There were only seven, but now there are six.
A very violent wildfire erupted in eastern Colorado on December 30, and it was extremely sudden. The Marshall Fire was only one-day in duration. It was caused by unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force winds. It eventually spread to more than 6,000 acres. Over 1,000 homes and businesses in the northwest Denver area were damaged. Two people remain missing.
Although the extent of the damage to the vehicle is not yet known, it is believed that one Ford Shogun is among them. You may be wondering what a Shogun is. A California company took seven Ford Festiva hatchbacks, and put the DOHC V6 engine of the Taurus SHO (220 horsepower) in the back. It was a moment of pure madness back in 1990. Imagine a Renault 5 Turbo with a little more power.
The five-speed manual transmission was Mazda-sourced and used by the Shogun. It was located behind the driver and turned the rear wheels. The Shogun was able to hit 60 mph in just five seconds thanks to a wild body kit. Even though the SHO V6 engine was stock, it could still go faster than the standard. This was 1990, when a Corvette could not do this, let alone a lowly Festiva. This was a crazy idea, and only seven of these cars were ever built. Jay Leno owns the silver Shogun, and you may have seen it.
Zach Wright , a friend and SHO expert (aka The Blue Turd), shared the Shogun’s fate via Facebook. Denver-area enthusiasts were familiar with the Shogun’s fate. Wright shared photos of it in all its glory, and some others commented on Wright’s post. According to Denver 7 News the car was stored in a garage of a neighbor when the firestorm hit. Firefighters were able to evacuate the neighbor, but the car was declared total loss.
Despite how terrible it may seem, homes and cars can still be rebuilt. We are thinking of those who have just lost everything and the two people who remain missing in this tragedy.