While there's been no shortage of recent headlines regarding bankrupt car companies feeding at the government trough, Ford has not only been going it alone, but also has built what many will feel is a true world-class sedan.

The SHO will be available beginning in August of this year, and like its previous versions, Ford expects to sell them by the boatloads.

First visual impression is that Ford really got the proportions right. The lithe and angular headlights intergrate neatly into the front fender and front bumper sections, the trunk, rear window and rear bumper work together to form a proper view from behind, and the symmetrical and asymmertical lines along the sides of the car really pull it together.

It seems Ford's styling department has learned much from it's past and present ownerships of Aston Martin, Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar. Make no mistake about it: European styling culture has made its way into Detroit.

The SHO is powered by Ford's own 3.5 litre twin-turbo V-6, dubbed Eco-Boost. With it's direct injection and twin turbos, the idea is that you get V-8 power from an engine that only has V-6 thirst. The bespoke power output is rated at 365 bhp. The torque curve peaks at 350 pound-feet.

The new SHO has all-wheel drive. The Haldex system is nominally set to a torque split of 55 percent front/45 percent rear, but it can shift 100 percent to the front or rear wheels as necessary.

It also has a new six-speed "select-shift" 6F55 automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel. The standard SHO final-drive ratio is 2.77:1, but a shorter 3.16:1 gear is available with the optional SHO Performance package.