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The writing is on the wall. Mulally is moving Ford upmarket (like the new Taurus) and will be moving Lincoln upmarket as well - once they're back in the black and have taken care of the immediate business needs (Fiesta, Explorer, new Focus, etc.). They won't be in the Bentley class but expect some higher end RWD luxury platforms down the road. GRWD was the first step but funds had to be diverted. That doesn't mean the idea is dead and gone.
What happened was simple - with the economy and gas prices Ford had to reprioritize platform development and the Fiesta and other European small cars and smaller, more fuel efficient powertrains have a much bigger payback and better business case than larger luxury and/or performance sedans.
Mulally is still commited to pushing Lincoln higher (should be obvious based on what they did with the Taurus) and to use RWD platforms - they just don't have the money to do it right now. Ford has to be fixed first, then Lincoln, then Mercury. If they get the first 2 right then they may not need Mercury or they can make it a specialized brand without worrying about giving L/M dealers volume.
That tired tune again. So Lincoln is based on a Ford platform. Acuras are based on Honda platforms (heck, the TSX is, or at least used to be, an overseas Honda Accord). Lexuses are based on Toyota platforms. Infinities are based on Nissan platforms. I've seen Lexuses with obvious Toyota switchgear and Acuras with obvious Honda switchgear. I’d bet Audi and Volkswagon share lots, too. Sit in one, then the other, and you can certainly tell they share the same DNA. Everybody does it, it’s just that some have done it better than Ford/Lincoln: less obviously, with unique sheetmetal and interiors. Lincoln is getting less obvious about it now, too.
Why waist your money on a upscale Ford? Acura was to have the next gen RL based on the new NSX chassis. Even Acura realized that a genuine prestige brand needs a high end rwd vehicle. One that is truly upscale. Now it's been cancelled because of the recession. I presume that Ford did the same because of similar reasons. I read the article where a Ford brass hat said that "Ford wants to focus on fuel economy using rwd funds for that purpose." A Lincoln should be large and with grandeur and superb in engineering using rwd as to match the true marks of automotive engineering. Two for examples are BMW and Mercedes. Mercedes and BMW have makes that are near Lincoln's price category. Are other less costly marks sharing the same platforms with BMW and Mercedes besides Chrysler which uses a donated second hand outdated Mercedes platform? If it's good enough for BMW and Mercedes it's good enough for Lincoln.
Ford had such a motorcar in the form of the Jaguar XJ8L, but they sold it to an Indian company.
Ta ta!
Yes, and JUST when I was about to buy one too.....now, I'm afraid to.
LIKE THIS!!!
Oh, I wish they would drop that, too, and return to names.
Only on the Right coast and SE have I seen low mileage Radiance 2005 XJ8L's for sale at excellent prices. Now, if one were to pop up in the great NW, I'd be tempted to at least visit it.
A friend of mine looked at an 05 LWB, loaded, they wanted something like 23K. With the good record the modern Jags have been receiving, seems like a ton of car for the money.
If I was going after a XJ I'd hunt down a Super, they all depreciate so hard, might as well go over the top.
And, regardless of who they are, they bought Jag AFTER Ford put all that $$$ into them to upgrade them, so, unless they totally screw up everything, looks like they bought a nicely improved turn-key operation, with Jag at the top of JD Power...
I agree about the Jag sentiment...buying a house after it has been renovated doesn't mean you get to take credit for the work. When upgrades can be shown to have been undertaken during Tata's stewardship, then I will give credit.
And I have to add, it still cracks me up to see the British motor industry now controlled by Germans, Indians, and a Russian. The sun has set.
I think the Fords marry as they please.
all you need to know by now is that they have the $ to buy both jag and land rover.
at the very least you should know that "google" is right on top of your screen on that thingy called the tool bar... simply type in "tata motor", "tata corp" and perhaps you can learn something new...
Even if they wanted to do that, where are they supposed to get the money for these all new luxo platforms?
There is nothing wrong with global platform sharing if it's the right platform. And that doesn't mean re-badging. The MKS is NOT a rebadged Ford - it just shares the same platform with the Taurus and there is only so much that can be done with that platform. It's not the ideal platform for Lincoln but it's all they have right now and it's definitely not a rebadge.
Ford has to solidify the Ford brand first - that should be done in another year or so with the Fiesta, new Focus and new Explorer. Then they can put more money into Lincoln. But it has to be done logically over time and with a good business case. The last thing Ford can afford right now is to lose money chasing prestige.
Ford needs to develop a stand alone RWD platform for Lincoln and then equip it comparably to Lexus LS 460, Hyundai Genesis, Acura RL and Infiniti M. Give it the LS 460 ride that many Americans want in their American luxury cars.
Next Ford needs to cancel Mercury as a brand. Not since it was created in the 30's has it ever been more than a high priced Ford, which was ol' Henry's intention in the first place. In the 50's/60's, it did have different bodies and more Lincoln parts, but now it is a rebadged Ford.
At the same time, combine all dealerships into Ford-Lincoln and NO Lincoln Trucks, Mega SUV's, etc. Focus on luxury and prestige for Lincoln.
Oh, and get rid of the too similar make names. Nobody I know knows the difference between MKS, MKZ, MKK, MK Mouse, etc.
or even this!
I will take either of these over the stubby MKS or some stupid crossover or a Mazda 6 with a cheap hood prop rod masquerading as a Lincoln!
Lincolns are supposed to be big, massive, stately, opulent, elegant, powerful, intimidating-looking cars that say "Get out of my way!" Not this crop of almost apologetic looking junk!
I feel a bit safer checking my oil with a rod or prop holding the hood up. :P
There's nothing wrong with a simple solution, especially concerning part of the car you don't access all that often.
When I destroyed the trunk "torsion bar" thingamajigs in my old Tercel, a broomstick substituted nicely.
I noticed the used Camry my mother is looking at has a hydraulic prop, her Tauri have had these too I think.
That's what I keep telling these guys, but some people just have a fixation on the prop rod and will complain about it to end, regardless of how well the rest of the car is designed.
Base engine (3.5L vs. 3.7L), some options (auto cruise control and auto parallel parking - I think, THX stereo), better interior materials, sound deadening, etc.
The Taurus was developed 100% under the new mgt regime (in only 2 years I might add) and represents a new strategy for Ford. The Taurus has features that you would have only seen on a Lincoln just a couple of years ago. Look for the MKS to also move more upmarket - but they can't do much more with the drivetrain on the current platform other than to give the base 3.7L direct injection and 300 hp.
The point was that the MKS was not a rebadge job. It has 100% unique sheetmetal (as does the Taurus) and a different interior, suspension tuning, etc. The Fusion and Milan are definite rebadges. The Fusion and MKZ are in between - they still share drivetrains and some sheet metal (doors, roof) but not interiors or front and rear clips.
It is a continuum of course, when the basis is the same platform, but I don't think anyone calls the Edge a rebadge of the Fusion or Mazda6. I don't think most people would call the Flex a rebadge of the Taurus or the Taurus X.
VW gets a lot of mileage out of the same platform (e.g,, Golf, Jetta, Beetle, TT, A3, various Skodas and SEATs). Taurus and MKS are at least as different as the VW Golf and Audi A3.
Let's give Ford credit for going the differentiation distance on this one, rather than saying, like they used to "who will notice if we re-use the same fenders and doors?" The other factor is that Taurus has definitely moved upmarket from the 2000-06 models. It competes more with Avalon than Camry. It is like when VW included upmarket Audi components on VWs. It did not cheapen Audis so much as give VW sedans the reputation of having some of the nicest trimmed interiors on the market.
Good point. While they are at it, they could use a piece of wire to hold up the exhaust system. You don't look under the car much and that would be simpler than the hangers they currently use.
So does that mean the Lexus LX-470, GX-470 and the Mercedes GL450 must go also? If they can produce them, why shouldn't Lincoln, since they virtually created the genre anyway with the Navigator??