1996 BMW M3

Ford offered the first close look at the all-new '96 Taurus SHO 3.4-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 when the engine was shown on a stand at the New York Auto Show.

As reported in our May issue, the SHO V-8 is a close relative of the 2.5-liter Duratec V-6 found in the Contour/Mystique. The all-aluminum block for the SHO engine will be cast using a Cosworth process at Ford's Windsor, Ontario, casting plant, and then will be shipped to Yamaha in Japan for final machining and assembly. The completed engines will then be shipped to Ford's Atlanta assembly plant for installation into the Taurus. This continues Ford's SHO-production partnership with Yamaha, dating back to the debut of the current V-6-powered SHO in 1988.

Sharing its 82.4-millimeter bore and 79.5-millimeter stroke with the Duratec V-6, the four camshafts on the SHO engine are driven by a silent primary chain and two secondary chains. A counter-rotating balance shaft in the block ensures smooth operation for the inherently unstable 60-degree V-8 layout. Individually cast aluminum intake runners are tied to an electric Intake Manifold Runner Control (IMRC), which opens a secondary port for better respiration at engine speeds above 3500 rpm. To maintain the compact design, many engine accessories, including the power-steering pump, nest between the cylinder banks and are driven by a single serpentine belt. Unique to the SHO engine is Ford's first use of reverse-flow cooling, which sends cool water to the heads and then to the block. It's also the first Ford engine to use coil-on-plug ignition.

Though the final ratings aren't in, Ford predicts the SHO engine will knock out between 225 and 230 horsepower at 6000 rpm, and 225 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. And like many modern engines, it should go 100,000 miles between tuneups.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this all-new engine is its appearance on nearly the 65th anniversary of the first Ford V-8. Like the SHO engine, that first 70-horsepower "flathead" was a 60-degree V-8 and displaced only 3.6 liters.

Rumor MillFlying out of the Pentastar corporation are rumors that the Chrysler Atlantic Coupe show car, which premiered at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is headed for production. The logic goes this way: What the Viper did for Dodge's image, the Atlantic can do for the Chrysler division's. Supposedly, preliminary investigation of its production feasibility gives the car a clean bill of health.

Along the same lines of the Atlantic's possible production, is word that the Eagle Jazz may also appear in dealer showrooms. This would give each Chrysler division, except Jeep, a "halo" image car of its own; Dodge has the Viper, Plymouth will have the upcoming Prowler street rod, Chrysler may have the Atlantic, and Eagle would tout the Jazz.

While many Dodge officials would like to produce the Avenger R/T, also shown at the Detroit show, it probably won't appear until at least 1997. Although the Avenger's current Mitsubishi-built 2.5-liter V-6 is capable of producing the R/T's 200 horsepower, Chrysler would rather spend its money developing a high-performance version of its own planned 2.7-liter V-6.

A supercharged version of the upcoming 4.6-liter/300-horsepower DOHC 32-valve V-8-powered '96 SVT Cobra is running around Ford. With reportedly over 330 horsepower on tap (we estimate much more), this car could devastate the Z28's current position as performance king of the ponycar world. Best of all, word is that the supercharged Cobra is likely to make production.