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While everybody else seems to be maintaining the status quo, Ford Motor Company continues to trundle out new vehicles at a torrid pace, the latest being a thoroughly reengineered Taurus sedan.

It's perhaps hard to imagine today, but back in the mid 1980s, the original Taurus turned the North American car market on its ear. Suddenly every conveyance on the road looked 20 years old. Sales took off and it wasn't long before Ford's new 'aero' warrior was selling in excess of 300,000 units on an annual basis. But like any hot new talent, fame and fortune also brought with it complacency. After snatching the mantle of America's best selling car from the Honda Accord in the 1990s, the Taurus was redesigned once again, though its tadpole looks weren't universally well received. Add to that, growing quality issues at Ford and the third generation car quietly slid into fleet obscurity, before being dragged off to the glue factory.

The car's replacement, although competent, was decidedly beige and it proved hard for the words 'Five Hundred' to roll of the tongue for most consumers. When current CEO Alan Mulally was given the reins, naturally one of the first tasks was to build and restore recognized nameplates, so the Five Hundred was given a nip and tuck to become a re-born Taurus, though as we'll see here it was merely a warm up for the new 2010 model.

More: 2010 Ford Taurus: First Drive on AutoGuide.com