RWD Lincolns are coming, fate depends partly on MKZ success (Autoblog)

[Jengiz]

Please have something to do with the Falcon!!

[Logans Run]

PS: I think the Autoblog article has a typo "Currently the only all-new product in the brand's stable is the MKS, and it will need to be an immediate sales success for any talk of any future product to come to fruition."
I think they meant "MKZ"

This wouldn't happen if they had proper names!

[Thunderchicken]

Lincoln killed off a lucrative Town Car business and is now interested in getting a new RWD platform. Seems a little crazy, like maybe that could have been better handled.

[falcon lover]

RWD aussies are dead...beyond 2016, the Fusion based Taurus will be the new big sedan for Australia

[falcon lover]

Lincoln killed off a lucrative Town Car business and is now interested in getting a new RWD platform. Seems a little crazy, like maybe that could have been better handled.

Town Car platform (Panther) was 34 years old! Impossible to update it. But i agree with you, the Town Car, and Crown Victoria bussines ( cop cars, Limousines, big RWD sedans), needed to be replaced with a new RWD platform.Is a bussines niche very lucrative and big to be abandoned by any automaker. This platform could be used for the new Australian Falcon, too.. But Ford dont want RWD cars... Only the Mustang survive, and i think it will survive for this decade, not beyond that...

[ausrutherford]

RWD aussies are dead...beyond 2016, the Fusion based Taurus will be the new big sedan for Australia

RHD Taurus was killed from consideration in next generation.


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[T'Cal]

Perhaps the test mules they've been presenting as the next Mustang are in fact the next Lincoln, and Ford has been fooling us all along. It will be revealed as such during the Superbowl, I'll bet. Those magnificent bastards!

[Thunderchicken]

Town Car platform (Panther) was 34 years old! Impossible to update it. But i agree with you, the Town Car, and Crown Victoria bussines ( cop cars, Limousines, big RWD sedans), needed to be replaced with a new RWD platform.Is a bussines niche very lucrative and big to be abandoned by any automaker. This platform could be used for the new Australian Falcon, too.. But Ford dont want RWD cars... Only the Mustang survive, and i think it will survive for this decade, not beyond that...

Yes, clearly the Panther was done. I meant Ford should have replaced it with a new RWD and kept the lucrative business. It's not so much about what Ford wants but what the market wants; and some parts want RWD.

[2b2]

Lincoln killed off a lucrative Town Car business and is now interested in getting a new RWD platform. Seems a little crazy, like maybe that could have been better handled.

Yes, clearly the Panther was done. I meant Ford should have replaced it with a new RWD and kept the lucrative business. It's not so much about what Ford wants but what the market wants; and some parts want RWD.

Welcome to the forum, Thunderchicken!
re: the TownCar &or RWD
just imho, they can be 2 separate issues:
I believe that RWD has a good chance of being implemented for a couple Lincolns, one Mustang-sized&based, the other larger (tho Not huge = MKS replacement/Continental) and afaik not on a stretched Mustang platform
ALSO
I'm speculating that Lincoln might be getting a bigger-than-MKS sedan using the MKT/Flex's longer wheelbase & replacing! the MKT ...quite possibly AWD-Only ...maaaaybe even with a 5.0v8 or even a v8-Hybrid (edit: in addition to lower displacement drivetrains)

opinions Very welcome

Perhaps the test mules they've been presenting as the next Mustang are in fact the next Lincoln, and Ford has been fooling us all along. It will be revealed as such during the Superbowl, I'll bet. Those magnificent bastards!

that would be totally mindblowing, T'Cal
however
I'm using the NYTimes Mulally quote to mean the next 2 years will *only* bring the MKC(MKuga) and a "large sedan & Suv"
which
unfortunately-imho
would put a LincStang's Job1 a YEAR or so LATER than the nextgen Mustang's April 2014 on-sale date ((unless they delay that a bit - saw elsewhere recently that the current gen WILL get a 50th Anniversary edition as a parting 'gift'))

[john1168]

Although I'm very happy for Lincoln that RWD is on the horizon, this article actually makes me very scared for Lincoln. If I'm reading this right, I believe that Mullally is saying that, if things don't turn around for Lincoln (even just a little bit) with this ONE vehicle, that FMC may pull the plug on Lincoln. That is a very scary statement. I do like the new MKZ a lot. Car and Driver kinda liked it. ( I believe they feel it needs a new engine, a more performance oriented awd system and softer seats). But I don't think it's going to be enough to convince the public to start buying Lincolns. Even their new commercial, it's just too short for what Lincoln is trying to communicate. They need to do what Chrysler did with Eminem where they had like a 2 minute commercial. Dont be cheap with the advertising Lincoln! They could explain their history and then show how theyre moving into the future. Instead that short commercial is kind of a jumbled way of showing how their mentality is stuck in the past.

As far as the new cars go. These are all things Lincoln should have been doing for YEARS now! Contrary to what the drag racers say, the Mustang should have had a good IRS set up YEARS AGO!!! Then Lincoln could have had a nice 2 door rwd Lincoln. Then there could have been 2 larger platforms based off it where one could have been a 112 in wheelbase TRUE sport sedan (think LS replacement) and a longer wheelbase version for a big 4 door Lux cruiser sedan, a flagship. They can do what ever they want with the suv lineup. People still love them and it's kind of hard to screw that up these days EXCEPT FOR THE NAVIGATOR!!! GET RID OF THAT FREAKIN' THING!!!! IT IS THE UGLIEST VEHICLE MADE KNOWN TO MANKIND!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!! GET RID OF IT NOW!!!!! IT'S AN EMBARRASMENT!!! These things I'm proposing for Lincoln are not that hard. Everybody here have been saying these things for years too. The problem is it may already be too late for Lincoln. And Mullaly's statement.... oy!

Oh, one other thing. I'm not saying Lincoln should go ALL RWD. I still think Lincoln could have 2 front wheel drive platforms, with all wheel drive options that could be shared with Ford. A small one (Fusion/MKZ) and a large one (Taurus/MKS, competitor to Caddy's XTS). Also, the LS replacement I mentioned earlier, you could have an affordable Ford version too. These could all be lightweight platforms. And they would be spread out throughout multiple vehicles so hopefully that would reduce tooling and production costs.