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'02 Continental Concept for Sale


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One does have to wonder where Lincoln would be today had they produced some of the concepts they had back around that timeframe - they had this Continental, the Mark 9, the Mark IX, the Navicross, and the Aviator concepts (Aviator did become the MKX). The two Marks wouldn't have been volume vehicles, but Lincoln would certainly have a different image than today, I'd think. Interesting that SUV coupes like X4, X6, GLA, GLC (I think that's what Mercedes new one is called) are the trend now, yet Lincoln had that type of concept years ago with the Navicross.

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It might've killed Lincoln.

 

Ford didn't build those vehicles because they couldn't make a business case for them. Had they built them with no business case, Lincoln would have likely been a major drain on Ford resources, thus making it harder to justify continuing the brand during the recession.

I don't think "might" is the correct word; I'm pretty sure they'd have been the final nails in the coffin. Lincoln was already producing a great car on a bad business case--the LS. As much as I loved the two I've owned, the last thing Lincoln needed was another disastrous business case rolling down the line at Wixom.

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It might've killed Lincoln.

 

Ford didn't build those vehicles because they couldn't make a business case for them. Had they built them with no business case, Lincoln would have likely been a major drain on Ford resources, thus making it harder to justify continuing the brand during the recession.

That's a good point. I guess I was thinking more design wise. Thinking about it more - producing those would've been a Cadillac approach haha. Let's make all these platforms for these new products and see what sticks.

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I didn't think it was particularly outstanding to begin with. I liked the 427 better.

 

 

It was the rear end that really I couldn't stand at first, now the entire thing just looks dated (granted, it IS 12 years old).

 

Dat Ass (blech!)

 

lincoln_continental_concept_baltimore_03

Edited by Intrepidatious
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The Zephyr concept was delightful IMHO, but Ford couldn't afford the door technology, with the nice flush-fit side glass, like an Audi A7, so the poor production Lincoln got the klunky budget painted door frames from the Fusion/Milan, and the car looked like a badge-engineered luxury wannabe.

 

Excellence is in the details of fit and finish. The current MKZ is a lot better in its door window fit and trim, if still not quite at the Audi-BMW-Mercedes level. :)

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The Zephyr concept was delightful IMHO, but Ford couldn't afford the door technology, with the nice flush-fit side glass, like an Audi A7, so the poor production Lincoln got the klunky budget painted door frames from the Fusion/Milan, and the car looked like a badge-engineered luxury wannabe.

 

Excellence is in the details of fit and finish. The current MKZ is a lot better in its door window fit and trim, if still not quite at the Audi-BMW-Mercedes level. :)

 

The concept overall was much cleaner and less fussy.

 

I definitely agree about details. The new Lincoln products are much better with the detailing than their predecessors. Even so, there are still improvements to be made.

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IMHO, the current MKZ is better than most of its competition. The MCE whenever it arrives, should bring the new transmissions, which might allow a nice 400+ hp AWD MKZ. At $60-65K or so, a lot of folks who have not enjoyed the ownership experience of European Luxury might just consider it as Lincoln keeps re-building.

 

IIRC, the new full-size Cadillac is touting 440hp out of their turbo 3.6 V-6 AWD. So, it seems reasonable to expect that the next MKS will have something equally robust, and maybe that powertrain could be offered in the MKZ? Amortizes costs, and a 440hp MKZ would be rather nice. :)

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IMHO, the current MKZ is better than most of its competition. The MCE whenever it arrives, should bring the new transmissions, which might allow a nice 400+ hp AWD MKZ. At $60-65K or so, a lot of folks who have not enjoyed the ownership experience of European Luxury might just consider it as Lincoln keeps re-building.

 

IIRC, the new full-size Cadillac is touting 440hp out of their turbo 3.6 V-6 AWD. So, it seems reasonable to expect that the next MKS will have something equally robust, and maybe that powertrain could be offered in the MKZ? Amortizes costs, and a 440hp MKZ would be rather nice. :)

 

If it wasn't clear, I was referring to the original Zephyr/MKZ when referring to detail issues.

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I remember the biggest issue most people critisized with the Zephyr concept is when the vehicle finally came out, the butt was different. The rear tail-lights were not porportionate? Or slick as the original concept had. And thats pretty much all I ever read about it, the let down where the vehicle came out more clunky looking than anything else.

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