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The Taurus SHO is Ford`s version of the Pontiac Bonneville SSE minusantilock brakes.

It used to be that only 2-door coupes behaved like this, not 4-doorsedans. Coupes were raced, sedans brought the spectators.

SHO stands for Super High Output. A 220-horsepower, 3-liter fuel-injected V-6 engine under the hood justifies the boast. The 24-valve powerplant iscompliments of Yamaha of Japan.

SHO also means a 0-to-60 m.p.h. time of about 7 seconds.

Power? Plenty of it. The 140-m.p.h. speedometer is testimony. So muchpower that you can only get the SHO with a smooth-shifting 5-speed manual. Toomuch torque for an automatic, some Ford officials confided, at least for theautomatics that have been tested so far.

The SHO is fun, no doubt about it. The V-6 breathes fire. Moving from the light, the motorist alongside who doesn`t spot the SHO letters embedded in thebumper is surprised that a Taurus` taillights can grow so small so quickly.

Taurus may be a bull, but the animal sprouts wings when the 220 h.p., 3-liter V-6 replaces the optional 140-h.p., 3.8-liter V-6.

Warranty wars have given way to a horsepower war. Ford`s winning with the 220-h.p. SHO and 210-h.p. supercharged Thunderbird Super Coupe, at least untilthe 385-h.p. King of the Hill `Vette bows.

SHO proves Ford can bring life to a family sedan, even though it had tosend away to Japan for the formula.

SHO will get people into showrooms. However, once there, most won`t beable to appreciate the car, since those who can drive a manual are in themotoring minority. Ford has to add an automatic even if it means putting some of those 220 horses out to pasture and lengthening the 0-to-60 m.p.h. journey by another second or two.

The reality of a 5-speed sets in about the time WGN Radio`s JohnniePutman reports that the Kennedy is going to be a 50-minute trip for commuters this a.m. Those 220 horses put on the feed bag and move like glue in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The 5-speed is smooth, but oh so repetitive at rush hour. The beauty ofhitting yourself over the head with a hammer is that it feels so good when youstop. In just one mile on the Kennedy Expressway during the evening rush hour we moved the shift lever 39 times, or nearly 4 times for each one-tenth mileof travel.

The rush hour also is a great equalizer. We imagined a motorist stuck infront of us in the evening rush looking back and spotting the SHO. Themotorist turns to his or her riding companion and remarks, “Now that`s a fastcar.“ And the companion replies, “If it`s so fast, and we`re only going 3m.p.h., why doesn`t it pass us?“

Ford says it will build about 20,000 SHOs in 1989. It could sell manytimes more than that if it offered optional automatic.

There are rumors that Ford is working on a small-displacement V-6 for use in some of its smaller cars, with the Probe a leading candidate, perhaps asearly as next year. L ike the Quad Four at General Motors, hopefully the YamahaV-6 will give birth to a variety of other engines at Ford, especially one thatcan be mated to an automatic.

Automatic is still under consideration for the SHO. It has to be sincethe 250-h.p., 4-liter V-8 in the Toyota Lexus and 270-h.p., 4.5-liter V-8 inthe upcoming Nissan Infiniti both will have it.

Almost overlooked in the attention to the SHO`s power is the handlingsuspension system that puts Taurus in the major leagues in road-holdingability. Increased diameter stabilizer bars, revalved struts, increased ratebushings, and 15-inch VR-rated performance tires all contribute to firm butnot mushy ride and sure, quick response handling, with barely noticable bodyroll or sway.

Some of the most pleasant moments we had in the car we test drove weren`t in the straightaways jamming the pedal to the floor and directing the gearshift lever to leave onlookers behind. Rather they were the times wemaneuvered nto and out of corners and turns or hugged the pavement as weaccelerated along the entrance or exit ramps feeding or emptying the roadways. SHO styling differs from other Taurus sedans with the addition of someplastic cosmetics, from a louvered valance panel up front with integrated fog lamps, to lower body rocker panel and wheel extensions along the sides, and a wrap-around color-keyed bumper in the rear with the SHO letters dead center.

Standard equipment on the SHO includes dual exhausts, power adjustablelumbar support seats with leather and cloth trim that thankfully were designedwith the realization that flesh fills out bones. Also standard are airconditioning, speed control, power door locks, rear window defroster, powerside windows, electronic AM-FM stereo and tilt wheel. Power moonroof, keyless entry with numbered boxes on the doors to open and close them, and a first-rate JBL audio system are options.

Antilock brakes are noticeable by their absence, perhaps the car`sbiggest shortcoming.

Base price is $19,823.