2005 Ford Taurus SE

 

The fourth-generation Ford Taurus was introduced for the 2000 model year and received a facelift for 2004. 

This was the final generation to be derived from the original Ford Taurus of 1986.

The Taurus would be discontinued after the 2007 model year.

This 2005 SE model is painted in Arizona Beige Metallic with a Medium Dark Pebble Cloth Interior.

It was originally purchased by a major rental car company with a 1-year lease.

I purchased this car from Vancouver Ford in November 2005.

Standard equipment included a 155-horsepower 3.0-liter overhead valve 12-valve V6 Vulcan engine with 185 foot-pounds of torque, a 4-speed electronic automatic transmission with overdrive lockout, power rack-and-pinion steering with variable assist, 4-wheel power front disc-rear drum brakes, power windows with one-touch down driver’s-side feature, power door locks, power sideview mirrors, tilt steering column, speed control with steering-wheel-mounted illuminated controls and air conditioning.

This example included the optional 16” 5-spoke painted-aluminum wheels, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, and the 6-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support.

It also featured an optional AM/FM stereo with a single-CD player and digital clock.

Another included option was the 5-passenger cloth seating with front bucket seats and floor-mounted shifter and console.

BMW 507 Model

The BMW display at the 2006 and 2007 Portland International Auto Shows featured some display cases with BMW accessories and memorabilia, and models of past and present BMW cars, including this model of the BMW 507.

The BMW 507 roadster was produced from 1956 to 1959, with a body made entirely of aluminum. Only 252 of the V8-powered sports cars were built, as BMW lost money on every one sold. One of them was owned by Elvis Presley.

BMW 503 Model

The BMW displays at the 2006 and 2007 Portland International Auto Show featured some display cases with BMW accessories and memorabilia, and models of past and present BMW cars, including this model of the BMW 503.

The BMW 503 was produced as a coupe and convertible from 1955 to 1960. Only 412 were built: 273 coupes and 129 convertibles. The 503 was powered by Germany's first postwar V8, a 3.2-liter 140-horsepower engine capable of accelerating the 503 to 118 miles per hour. The 507 convertibles were the first German cars to feature electrically-operated power tops.

Vector W8

This is a rare Vector W8. Built in 1992 and 1993, only 17 consumer models were built. The W8 is powered by an aluminum-alloy 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing over 600 horsepower.

This is apparently the only W8 painted purple. It was displayed at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo. When new, the W8 retailed for around $455,000.00.

1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT

This is a 1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT. It is powered by a 575-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 engine. Only 80 Diablo GTs were produced.

The model was officially sold in Europe, though some have been imported to the United States. This example was displayed at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo.

2004 Saleen S7

This is a 2004 Saleen S7. In 2006, the Saleen S7 was the ultimate American supercar. This S7 is powered by 550-horsepower normally-aspirated 7.0-liter V8 engine. After 2005, Saleen S7s were twin-turbos, producing 750 horsepower.

As a used car, Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo priced this 2004 Saleen S7 at the Portland International Auto Show at about $440,000.00.

2006 Ferrari F430 Coupe

Here is the 2006 Ferrari F430 Coupe, virtually unchanged from the 2005 model, powered by a 483-horsepower 4.3-liter V8 engine. It was displayed at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show courtesy of Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo.

2005 Ferrari F430 Spyder

 

Ferrari introduced a new car in 2005, the F430, represented here by a 2005 F430 Spyder. The F430 was powered by a 483-horsepower 4.3-liter V8 engine. It was displayed at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo.

2006 Maserati Quattroporte

The only sedan in the Exotic Gallery at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show was the 2006 Maserati Quattroporte. "Quattroporte" literally means "four-door" in Italian.

It was powered by a 395-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It was available in Portland from Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo with prices starting at over $100,000.00.

2006 Maserati GranSport

Here is the 2006 Maserati Gran Sport Coupe. It is powered by a 400-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It was available in Portland from Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo, starting at around $100,000.00.

The 2006 Maserati Gran Sport was also available in a convertible form known as the Gran Sport Spyder. It was also available from Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo in Portland. The Gran Sport Spyder cost about $1,000.00 more than a similarly equipped Gran Sport Coupe.

2003 Ferrari Enzo Ferrari

This is a 2003 Ferrari Enzo Ferrari. Named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari, the limited-edition Ferrari Enzo Ferrari originally listed for $500,000.00, but could be found for sale in 2006 for twice that. Only 400 were built.

Like all Enzo Ferrari's, this one is powered by a naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 650 horsepower with a 6-speed paddle-shift manual transmission, allowing it to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of about 220 miles per hour. It was displayed at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo.

Lotus Exige

This is a racing version of the Lotus Exige, the coupe version of the Elise, with the same Toyota-based 190-horsepower 1.8-liter double overhead cam four-cylinder engine and 6-speed close-ratio transmission.

The base Exige was launched in 2000, but wasn't unveiled in the United States until the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier in January, 2006. That means this Exige, displayed by Lotus of Portland at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show may have been among the first displayed in the United States.

Lotus Elise

 

These cars are Lotus Elise roadsters. The Elise was powered by a Toyota-based 190-horsepower 1.8-liter double overhead cam four-cylinder engine with a 6-speed close-ratio transmission. The Elise could accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 150 miles per hour, while still delivering fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. The British-built Elise was introduced in 1995, and this new version was released in 2000, but it was first made available in the United States in 2005. Base price in the U.S. was $42,990.00 from dealers such as Lotus of Portland, who had these two examples of the Elise on display at the 2006 Portland International Auto Show.

The black example displayed the optional insulated removable hardtop, which added $1,475.00 to the base price.

2006 Nissan Titan

Nissan showed off its full-size 2006 Titan pickup with Bayliner's 27-foot Model 265 on a trailer hitched to it in the exhibit hall. The Titan was powered by an aluminum 305-horsepower 5.6-liter double overhead cam V8 engine, and with a towing capacity of up to 9,500 pounds when properly equipped, the Titan was able to tow the 6,000 pound Bayliner.

2006 Lincoln Mark LT

Lincoln revived the idea of the luxury pickup once again in 2006. They tried this idea before in 2002 with the short-lived, limited-production Blackwood. Now they were trying again, with the non-limited-production Mark LT. There was no denying what this truck was: a Ford F150 with all the options and Lincoln trim, powered by the F150's top engine, the 300-horsepower 5.4-liter Triton V8.

The Mark LT was actually not even as unique as the Blackwood, but that would just make it more accessible to the same people who had been buying the vehicle the Mark LT was obviously intended to compete with: the Cadillac Escalade EXT.

2006 Chevrolet Aveo

The Chevrolet Aveo replaced the Chevrolet Metro (formerly the Geo Metro) as the small car in the Chevrolet lineup, starting at under $10,000 and available as either a 5-door hatchback as shown, or as a 4-door sedan.

2006 Cadillac XLR-V

The even bigger new for 2006 was Cadillac's new high-performance version of the XLR: the XLR-V.

Still a few months from being available to the public, the XLR-V was powered by a 443-horsepower supercharged 4.4-liter Northstar V8 engine with a 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, mounted in the rear to keep the car balanced, and could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds.

2006 Cadillac XLR Roadster

Cadillac's big news in 2006 was, of course, the XLR roadster, powered by a 320-horsepower 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine with a 5-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. It was not brand new on the market, but it was still pretty cool.

The XLR featured a retractable hardtop, pushbutton start, GPS-guided DVD navigation, adaptive cruise control and voice recognition.