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http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/01/panther-love-in-china-red-flag%E2%80%99- s-lincoln-years/#more-424477
Lincoln is going with the Audi model for the forseeable future. For many years, Audi could get no respect either. But they have proven themselves with FWD based luxury cars by adding AWD and rear bias. Bentley hit a motherlode with the Continental by borrowing architecture based on the FWD/AWD A8. Now they have the cash to move into RWD in a more significant way in coming years, but they have also proved that their current models with rear biased power, torque vectoring and other electronic controls can already spank some of the RWD stars.
Ford has as much engineering know-how as any major company, but they also have to consider marketing. Ford is considering a successor to the GT, but that model, though likely, will add nothing to the bottom line. Engineering know-how has never been their problem. Balancing bean counters and what people are going to buy next has been their problem. For all the talk of slalom and those tenths or thousands of difference at the line, most luxury buyers have no interest and no clue. They want prestige, they want a certain style, they want effortless creamy operation, and they want the latest stuff.
As I have said before, you can buy BMW. You don't need Lincoln in your life. Lincoln, however, needs to pull an Audi or Infiniti or Hyundai style "I am now the It Girl." What wheels drive what doesn't matter so much to the vast majority of buyers once the momentum is going. Lincoln lost its way mostly by being dowdy, second best, repetitive, and too close to plebeian brands. The breakout success of the Navigator in 1998 wasn't because it had any real skills. It defined a new want that had nothing to do with slalom ability.
Man, THAT is the truth, and they sold me 2 of 'em!! Plus, it was fun to listen to the howling and cat calling over at the Cadillac store slowly fade from existence, as they watched the Navigators roll out the Lincoln door, day after day - and they had nothin.......
You're also forgetting that the new MKZ is not built off an existing Ford Fusion platform. It's a brand new platform (CD4) that was built with both the Fusion, MKZ and European Mondeo in mind. I'd make a bet that it has higher torsional rigidity than the CTS which is several years old because that's how platforms evolve.
You're putting WAY too much emphasis on the platform and you're ignoring the most important aspects of being a successful luxury player.
It will be very interesting to see how the MKZ measures up against the CTS. I think it will be a lot closer than you think (not counting the V models - but those are not the volume products).
My opinion was that 1997 was the high water mark for the Towncar, and the 1998, though a pretty good looker in Limo form, was a much cheaper and decontented car, with a livery designed interior, and damn little luxury. But, I digress.
Can you enlighten me please?
For example: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/07/mercedes-benz-clc-snapped-testing-in-the-snow- /
Allen! You were too quick with your answer. The Town Car from 1990 to 1997 may have been based on the Panther platform, but it was definitely a different beast. It was wider, had a roomier greenhouse, and had an interior width that none of the other Panthers (including the 1998 Town Car, on up to death) came close to matching. Lincoln certainly differentiated the 1998 TC from the CV, but it decided to save money by making the CV, the Grand Marquis, and the TC share their underlying body parts, even if not the actual panels.
Oh no, I had 2 Continentals, 90 and 92. LOVED the design, huge back seat and room inside, long limosine roofline. Good gas mileage, and reasonable torque and power for the 3.8L Essex 6 cylinder. I knew it was a Taurus platform, and the major fault of that was that the front suspension wasn't beefed up enough for the extra overhang up there, and topped out anytime you came out of a ditch or gutter. But, you got used to it. Was probably the worse Ford I ever had (both of 'em) from a reliability standpoint, but sure loved the design and the way it drove. Didn't realize the dependability was lousy, coming from Cadillacs at the time, the Lincoln was still better than those.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1201_2013_ford_fusion_first_look/phot- o_11.html
and another sneak peak:
I'm expecting a 2.7L ecoboost putting out around 300 hp with a 3.5 or 3.7L ecoboost option as the performance model. Probably keep the 3.7L as the base engine plus at least one hybrid, maybe 2.
"Town Car rear-ending Volga Gaz-21."
The real car is supposed to be even better looking and will debut in March. This was a hastily put together concept (probably commissioned when the real one got delayed).
One thing is for sure - this ain't no Fusion. No word on powertrains but I expect a hybrid version with a 2.7L Ecoboost and 3.7L N/A base engine. Hopefully there is also a 3.5L/3.7L Ecoboost option as well.
Only you would totally ignore all of the sheet metal and luxury features and focus on the floor pan.
The MKZ will get its own suspension (electronically controlled) and tuning and unique powertrains so there is no reason to believe that the MKZ won't be an entirely different driving experience than a Fusion. Of course that won't stop some people from whining about it with absolutely nothing to back up the complaints.
I certainly have lobbed my share of criticism at Lincoln over the years, but I am here because I have always had a soft spot for the brand. I hoped they would get the message that their approach in the past decade was doomed to fail. They appear to have changed course drastically now.
The MKZ won't please everyone (nothing could), but this concept shows they know how to make a stunning car. I have confidence that the new Fusion will be one of the most rigid platforms out there. Even if they didn't upgrade it for the MKZ, it would be competitive, but in all likelihood it will be significantly upgraded from there. BTW, I love the grill. That will have presence, without anyone thinking baleen whale. And I do see some Aston influence in that rear view, even though it looks nothing like the back end of a 2013 Fusion (which has a definite Aston influence, front to back).
I do as well. I sure miss the legacy model names though, Continental, Premier, Town Car, Zephyr, and Mark - they all had class, panache, and brand equity. I don't know anybody who is thrilled with the MK designations - the ad agency that talked Bill Ford into those should be drawn and quartered.
Anyone know when the new MKZ will be on sale? We know it will be revealed in March, but will it be in dealers, say September? November?
Ford sales are down a bit outside the U.S. but Ford has also stopped chasing sales crowns in favor of higher per unit profits, so don't expect any fire sales trying to catch them.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/27/ford-tops-in-non-retail-sales-45-of-focus-sol- d-to-fleets/
That sounds a bit like bad old habits.
As for Lincoln, light a fire under that new Lincoln team. While they are struggling to get the MKZ to market by November, Cadillac will have both the ATS (completely new rear drive model), and the XTS (roomier, more luxurious and better looking than its MKS rival) on sale before then. Maybe Lincoln should stop with the useless but still costly tweaks to the likes of the current MKS and MKT, and move full tilt into a complete lineup revamp. Too many eggs in one basket right now, I'd say. Those seven "new" models better not include the refreshed models coming.
Like it or not, the BMW 3 small-sized luxury car (Lexus IS, BMW 3, Mercedes C, Volvo S60, Acura TSX, Infiniti G, Caddy ATS) is now a staple, and Lincoln should have one too for those of us who enjoy a tossable car that has all the bells and whistles, plus most of the serenity of a larger car.
My hope is that Lincoln will start a push with their new team to bring some excitement back to their product line. The 13 MKZ looks like a good start, but it will be a lone model amongst the rest of the lineup, which are also-rans at this point. They totally screwed up when they designed the clean sheet MKT (beating a dead horse, but whoever approved this CUV that looks like a bloated station wagon?...Cadillac and Chrysler had already issued such models that did not sell well). The MKT concept was a looker, and very polarizing. The dumbed down MKT they brought to market has none of the same love it or despise it pizzazz.
Jim Farley would not have made the following statement if Ford was not concerned about how fast the crushed and bankrupt GM has bounced back: “F---- GM. I hate them and their company and what they stand for. And I hate the way they're succeeding."
It's dog eat dog out there, Farley. No rest for anyone, no matter how good your product, because EVERYONE now is bringing awesome cars to market, and doing it whenever they are ready, rather than at traditional times.
Lincoln is still adrift to me. But, my friends who drive Caddys don't give them very good dependability reviews. That's a problem for me. Still prefer Lexus.
Nor, do the Cadillacs.....
The problem Lincoln currently has with the MKX and MKZ is that from the side they look identical to their cheaper Ford cousins. That won't be the case with the MKZ as far as I can tell.
I mean seriously - if they change all the sheetmetal and ALL the interior bits and the wheels and they give it more power and unique powertrains and they give it unique suspensions and unique features like retractable glass roofs - what more do you want?
I think even you now would admit that as long as Lincoln shares Ford platforms it can never be a premium brand.
I would not admit that because it's just not true. Audi shared cheaper VW platforms and had FWD/AWD and nobody ever claimed they weren't a true premium brand.
Lexus' 2 biggest sellers are the RX and ES - both FWD and both based on cheaper Toyota platforms.
You just have a personal bias against Ford platforms which is fine and dandy as far as your personal buying goes but don't try to make objective conclusions based on your subjective feelings.
Lincolns formula will work fine if they execute on their plans with great styling and features and top notch customer service.
With better tires and RFB they were able to work on better suspensions, etc. It seems they still have a way to go.
I sat in a new 2-door Cadillac in the show room last summer. It was not the model I might have desired, but that highend vehicle would be enough to learn what I wanted. Vehicles with cooled seats pretty much fit the professional reviewer's opinions. The GM and Chrysler are absolutely horrible for padding and comfort on a long ride. I learned the problem after having a 2011 Lacrosse CXS with sport touring package. The problem, things related to this issue, start with horrible, noisy, poor wet traction, hard riding GY Eagle low profile tires. Passing any slight bump as a hard object completely through the vehicle. To the seat and steering wheel makes for bad design. (the full time electronic suspension definitely did not handle this, if it was working)
And as reviewers have indicated, there is definitely an issue with seat design when they try to blow air through it. The choice of padding material becomes limited, it appears, and there is definitely not enough of it. And just because you buy a model that does not have the cooled seats, it does not mean you won't get the same horrible seat.
Bouncing my butt into that seat of the Cadillac a few times told me it would be no better than the Buick. I also tried a Chrysler 300, which appeared to have the same seat as the one with the cooling and it was also a bad seat.
I can say that the Lincoln MKS seat is a different animal to say the least. I could tell it when I sat in the one in the showroom. I was still hesitant because I test drove a Fusion a couple of years back. It was the dealer's demo car, but it was a horrible seat. It felt like it had been ridden to death. Like maybe by someone weighing 400# who only drove down railroad ties. (For those who don't know, that is an extremely bumping ride, like hitting a pothole every two feet on all four wheels.) I ran from that vehicle. I can say the seat in the MKS at 30K miles is still very good. On my recent long road runs, I had very little of the back problems the former vehicles induced.
But the passenger seat, likely used very little, is quite a bit better than the driver seat.
Lincoln, keep up the good work on this item, but can you do something with the darned headrest that beats the back of my head until I end up with painful neck and headaches?
It almost seems designers still follow the development of horse drawn vehicles. The seat being the last thing thought of.
Same for the base near lux Acura and Infiniti which is what the Lincoln MKZ is. Tweak the suspension, maybe up the engine compression a touch, upscale the interior. In fact I think lower line Audi's are pretty similar to some VW products as well.
I'd like to see a new Mark and maybe a convertible version as well to give Lincoln some image again.
www.bing.com/.../2013-lincoln-mkz.../...
Feb 21, 2012 – 2013 Lincoln MKZ Leaked ... 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Review ... Lincoln MKZ Complaints Lincoln MKZ Pictures Lincoln MKZ Review Lincoln .
All I have to write is to click the above link and judge for yourself if the new 2013 Lincoln MKZ does not share resemblance to the 2013 Ford Fusion. So enough with the weasel words and long winded paragraphs trying to convince everyone that the new MKZ- or as we call it "MK Weezie"- does not share any sheet metal with the new Fusion. I will wait for the vitriol from the Ford folks because I pointed out their fibs.