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a) lots of aluminum. The entire suspension is aluminum which is great for performance but it's costly.
b) low volume. Many other vehicles were planned for the Ford version of the dew98 platform but they were never produced (other than the limited production Tbird).
c) one off components (low volume). The 3.9L engine is only used on the dew98 platform and therefore must be more expensive than the modular V8s. Wheels and tires are unique.
"Gasoline engines: Ford's new 263-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 hits the road this fall in the 2007 Lincoln MKZ sedan. The car was called the Zephyr during the 2006 model year.
The engine architecture has been designed with future technology in mind. The engine can be mated to a hybrid transaxle, outfitted with gasoline direct injection as well as a turbocharger. Ford Powertrain Vice President Barb Samardzich said the engine can be used in rear-drive vehicles such as the Mustang."
"Finally, Ford is dropping the continuously variable transmission offered in the Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego at the end of the 2007 model year."
If you walk in, you are wearing a "kick-me" sign on your back. I'd recommend you approach their fleet department or sales manager by e-mail.
Also, when you custom order, you could forfeit incentives - no rebates or low rate financing.
If you order now, you might not see the car until mid- November.
I'd recommend that you wait until they are sitting on the lots and make a deal for one then.
That's not true. You always get whatever incentives and financing rates are in effect at the time the vehicle is actually sold.
"Take new retail delivery from dealer stock by 7/31/2006. See dealer for residency restrictions and complete details"
They are designed to move out cars already sitting on the lots (aka "dealer stock"). Special order cars are not considered dealer stock.
I've special ordered my last 3 vehicles and I guarantee you that's how it works.
That was simply the dealership giving you a bonus. If the rebate had been lowered from $1000 to $500 then the dealership would have eaten the other $500 because they would have only gotten $500 from Ford. My guess is the dealer was very confident the rebate would not be lowered so it was a safe offer.
dealer, the new colors offered
Amethyst
Vivid red Clear coat
Alloy clear coat ( not sure if this new or not)
I got a fully loaded FWD only missing Moon roof
for 32,180.00 I got 3,450.00 off msrp with military
discounts, I ordered the Vivid red with the black charcoal
Interior
Chief
I was told the AWD would not be ready until later in
the year, I was requesting AWD for a DEC 1st delivery
http://tinyurl.com/hptvb
I sure did thanks
Chief
Keeping in mind that here, Lexus, Mercedes and BMW are about as common place as Taxis in New York.
We walked past a Zephyr parked between a Hummer H2 and a 6-series BMW. He said "Wow that's a cool car!"
The article FWIW follows:
http://tinyurl.com/puoom
However with talk of $5 a gal gas everything might change quickly and a Hybrid might be in my future along with everyone else!
But more to the point, this is another example of Ford (Lincoln) giving back any and all cachet they may have built up with the LS. Here's their new technology car, the Z, and it has much worse crash test results than the LS, which was a 5-star all-around vehicle.
The 'industry analyst' said the Z is just not competitive safety-wise in it's segment. Great. Just another reason I say there's no reason to buy a Z when u can have an LS for about the same price. (It's also not competitive performance-wise until the 3.5 gets dropped in, nor sporty-wise until they get rid of the blue-hair shifter technology and put some sporty suspension in it.)
In short, IMHO, Lincoln has taken 3 steps forward with the LS, and now 6 steps backward with the Emm Kay Zee or whatever the _ they're calling it this week.
In fact, if you look at Lincoln's current lineup, they do not have a vehicle that is competitive in ANY segment. Period. Not where I thought they would be in 2006 when I jumped on the bandwagon back in 2001
Sure, they changed the name from 'Zephyr'. This way, it'll have to be tested again so Ford can say 'Well the 2006 Zephyr tested poorly but the results for the 2007 MK Z are not in yet.
"Also, anyone seen a side-by-side safety comparison between the MKZ, the Lexus ES350, and the Acura TL?"
Here ya go, Sailor: http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=15
On this page you'll see ALL the competitors have better crash ratings than the Zephyr. WAY TO GO FORWARD, FORD.
BTW, on this page:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/summary.aspx?class=10
you can see that the LS has Equal or BETTER crash test ratings than ALL it's competitors except the Volvo S80! Good news for the MK S? Or will Ford win the safety battle and dumb it down from Volvo specs? I know where my money goes if a few pennies are saved.
The MKZ is mentioned in the article.. Just so we keep on topic.
http://tinyurl.com/qpwll
True true. To go further, in the article I read, these 2 and the MK S are on the 'D385' platform. There was also going to be a larger Lincoln on a stretched 'D386' platform. According to the article it is this bigger car that has been cancelled.
This article said the MK S replaces the Town Car. Well, the TC is a whole lot bigger than the MK S , ain't it? To me, the MK S 'replaces' the LS as it's similar in size. But I guess Lincoln thinks the MK Z replaces the LS? even tho it's smaller. So if the big car is cancelled, then the MK S is the flagship? And that leaves the Lincoln lineup after 2008 with the following:
MK Z
MK S
MK X
Navigator
Mark LT
Then there's the 'people-mover' that ANT's referred to, to be based on the Ford Fairlane concept. Let's call it the 'MK P'
So by 2009, Lincoln will be selling 2 trucks (LT and Nav) 2 crossovers (X and P) and 2 sedans (S and Z). This compares with 1999-2000 when Lincoln was the best selling luxo brand and they had the following lineup:
LS
Navigator
Mark VIII
Continental
Town Car
4 cars and 1 truck. Are they moving in the right direction? Obviously they never replaced the Mark VIII with another perfomance coupe and the Continental hole was never filled either.
Last, the D386 prototype vehicles (there were 2 of em) must then be what I saw in focus group a year ago. They resembled the MK S but were definitely bigger - more Town Car sized. As I've said before, either of these cars would make beautiful flagship Lincoln models. They were stunning. Either would have been a real replacement for the TC and would have filled out the Lincoln lineup with 3 related sedans with definite 'move-up' path for buyers.
Alas, apparently not to be. Like the Continental concept and the Mark IX or X and Navicross.
The livery-business money Lincoln will lose because of no Town Car will be hard to make up won't it? I can't see the MK S as a livery car, can u?
Not any more than I can see the Infiniti M, Acura RL, Lexus GS or Passat 3.6 (all of which the MKS more or less resembles) as livery vehicles.
I only added that not only is the MKZ no Town car replacement, but it could be mistaken for a Japanese mid-size luxury car.
"I only added that not only is the MKZ no Town car replacement, but it could be mistaken for a Japanese mid-size luxury car."
And I just realized that Lincoln may be down to selling only ONE CAR, the Emm Kay Zee, between the time the Town Car goes out of production and the MK S comes on line. One 'Lincoln' car and it's a stretched Mazda. Yep, that's the Lincoln brand I grew up with.
The E386, is essentially the same, but longer and differently styled. Think 300/Imperial concept. That still hasn't been approved, and it's still sometime before a decision is made either way.
Also, the MKS won't share much suspension componentry with the 500. Totally different senarios actually and can't go into details, but they are different.
The Town Car will be dropped, just when the MKS is introduced. There won't be a lapse time, from one vehicle to another.
Also, aside from the people mover, there's a possibility of an anti-people mover as well if you MUST. ANGry fans have been asking for.
Navivross was actually approved but changes in management killed it weeks later, so it was a still born project. But in esssense, the Fairlane concept resurects and betters the initial idea.
By 2010, you'll have a full line of Lincolns. And probably more than there was at any point.
BTW, the "Panther" platform needs to be heavily altered by 2010-2012 because of federal crash standards that will phase in on those years. This pertains to the location/placement of fuel tanks. The option is, spend millions to retrofit/redesign the platform, or just replace the vehicles/platform altogether.
It's obvious what the decision has been. And while it is a profit cow for Ford, the stigma/perception associated with the vehicle can/has tarnished to some degree in people's mind. So change is in order.
In any event, Lincoln had planned a bigger model than the MKS to replace the Town Car. The plan was for the MKS to be the LS replacement. However, stretching the 500 chassis even more than the already stretched S would not result in a car with good proportions. So now the MKS has to cover the Town Car hole.
The people who killed the Navicross have no clue. Even if they are smart enough now to give the "people mover" Lincoln--taken off the Fairlane concept--its own body (i.e., more differentiation than just Lincoln grill, rear styling and interior tacked onto the Fairlane), the bone-headed managers' decision on the Navicross resulted in delaying this new model for years.
THanks for the info. I have some comments and questions which you are free to of course answer or ignore or say you can't answer.
- Emm Kay Ess: Yes, might be as big inside and in trunk as TC but it's not a "full size" car in the manner of the TC and GM and CV is it? Blue hairs won't like it, I think I can guarantee. And it's NEVER smart to ignore your loyal customers, even if they are a dying breed.
- 386 chassis is stretched S80 too but stretched longer than MKS? I'm SURE I saw two prototypes for that and they were as I've said stunning cars (either was better looking than the S for sure IMHO) which would please not only the blue hairs, but anyone looking for a large stylish vehicle. The ONLY reason to cancel that car would be lack of development $$$s, again IMHO. In fact were I in charge of Lincoln (not so far-fetched seeing the people who actually HAVE been in charge recently) I would build the more sedate-looking 386 concept to replace the TC and would replace the S with a shortened version of the 'sportier' 386 concept- the one with full-width tail lights and sporty roof line. Those two would be perfectly suitable stablemates and provide a nice growth path up (and AWAY) from the Mazda - oops, MK Z.
- Having the MK S as the largest Lincoln is definitely a MAJOR change in Lincoln's market placement. It's a mid size car as I see it.
- People mover sheeple mover. I don't see a Lincoln version of the Fairlane concept as something that many folks would want. Unless of course THAT is the new livery vehicle and can be stretched to 8 doors.
- Where is the GD Mustang-based Mercury Cougar? If Ford is developing a Lincoln version of the pony car INSTEAD of a Mercury Cougar then I think Ford execs need to spend much more couch time with their shrinks. While they still have money to pay their shrinks that is.
- Since the closing of Wixom is already scheduled (ANOTHER mistake IMO, but what do I know?) the date of the Town Car's demise is pretty well fixed. OTOH, the Mark S is in development and apparently is still awaiting a Fields fix-up change-up job, I will predict right here and now that the intro of the S will lag the demise of the TC by months at least. After all, if it's to be a 2008 model, then it should hit the streets in Sept 2007, a year away. No way IMHO that Ford can get a car built in a year whose design has not even been finalized yet. Any $$$ takers?
- It is my opinion that Lincoln dis-approved the Navicross because it was a McGovern design. ANd probably the FANTASTIC Continental Concept was dropped for the same reason. WHY oh WHY is Lincoln trying to look like Lexus (and the S looks almost identical in sideview to the 06 Lexus) when they had such a beautiful retro-Lincoln look in the CC??? Do the powers at Ford REALLY think Lexus buyers are going to look twice at a Lincoln that looks like a three year old Lexus?
- WHY oh WHY did Lincoln do this incredibly STOOOPID name thing? It's ridiculous. Again, they're trying to be LEXUS. IT AIN'T gonna work, MK my words. The whole concept was not thought out and is stupid. First, Lincoln tells us that the pronunciation should be "Mark Z" and "Mark S". Then they say, "No, we really didn't mean that, we meant it to be "Emm Kay Zee" and "Emm Kay Ess"" And some including me are confused is it "MK Z" or "MKZ"? And why the heck do they have a "Mark LT" that is a pickup truck??? Is there anyone at Lincoln who recalls that the "Mark" name has always been applied to coupes (maybe some sedans, I dunno)? WHY the truck? ANd if the truck is "Mark" then WHY would they not call the cars "Mark" as well??? Then they wouldn't have to explain how to pronounce it and they would have some CONSISTENCY across the brand, which BTW, Lexus DOES and Lincoln will NOT with Mark this and MK that and where the he__ does 'Navigator" fit in??? Please tell them for me with all due respect that they look ridiculous and STOOOPID. If they wanna go this way, go "Mark S" and "Mark Z" forgawd'ssake. At least then there'll be CONSISTENCY and no DOUBT about pronunciation and the name "Mark" is a strong Lincoln icon.
- In 2010 then we'll see (I'll use my names so as to make it look more consistent and well thought out:
* Navigator (let's get it out of the way) - MAYBE, assuming gas prices don't kill it by then.
* Mark LT (Same assumption as above)
* Mark Mustang (I'll believe this when I see it)
* Mark PM (People Mover, AKA MiniVan)
* Mark S (Flagship Sedan)
* Mark X (assuming this butt ugly thing actually sells)
* Mark Z
SO that's 4 trucks/crossovers and 3 cars. Does Ford REALLY see the market moving that way?