I replaced the coils with known working used ones (from spare SVX). Unfortunately it was'nt the coils. At the back of the SVX manual, Fuel Injection Section, there is a troubleshooting table. That tables describes a condition called "Shocks while driving".
"Shocks" definately describes my condition. It's felt as a shock to the drive train, so I guess shock is appropriate. I'll start using their hierarchy which starts with CrankSensor 1, CrankSensor 2, Cam sensor, ... and ends on coils, plugs, and MAF. So, I'm off to parts swap and a little volt meter detective work. Wish me luck!
P.S. I ended up using High temp RTV Silicone to seal the exposed lead wires into the coils. Everything I read says it is an excellent electrical insulator.