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Ford recasts best-seller Taurus as curvy new sedan and wagon
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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The infield course at Charlotte Motor Speedway, routed along a blacktop path defined by bright orange cones, included tight hairpin corners, long straights interrupted at intervals by loose chicanes, and broad sweepers designed to make tires scream.
To navigate at speed through these tricky steering challenges without losing traction or control, a driver would require a vehicle which responds precisely to instantaneous commands from accelerator, brake and steering wheel, plus a suspension setup that checks overt body roll to keep all that mechanical mass balanced atop the four rubber footprints on pavement.
What this driver used to power around all those curves was the pre-production prototype of a sensational new design by Ford which incorporates torquey V6 power, wily suspension and steering systems, plus plush comfort and convenience items slipped into a mid-size package whose design cues come from the sensuous contours of an elliptical curve.
It's a stunningly handsome new shape for a car, with fluid sheetmetal and glass swoops and bulges warping around covert mechanical systems capable of performing serious tricks on pavement, as the numerous curves at Charlotte's infield track revealed.
That's Taurus in a new generational design for 1996 which Ford has cast in sedan and station wagon formats.
Drop back a decade to resurrect the first Taurus, a 1986 model which looked radical for its day with a distinct exterior design that seemed far more curvy than other cars of the era. It also performed like no other model that year, so crisp and explicit.
Improvements in successive models made this label even better, which is one reason why Taurus for the past three years has been the best-selling nameplate in the country.
Yet nothing about prior Taurus prepares for the 1996 rendition: It's radical again -- and right on the mark.
The 1996 make-over, new from top to trim, presents a series of sweeping sheetmetal images where one curved surface flows into the next, starting at the swoopy nose and climbing a multi-rolled hood to the canted expanse of windshield and over an arching roof to the unique oval back window and broad taillight transition.
Eight windows ring the new design, representing 28 percent more surface area than the predecessor's glass.
Although Taurus shares components with a Mercury cousin, Sable, Ford's version creates its own styling characteristics, such as the horizontal teardrop oval headlamps and thin oval grille offset by auxiliary lights at each end, or the elliptical shape of that distinctive back window with its convex bow.
The wagon's exterior simply extends the styling rearward beyond the C pillar with more oval glass surfaces while retaining the basic egg-shaped patterns for both silhouette and sectional views.
Climb into the new Taurus cabin to find an exciting passenger compartment with sophisticated styling points and a high level of comfort and convenience perks.
The sedan's interior plan conforms for either five or six riders, with that elliptical motif amplified through treatments for a new dash and integrated center control panel, plus a unique 3-way center storage and seat system which becomes a standard feature for the base Taurus issue with 6-person occupancy.
This base edition, Taurus GS, receives a 3-person front bench seat with the clever center section unfolding in several positions to function as seat, console or armrest. It's a neat trick which becomes an unusual highlight to the interior design.
The ultimate trim, Taurus LS, adds twin bucket seats up front, followed by the standard 3-person rear bench that splits and folds in 60/40 ratio for storage options.
Essential differences between Taurus sedans and station wagons occur behind the 3-person second seat because the wagons carve out a generous cargo compartment with rear gate. Wagons add an integrated child's safety seat that folds out from the rear bench.
The oval instrument panel brings bold white-on-black analog gauges including tachometer, while the center control panel has easy-to-use climate and audio knobs.
Beneath all that slick new skin, Taurus stocks new mechanical hardware for suspension, power and safety. These systems, working in concert, enable Taurus to perform aggressive street maneuvers in a sporty manner.
The independent suspension puts a MacPherson strut at every corner, with helical coil springs and nitrogen gas-pressurized shocks.
A rack and pinion steering device adds speed-sensitive variable power assistance.
All Taurus versions employ front disc brakes, with 4-wheel discs and an anti-lock system optional on the sedan but standard with wagon.
For power, new 3.0-liter V6 engines appear in Taurus.
Ford's Vulcan V6, which traces to the original Taurus, has been overhauled for the new base edition. It contains a new crankshaft, cast-aluminum pistons and camshaft designed for quieter operation and better performance.
Horsepower hits 145.
Taurus LS, the top model, receives Ford's spunky Duratec V6 that debuted last year in Contour, Ford's other mid-size sedan. This 3.0-liter variation, an expansion from Contour's 2.5-liter original, loads twin cams on top and puts four valves in each cylinder to generate up to 200 hp.
An exceptional new 4-speed automatic transaxle mates with either engine.
In a series of tests involving both versions, Taurus revealed it could not only tackle serious sporty challenges, such as all those curves on the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but more mundane highway and city maneuvers as expressed on various freeways and two-lane mountain routes running through North Carolina.
Even in base edition, Taurus managed to deliver sharp acceleration in lower gears. At legal highway speed, it still retained a reserve for passing or emergency moves.
Significant safety systems expand from the new cellular body structure to side door steel beams and twin airbags.
Considering the entire package, Ford has a new pacer with Taurus that may well define the mid-size market.
1996 FORD TAURUS
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1996 FORD TAURUS Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sedan, wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sedan, wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
108.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
Sedan: 197.5 inches
Wagon: 199.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.0-L V6
DOHC 3.0-L V6 24v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Sedan: Power disc/drum,
Opt. 4-disc/ABS
Wagon: Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
20/29 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 19,500 to $ 24,000 |
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