Ford, Nissan put stars on display at auto show

CHICAGO -- The auto industry's financial and sales crises have dampened auto show enthusiasm, but some vehicles of note are here, nonetheless. The Chicago show is open to the public Friday through Feb. 22. Here's a look at some stars:

•Ford Taurus SHO. The 365 horsepower and 350 pounds-feet of torque make the 2010 Taurus SHO quicker than its plainer siblings. Ford unveiled it Wednesday as the halo model of the redesigned, 2010 Taurus lineup. All Taurus models go on sale this summer.

The conventional Taurus starts at $25,995, same as the '09. The SHO starts at $37,995. SHO stands for Super High Output, a name dormant for a decade and revived by Ford because the model still has enthusiastic fans, some of whom own several of the old SHOs, sold from 1989 to 1999.

The hopped-up Taurus does make some concessions to the times. Unlike the Yamaha V-8 in the last version, the new SHO will have a 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine with twin turbochargers. Power of a V-8, mileage of a normal V-6, Ford says.

One old-SHO fan is John Neff, editor-in-chief of Autoblog, who bought a 1991 SHO. The car was the "perfect sleeper," the name for an inconspicuous car that has superior performance.

•Ford Transit Connect. The small, high-roof van could attract businesses that need a delivery van but not the higher costs of a bigger truck.

Connect makes its U.S. debut in spring, starting at $21,479. The 2-liter, four-cylinder engine is rated 138 hp, and Ford predicts 24 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving.

Ford has sold 600,000 in Europe and had to make small but critical changes for the U.S.: More cup holders and an automatic transmission, mainly.

•Nissan Cube. The asymmetrical wraparound rear window marks the small Cube as among the most radical designs in years.

The funky, boxy car, on sale in early May starting at $14,685 including shipping, attracted a lot of attention here, even though it was unveiled at the Los Angeles show in November. More than 40 accessories — including shag-carpet dashboard trim — allow personalization. For the indecisive, Nissan has Cube Kr?m (pronounced "chrome"). It comes with Bluetooth, titanium trim, aluminum-trimmed gas and brake pedals and special interior lights.