Pontiac’s not the only car company making headlines today. Ford has announced that they majorly screwed up by abandoning the brand equity they’d built up (and then torn down, naturally) in the Taurus nameplate. As a result, they’re renaming their new Ford Five Hundred sedan — it will be the new Ford Taurus instead.

Additionally, the Mercury Montego (a Five Hundred clone) will be renamed “Sable,” the name of Mercury’s former Taurus rebadge.

Taking this Taurus love even further, Ford will be renaming the Freestyle crossover to “Taurus X” — placing it in the slot formerly held by the Taurus wagon!

So what’s next — a new Escort EXP?

The value of this rebadging is perhaps questionable, but if it leads us closer to the return of the Taurus SHO, then I’ll take it.

“I’m so good, they should name a car after me.” — Taurus, Interstate ‘76