures of print ads and text them in return for promos, such as coupons or video clips.  An advertising campaing like this was used to market this summer's film "X-Men Origins:  Wolverine".

Another form of interactive print advertising is Microsoft's upcoming ad campaign with Ford to market the new Ford Taurus SHO.  Microsoft will allow consumers to scan certain tags with embedded codes, and the codes will link consumers to certain microsites.

The new level of interactivity in print advertising will immerse and engage consumers in a much more profound way, not to mention a much longer time-span as well.  Print publishers who have been losing the fight to online publishers will now be able to compete for their share of the market.  Maybe this is a cue for other forms of traditional media advertising to update their techniques as well.  Instead of competing with online marketing, they can be complementary to it.