Ford 500 S.H.O.?

I spend a lot of time at my local regional Ford dealer and I saw today being unloaded off a truck an AWD Ford 500. AWD 500s are nothing special but the GM called me over and told me to open the hood. This car contained the Volvo XC90 engine(DOHC, 4.4L, 311hp) built by Yamaha. Garland Ford is getting five total and Cotton said the total production number would probably only be 501. He wasn't able to give me a price or date on the cars yet.


Any thoughts?

I read on the Lincoln site that Lincoln's version of the 500 (the Lincoln MKS?) will have the 4.4L V8 Volvo engine standard. Maybe they built a limited number of 500's as a test-bed for the Lincoln (or as a possible police car).

Did the dealer have a price?

$38,300 - $40,065



I just realized I am not sure if that is MSRP or Invoice price.

Ouch! You can get a lot of cars (that don't look like a bar of soap) for that kind of money.

Actually that is a pretty low price once you think about the fact that the 1998 3.4L FWD SHO started at $32,495.

Understood, but the previous SHO didn't sell well and that was, in part, due to it's price. Also, I was thinking in terms of what other new cars you could buy in that price range (or less):

- Dodge Charger R/T, Chrysler 300C (345hp HEMI or even the 425hp SRT/8 models)
- Chevrolet Impala SS, Pontiac Grand Prix GXP (303hp V8)
- Toyota Avalon (w/ a 268hp V6)
- Hyundai Azera (w/ 263hp V6)
- Acura TL (w/ 258hp V6)

The sedan market has some stiff competition right now. I, like a lot of people, would certainly would prefer a V8 so that works in Ford's favor but the 500 is just too plain in it's exterior design to compete well with some of the above cars in that price range (some of the above are actually considerably cheaper).

That said, thanks for the info on the 500 SHO. I'll keep an eye for one on the Ford dealer's lot. Maybe I'd be more impressed than I think.

Dodge Charger SRT8
Cost: $38,095
Engine: 6.1L OHV V8
Horsepower: 420hp
Top Speed: 165mph
Driveline: AWD
Weight: 4160lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 10lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 14/20/16Chrysler 300 SRT8
Cost $42,695
Engine: 6.1L OHV V8
Horsepower: 425hp
Top Speed: 165mph
Driveline: RWD
Weight: 4046lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 9.5lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 14/20/16Chevrolet Impala SS
Cost: $26,990
Engine: 5.3L Small Block V8
Horsepower: 303hp
Top Speed: 154mph
Driveline: FWD
Weight: 4719
Power Weight Ratio: 15.5lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 18/28/23Pontiac Grand Prix GXP
Cost: $27,330
Engine: 5.3L Small Block V8
Horsepower: 303
Top Speed: n/a
Driveline: FWD
Weight: 3600lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 12lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 18/27/23Toyota Avalon
Cost: $33,965
Engine: 3.5L DOHC 24-valve Dual VVT-i V6
Horsepower: 268hp
Top Speed: 155mph
Driveline: FWD
Weight: 3600lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 13.5lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 22/31/27Hyundai Azera
Cost: $26,835
Engine: 3.8L DOHC 24-valve V6
Horsepower: 263hp
Top Speed: 157mph, 145mph (drag limited)
Driveline: FWD
Weight: 3629lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 14lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 19/28/24Acura TL
Cost: $32,650
Engine: 3.2L SOHC 24-valve V6
Horsepower: 258hp
Top Speed: 152mph
Driveline: FWD
Weight: 3580lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 14lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 20/29/25Ford 500 SVT
Cost: $38,000
Engine: 4.4L DOHC 32-valve V8
Horsepower: 311hp
Top Speed: 168mph
Driveline: AWD
Weight: 4025lbs
Power Weight Ratio: 13lb : 1hp
Gas Mileage: 17/24/21If you look at it the Ford 500 really has the most going for it. It will have the 4th highest quarter mile, the best braking and driveline, the best top speed and a superior built engine. Plus it is most likely the Ford 500 V8 will be listed as an SVT which will give the same aftermarket parts avalibility as the Impala/Pontiac and the SRT-8s. With that in mind the 500 will prove to be a better built engine performance wise (imo) because Chrysler is already pushing what their 6.1 liter Hemi's can do when the Yamaha V8 is still in its virgin state.

As far as the body styling is concerned I find it a lot more innovative and appealing than the Toyota, 300c (looks like a fucking Bently Tank) and the Impala SS. Granted it doesn't come anywhere close to the agreesive Charger or Acura/Hyundia sleekness (which both look like Jaguar rip offs) but it is far from an ugly car.

I bet its a good overall car, but personally, the styling is a little bland.

I think it would be a cool idea if they lowered the price ... and the engine didn't self destruct.

I think it would be a cool idea if they lowered the price ... and the engine didn't self destruct.
Go on.........Are they known to do that?

Ford has built about 26 different OHC engines and all of them are faulty in some way in the cam/crank area except the 2.5 and 3.0 Duratec. The reason I only listed 3 is because the V6 SHO was not a Ford Engine but the V8 was.

This is a Volvo / Yamaha engine so it might now crap out like an escort, mustang, sho, lti.

thank you.......

and fords v8 wasnt much better, it was heavy and liked heat. not to mention the power just wasnt there. it was also prone to problems which is why when we tried to find a short block for one ( when i still worked at ricks) it was almost 3 grand. ford hasnt really been playing the performance card much anyway. i think they are trying to appear more conservative (except for the mustang and saleens) but i would like to se a return to the s.h.o. ... hell ild go for some thing with a H.O. motor instead of the bland motor selections. what ever happened to the good old days when you could get 3 and even 4 motor options?

and fords v8 wasnt much better, it was heavy and liked heat. not to mention the power just wasnt there. it was also prone to problems which is why when we tried to find a short block for one ( when i still worked at ricks) it was almost 3 grand. ford hasnt really been playing the performance card much anyway. i think they are trying to appear more conservative (except for the mustang and saleens) but i would like to se a return to the s.h.o. ... hell ild go for some thing with a H.O. motor instead of the bland motor selections. what ever happened to the good old days when you could get 3 and even 4 motor options?The auto unions use to make fair wages then they got greedy towards the mid and late 80s sending the cost of cars sky rocketing slowly eliminating all the different options.

huh, didnt know that

A 4 year employed Janitor at a GM, Ford, Dodge will work about 2-4 hours a day three days a week the union will bill the company for a 40 a week job at roughly $60 an hour of which that Janitor will keep about 65-70% of that pay. That is with a GED btw.

Now take the Honda plant in Marysville where its employee will still make $35 actually working 40 hours a week with the same benifts but non-union. The cost to keep the employee there will be cut in half.

Then again I can't really complain, I was/still am a union worked and when I did overseas/off coast work I was making $175 and was billing $300 for every hour I was on ship or platform with pay doubling usually every 2-3 months I was out.

ya Couldnt Give Me Another Ford. Every Ford Ive Ever Has Was A Pos.

The new 3.5L Duratec will be available in the 500 in mid-2007

and fords v8 wasnt much better, it was heavy and liked heat. not to mention the power just wasnt there. it was also prone to problems which is why when we tried to find a short block for one ( when i still worked at ricks) it was almost 3 grand. ford hasnt really been playing the performance card much anyway. i think they are trying to appear more conservative (except for the mustang and saleens) but i would like to se a return to the s.h.o. ... hell ild go for some thing with a H.O. motor instead of the bland motor selections. what ever happened to the good old days when you could get 3 and even 4 motor options?

like 289/302/351

Just for the record most if not all of ford's motors are overhead cam, and have been for a while. The problem with the cam's on the s.h.o motor was that they where pined not welded. They just couldn't take the high rpm. However it was a very easy fix. What killed the S.H.O taurus was not the cost, but much rather the weight, they expanded the design to a v8 and it still only put out somewhere around 220 horse not enough to compistate for the increase in weight, and the loss of performance killed the car.

Remember the Shelby CV525? 525 horsepower ÷ 4.6 liters = 115 horsepower per liter. :wink:

Some administrator should move this thread to the Five Hundred category IMHO.