2008 Ford Taurus First Drive Bend OR

Ford Taurus - 2008 First Drive: Technically, it's last year's Five Hundred, updated with a new engine and transmission, revised styling, better sound deadening and significantly elevated refinement.

Local Companies

Sävy Strategic Creative
1.541.359.3068
Service Rd
Bend, OK
Bob Thomas Chevrolet-Cadillac-Honda
(541) 382-2911
345 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR
Robberson Ford-Lincoln-Mercury-Mazda
(541) 382-4521
2100 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR
Holt Dave Inc
(541) 382-4040
2225 NE Highway 20
Bend, OR
Robberson Ford-Lincoln-Mercury-Mazda
(541) 382-4521
2100 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR
Mercedes Benz of Bend
(541) 749-2500
61440 3rd St
Bend, OR
Thomas Sales & Service Inc
(541) 389-3031
2060 NE Highway 20
Bend, OR
Toyota of Bend
(541) 382-4040
2225 NE Highway 20
Bend, OR
Brattain International Trucks Inc
(541) 312-7840
63120 Nels Anderson Rd
Bend, OR
Bob Thomas Chevrolet-Cadillac-Honda
(541) 318-7818
Bend, OR

2008 Ford Taurus First Drive

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2008 Ford Taurus
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Introduction

Ford Taurus - 2008 First Drive: The story of the 2008 Ford Taurus is really the story of three different cars. The first is the original 1986-1995 Taurus that quite literally saved Ford from collapse. It was a risky gamble, one that paid off with a car that quickly became a bestseller, put money in the coffers, and gave Ford a fighting chance against the crushing popularity of Japanese family sedans.

Next you have the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, a car that sorta, kinda, replaced the Taurus in the Ford lineup. Big and comfy, it suffered from an underwhelming engine connected to a continuously variable transmission, and an odd name, no matter how historically significant it may be to Fordies.

Why not just call it the Taurus? That brings us to car number three, the 1996-2006 Taurus. Maybe expectations for another automotive revolution were so high that the second-generation Taurus had no chance of replicating its previous success. Maybe it's because the ultra-aero look was ending just as the 1996 Taurus debuted. Maybe it's because people didn't want to drive a car that looked like a catfish. Whatever the reason, sales declined, competitiveness suffered and the equity of one of the best new brands to come along in decades was wasted as the car's sales numbers were propped up more and more by fleet sales until it was quite literally sold only to rental car companies.

Now it's 2008, and there is again a Taurus on Ford lots. Technically, it's last year's Five Hundred, updated with a new engine and transmission, revised styling, better sound deadening and significantly elevated refinement. This is the car the Five Hundred always should have been, including the name. It is also a car that recalls the good ol' days of the Taurus, and while maybe not the huge gamble that it was in 1986, it enters the Ford lineup at a time when the company is still scrambling for hits.

After a day of driving the new Taurus, we think Ford has a potential winner that fits perfectly alongside the hot-selling Fusion and Edge.

The Taurus name has also been extended to the Freestyle crossover, which is now the Taurus X. Although there was not one available for us to drive and we haven't seen one since the Chicago Auto Show in February, Mercury's Montego is similarly upgraded and rebadged for 2008 as the classic Taurus-mate, the Sable.

Continue to 2008 Ford Taurus First Drive Review from MyRide.com

Featured Local Company

Sävy Strategic Creative

The Finest in European Automotive in Bend.

1.541.359.3068
Service Rd
Bend, OK
http://www.getsavy.com/

The Finest in European Automotive in Bend.
The moment one walks through the doors at German Master Tech in Bend, Oregon, its meticulously kept, white floored shop currently home to an impressive lineup of detail and restoration in progress: the bright silver Porsche spec racer being built in the center of the room, the Porsche 911 S undergoing a full restoration and the variant of others, from BMWs to Ferraris, it is quickly understood why German Master Tech, with some of the finest European auto technicians and restoration specialists in the country, supports some of the finest European cars on the West Coast. This German-apprenticed, master-trained company, that refers to its work as “a craft”, is known to many by the unmatched service and support they provide their racing and restoration clients across the country, to others by the niche expedition preparation service they provide all-terrain vehicles, and still to their most dedicated customer, the fine European car enthusiast, German Master Tech is truly the one to many in this town.
German Master Tech’s President, a BMW Master Technician, Tim Morris, brings with him over 25 years experience in the industry and has been awarded several achievement and master technician status awards though BMW specialized factory schools. Tim has also achieved BMW’s Center of Excellence Award twice and is a seven-time BMW President’s Club Technician. German Master Tech’s co-founder and past partner, Jay Audia, won the 07 SCCA Regional Championships for GT2 in his German Master Tech-prepared Panoz. The company’s third founder is one of Bend’s most passionate Porsche enthusiasts, John Audette.

“Restorations have been a large part of our focus,” said Morris, describing some of his company’s award winning roots. “From our very first restoration, a 58’ BMW Isetta 300, which we took to the Forest Grove Concours d’ Elegance in 05 and won our class, in addition to taking home the President’s Award, which was judged by Pacific College’s President as “the car the college student would most want to drive,” said Morris. “I drew on my past car show and restoration experience to pull off a surprise win. It was a good deal of timing and the right car, with the right colors. We stole the show with a micro car, it was great!” Morris said standing next to his red Porsche hot rod parked inside his shop. “Car shows and racing are my passions,” he said with a smile.
“Our tuning business is the best around,” continued Morris of the company’s capabilities. “The application of our developed performance packages to already great cars really creates a ‘wow’.” German Master Tech provides full warranty BMW performance upgrades as a Dinan-authorized dealer, and Porsche performance programs that take the 911 to the next level. “Our tuning business has led us to organized racing, which has been a life-long dream of mine.” Included in German Master Tech’s list of champion racing cars are a 64’ BMW 1800 TISA owned by Steve Walker of Salem. The 1800 TISA is BMW’s first post-war racer based on a production car in regional vintage racing. A 911 Porsche racer owned by Bend’s Mark Powell will be racing in one of the West Coast’s fastest growing amateur racing classes, Spec 911. “Mark’s car is special as it ties together the whole business: a restoration with an extreme tuning package.”

“German Master Tech has worked on all my cars, including a Range Rover, BMW, three Ferraris and a Porsche,” said Ervin Richards, a long-time German Master Tech customer. “I bring my cars here because they consistently do it better and because they’ve always gone way beyond the call of duty in their service and support of my vehicles.” “If I can bring it to German Master Tech,” said Richards, “I will.”
To learn more about German Master Tech, contact them directly at 541.322.9647.


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