Lincoln Tenatively Planning Rear-Drive Coupe

Hopefully Follows Wave of New Product
FordInsideNews
December 19, 2012
By: Austin Rutherford

http://www.fordinsidenews.com/galler...ARKX_02_HR.jpg
The Lincoln Mark X Concept, the last vehicle to share the Mark Series name

Over the past two years, Lincoln has been working on a plan to restart the brand. Among these efforts came the renaming the marque back to the Lincoln Motor Company, adding its own design and engineering team, and own advertising plan. All throughout this, the media and automotive fans alike have been calling for one thing in particular: a rear-wheel drive car. Speculation surrounding a rear-drive Lincoln has spurred recently, and FIN has been told one such reason is because a Mustang-based coupe is now in the card's for Ford's luxury brand.

There is one thing to keep clear. This is less set in stone then most products under development in the Ford umbrella for Lincoln has been given a “last chance” in the 2013 MkZ and/or 2014 “MkD” (if they end up calling the compact CUV that name). If one or both of these products fail on the marketplace, the mothership could pull the plug on the company Henry bought for revenge.

If all goes according to plan with successful launches of those two essential products, the Mustang-based coupe will commence in late 2015. As always with future product talk, the actual date of introduction will likely vary due to development. Assuming things stay relatively close, we expect this car to be a 2016 or 2017 model.

This Lincoln will most likely launch after the all-new MkS, Navigator, MkX and near the launch of a Explorer platform based Lincoln depending, again, on development speeds.

Though not too many specifics are known at this stage of development, FIN has learned the rear-drive Lincoln should have a member of the Nano engine family, most likely a 2.9-liter EcoBoost V-6. FIN expects this Lincoln to differ from the Mustang with a slightly larger wheelbase.

As of now, this Mustang-based Lincoln is only being developed as a coupe. As we have reported earlier, Lincoln is also considering a full-size rear-wheel drive flagship for later in this decade using the next-generation Mustang as a basis as well. Ford rightfully is not likely to make any significant investments developing further future products until it becomes clear that Lincoln's revival plan is working.

Though no name has been attached to the project as of yet, do to historical reasons, a Mark Series name would seem fitting. Nearly all previous Lincoln coupes sported a Mark name.

I think the MKZ will be a sales success for Lincoln even though it has received some negative press of late. I certainly hope the MKD/MKC (s/b Aviator) is different enough from Escape so that it can be a homerun for Lincoln.

Here is another article about the Lincoln coupe based on the new Mustang:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...e-planned.html

:clap: More proof that a RWD car is on the way!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ausrutherford

There is one thing to keep clear. This is less set in stone then most products under development in the Ford umbrella for Lincoln has been given a “last chance” in the 2013 MkZ and/or 2014 “MkD” (if they end up calling the compact CUV that name). If one or both of these products fail on the marketplace, the mothership could pull the plug on the company Henry bought for revenge.

If all goes according to plan with successful launches of those two essential products, the Mustang-based coupe will commence in late 2015. As always with future product talk, the actual date of introduction will likely vary due to development. Assuming things stay relatively close, we expect this car to be a 2016 or 2017 model.

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This doesn't really give the public a warm feeling about the brand's future!

This would be like a vampire hunter telling the townfolk that they'll start using stronger garlic, and if that fails, they'll skip town. If it works, then in a few years they'll consider making some stakes and go searching for coffins.

Look Ford is..very very big mistake to think you will get customer..if you or company is doing a 'crapshot".....Ford needs to express confindence to customer.....Ford has already killed to many brands now.....think customers are going to buy Lincoln if Ford keeps saying.....we are giving Lincoln just one more chance??????....no this is not the right way to do this.....there should always be a Lincoln....refesh the products on shorter cycles.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Logans Run

This doesn't really give the public a warm feeling about the brand's future!

This would be like a vampire hunter telling the townfolk that they'll start using stronger garlic, and if that fails, they'll skip town. If it works, then in a few years they'll consider making some stakes and go searching for coffins.

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Ford is pouring the right amount of money into to try and lift the brand up, but if their best effort is not enough...well they will decide to leave it.

They dont want the brand to end up like Infiniti where 15 years have gone relatively nowhere. They want a return and sales success.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ausrutherford

but if their best effort is not enough...well they will decide to leave it.

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It seems more like their 'minimalist risk' effort...and an 'at least we gave it a try' excuse. No one will believe it was Ford's best effort for Lincoln.

I don't know what you've heard-or-seen that I haven't, ausrutherford
but not sure I agree with a number of details...

First-&-mainly, I consider a LincStang to have been all but announced for some time
ref: LincStang: the Beginning thread
& Highest-Volume Lux Segments thread
(I *do* agree with your 2nd-half-2015cy timeframe)

Second, tho I could of course be wrong, I don't take seriously the talk about FoMoCo having a strict sales-threshold for killing off Lincoln - esp if that threshold isn't reached before Mr. Mulally retires = I don't believe his successor (whoever!) will be willing to "go it alone" with just the Ford Brand.
...maaaaybe be Nruggiero's Continental Brand, or even a Ford-Continental, could replace Lincoln; but that's mostly semantics Imho...ie keeping a Lux lineup by whatever name.

3. I really hope all those talking about a "new MKS" in the near future are wrong!
(I hope for the 'E386', the MKS's long-hiatus'ed bigbrother to fill the hole left by the TownCar and misguided production-MKT)
THEN
after the new Navigator's introduction, and most likely imho After the LincStang debuts;
an ALL-new, global-sized, 200"ovl, RWD Continental will replace the MKS.
My main qualm is whether the current MKS will get a much-needed sheetmetal MCE before getting replaced...2017my/cy?
ref: RWD Flagship
Scott Tobin in the Highest-Volume thread

But do the brand's self-imposed limitations really suggest its stewards have no interest in a halo car.
"I don't think it says that," says Lincoln product development chief Scott Tobin.
"The segments are fundamentally the small, and medium premium utilities, the D-segment, and the C or C-D (sedans)," he said.
And that D-segment (Taurus-sized) car can be a full-fledged halo car, he says.

source article


another question (for me) is when the MKX/Edge move to the new CD4.2 platform?
(& again) IF they'll receive an MCE before that?

interesting inferences...
Could a 2.9 Nano be RWD (mainly/only?) while a 2.7 Nano would be F-Awd?
&
I'm very curious about what Lincoln's SMALLEST petrol engine will be by the end of the decade - I'm thinking it needs to be 4cyl (not 3)

minor point: at a company meeting not long ago, Ford execs referred to the 'MKuga' as the "MKC"
so imho that 'name' is all-but-announced too (darn it)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 2b2

I don't know what you've heard-or-seen that I haven't, ausrutherford
but not sure I agree with a number of details...

First-&-mainly, I consider a LincStang to have been all but announced for some time
ref: LincStang: the Beginning thread
& Highest-Volume Lux Segments thread
(I *do* agree with your 2nd-half-2015cy timeframe)

Second, tho I could of course be wrong, I don't take seriously the talk about FoMoCo having a strict sales-threshold for killing off Lincoln - esp if that threshold isn't reached before Mr. Mulally retires = I don't believe his successor (whoever!) will be willing to "go it alone" with just the Ford Brand.
...maaaaybe be Nruggiero's Continental Brand, or even a Ford-Continental, could replace Lincoln; but that's mostly semantics Imho...ie keeping a Lux lineup by whatever name.

3. I really hope all those talking about a "new MKS" in the near future are wrong!
(I hope for the 'E386', the MKS's long-hiatus'ed bigbrother to fill the hole left by the TownCar and misguided production-MKT)
THEN
after the new Navigator's introduction, and most likely imho After the LincStang debuts;
an ALL-new, global-sized, 200"ovl, RWD Continental will replace the MKS.
My main qualm is whether the current MKS will get a much-needed sheetmetal MCE before getting replaced...2017my/cy?
ref: RWD Flagship
Scott Tobin in the Highest-Volume thread

But do the brand's self-imposed limitations really suggest its stewards have no interest in a halo car.
"I don't think it says that," says Lincoln product development chief Scott Tobin.
"The segments are fundamentally the small, and medium premium utilities, the D-segment, and the C or C-D (sedans)," he said.
And that D-segment (Taurus-sized) car can be a full-fledged halo car, he says.

source article


another question (for me) is when the MKX/Edge move to the new CD4.2 platform?
(& again) IF they'll receive an MCE before that?

interesting inferences...
Could a 2.9 Nano be RWD (mainly/only?) while a 2.7 Nano would be F-Awd?
&
I'm very curious about what Lincoln's SMALLEST petrol engine will be by the end of the decade - I'm thinking it needs to be 4cyl (not 3)

minor point: at a company meeting not long ago, Ford execs referred to the 'MKuga' as the "MKC"
so imho that 'name' is all-but-announced too (darn it)

---

The Coupe was approved to proceed into development just a few months ago. We were sitting on this story for a couple months waiting for more info and the right time.

I'm sure their no set sales for the MkZ and MkD but there is a return expected. So sales and ATPs will be important there.

The MkS will be on CD4.3 when the all new debuts. How long that platform is? Only Ford knows yet. As mentioned a year ago, the full size flagship is still just a consideration and if approved would probably be much later in the decade.

As of now, I believe the 2.9 will only be for Lincoln while Ford will keep the 2.7 for itself from the mustang to F-150.

I'm going with "MkD" until we hear different from within the company. Fact is there still could be many names up for the vehicle but its the MkD name that was originally attached to the vehicle.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ausrutherford

The Coupe was approved to proceed into development just a few months ago. We were sitting on this story for a couple months waiting for more info and the right time...

---

a "few" months ago OR maybe back in JUNE? like when the LincStang: The Beginning thread started?
http://www.fordinsidenews.com/forums...lies/angel.gif

for the rest - guess we'll see
the main 2 things I hope to hear about now - from ANYbody, is
1 regarding the "large" sedan Mr. Mullay spoke about for the near future (within 2 years?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ausrutherford

...The MkS will be on CD4.3 when the all new debuts...

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the last online document I saw sets the CD4+3 Taurus as coming out Q3 2015
ie after Mr. M's (implied) timeframe.
That's a big part of why I'm hoping for the E386/TC-replacement to finally happen!
&

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ausrutherford

...As of now, I believe the 2.9 will only be for Lincoln while Ford will keep the 2.7 for itself from the mustang to F-150...

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2 if Lincoln will get a new, possibly-exclusive engine to replace the 1.6EB 4cyl for base MKC's (and maybe Z's since a smaller gen2-3 EB should nearly equal the power of the current 2.0EB)
I believe future Lincolns really *need* different drivetrains from their closest Ford Brand relatives...