When is there going to be a new LS or will they just..

[mizzitch]

...or will they just drop it - thereby losing loyal LS customers. Some people like to buy the same model time after time. The continental was dropped instead of being refreshened - I bet there were loyal Continental customers that would have rolled straight into another Continental, but instead they had to look around and possibly buy a Cadillac, or worse an Infinity.

 

Here are my suggestions for the next LS. Let's see how fast all this fancy design time cutting and plant flexibility we hear about really is. Let's see a new LS for fall of 2006!! (hopefully they have already started)

 

- Have a serious fast LS that is close to if not faster than the BMW M5. Use a 6 speed auto. Have up and downshifting selectable by the driver. Also have a manual version for those who like to shift.

 

- The engine - create a V-10 from the 4.6L V-8. Approx 5.75 Liter. Then put a turbo on it, for that sweet whine. List the hp at 450 the torque at 390, but really have closer to 500 hp and 450 ft lbs.

 

- Or at least put a turbo 4.6L in there.

 

- Redo the interior, especially the strange looking steering wheel. Take lots of hints from the previous generation BMW 7 Series. About 94-01 7 Series

 

- Stretch the WB a bit for a touch more rear legroom.

 

- Use led taillights.

 

- If you have anymore questions you will have to hire me and beat what Caterpillar is paying me.

[mizzitch]

The LS is in ther process of being discontinued. I think somebody from Wixom posted that the last body was built last week, or something to that effect.

 

 

 

So is it true that the LS is done?

[tammijoe]

I love the LS, I had one before I bought my 05 Mustang....maybe I should have kept it instead of buy my Stang :o ummmmm.

[Blueblood]

So is it true that the LS is done?

 

 

Yes it is, Ford is replacing it with a Lincoln version of the Lexus ES 330. If you want a RWD performance luxury car you have to buy it from.... Any other large car company..

[RichardJensen]

Yes it is, Ford is replacing it with a Lincoln version of the Lexus ES 330. If you want a RWD performance luxury car you have to buy it from.... Any other large car company..

Like Jaguar?

 

My goodness. I wonder how much overlap there is between the people that hate Jaguar (which builds RWD performance sedans and coupes) and the people that bemoan the lack of a RWD "Ford".

 

...

[DearbornDerek]

Yes the LS is done. My father still works at Wixom(thats where I hired in) and he told me that the LAST LS body was produced in the body shop just before break, so it should roll off final line the week of the 23rd(go figure) or the week of the 30th(Wixom is off until the 23rd)

[96towncarcartier]

They should have put a little money into re-doing the car instead of getting rid of it. I see LS's ALL over the place...and you can't beat the tests where the LS beat the crap out of BMW in steering and cornering....

 

I admire an LS everywhere I go...even the old ones. Wanted to buy one so bad but couldn't afford it.

 

Yes the LS is done. My father still works at Wixom(thats where I hired in) and he told me that the LAST LS body was produced in the body shop just before break, so it should roll off final line the week of the 23rd(go figure) or the week of the 30th(Wixom is off until the 23rd)

[RichardJensen]

Well, you can still buy the LS platform from Jaguar, as the SType.

 

Lincoln dealers never knew what to do with the LS, and unfortunately the torque tube & rear transaxle made the platform fairly inflexible. Ford could've used it as a base to go up and down market, and create BMW 3 and 7 series competitors if the architecture were more flexible, but it simply was not. So Lincoln dealers got a car that was smaller than a Continental, for the same price, and didn't know what the heck to do with it.

 

...

Edited January 7, 2006 by RichardJensen

[RichardJensen]

If he couldn't afford the LS, what are his chances of buying a Jaguar? <_<

Crappy residuals?

 

...

[Dakota Kid]

They should have put a little money into re-doing the car instead of getting rid of it. I see LS's ALL over the place...and you can't beat the tests where the LS beat the crap out of BMW in steering and cornering....

 

I admire an LS everywhere I go...even the old ones. Wanted to buy one so bad but couldn't afford it.

 

Where does the Lincoln version of the 3 sisters made in Mexico fit in? Are Lincoln owners loyal to the American made product?

[WMcMurry]

Lincoln LS: An Epitaph

 

For the first time in recent history, an American automobile manufacturer developed a near world class performance/luxury offering in the Lincoln LS. Initially, the LS was a great idea, but as per usual for a domestic manufacturer, Ford cut too many corners and delivered a great idea that was not fully realized...cheap interior materials, a poorly designed transmission, insufficient power, too much bling, etc. Over the course of its limited life span, Lincoln engineers and designers did listen to the public and in final model year of production, the Lincoln LS had evolved to be the contender it should have been in the year 2000. For 2006, instead of resculpting the body and bringing further refinement to this great idea, Ford has dropped the Lincoln LS from production.

 

The LS was and is far more than just another model. It could have been and should have been a defining moment for Lincoln...a concept marking the change of the Lincoln badge from the fat, wallowing, land yachts of the days of yore to that of a true performance/luxury, supremely engineered and designed, world class American automobile company. A company where every model reflects those rare, pristine qualities. It could have been done...it was done, with the Lincoln LS...of course, it took seven years, but the point is that it was done. Yet the white flag was raised and the proverbial towel thrown in because the Ford bean counters were disappointed with the late sales figures and mostly, the buyer demographics.

 

Here's a news flash: the Lincoln trademark image is still that of fat, wallowing, land yachts of the days of yore.

 

Lincoln: If your target buyer demographics aren't supposed to be the "old guys", stop building cars that look like the old guys old cars. Instead of more of the same old predictable, boring, based on and reminiscent of 1965ish loaded with plastic chrome designs, perhaps Lincoln should embark on a long-term image changing marketing campaign. If you don't like who is buying your brand name, change your brand name image. Stop being a follower...position yourself as a leader...exercise being proactive instead of being mired-down in the mediocrity of reactive. Forget the glory days when the deluxe automobile du jour was a rolling living room, had the most chrome and was a city block long. Nobody cares anymore. Dismiss the mutant platform carbon copies of Ford, Mercury and Mazda. In the long term, position and market yourself as a true, upscale, world class, performance/luxury American automobile manufacturer and offer only vehicles that meet those criteria and THEY WILL COME. It will not happen overnight or with one model...but the Lincoln LS could have been the beginning of a promising, directed future.

[Bob Rosadini]

McMurry- Well said. I remember when the LS came out and all the positive press it received. The only problem is, Cadillac (and DCX) took that ball and ran with it while the dummies at Ford sat around wringing their hands.

 

I'm about to get a new car. My CV has given me almost 200,000 miles of good service, but do I want to go another 200,000 in an old platform? 500/Montego? Nice package- if you like east/west engines and FWD or AWD. And worse yet the leg room sucks- yeah I know it has great rear seat legroom- unfortunately, when I do a 300 mile day I'm not in the back seat! A sad turn of events when the company that should have been the RWD leader moves to third place.

[butthead]

Bob. The shooters are more interested on how they look than on performance of the company. How they can over look this segment is beyond me.

 

Lincoln brand owners are very loyal customers, They Want a new look, a great ride, and luxury. What they dont want is a Jag. or the stigma of a Lincoln built in Mexico. People feel like your ripping them off by building it in Mex. but pricing it like its built in America. You can get away with that with the Fusion but not with the Lincoln. I would not even consider a Mex. Lincoln and you are forcing many loyal Lincoln buyers to Caddi or Lexus. Get your heads out of the sand.

[ZanatWork]

Wow.

 

The LS tanked. I'm not happy about it, quite the opposite...but it tanked. Lincoln built it, but the customers didn't make the trip in anything like enough numbers. Lay it to rest next to the Mustang SVO, the Merkur XR4Ti, the last Taurus SHO, and the SVT Focus so it can join Ford vehicles that were right but went wrong.

 

The car's demise hasn't been news for something over a year, at least to those that follow automotive news.

 

If Lincoln is guilty of sticking with fogey-mobiles and letting the LS die, well, the fogey-mobiles OUTSOLD THE LS. Do you invest in the winners or the losers? Some losers can be improved into winners...but the lack of flexibility and expense of the chassis apparently caused some issues that weren't financially feasible to repair.

 

Ford is right to kill the car, it just didn't catch on. Maybe it was too much, maybe Lincoln's place in the market is just too sunk in to change radically. In any case, the Zephyr is doing well and the MKS looks poised to hit the market running.

 

Ford has to invest in its winners right now, and the LS wasn't among them. Lament the car, maybe look forward to getting one with major incentives...but Ford is right to make this choice right now.

[one2gamble]

Like Jaguar?

 

My goodness. I wonder how much overlap there is between the people that hate Jaguar (which builds RWD performance sedans and coupes) and the people that bemoan the lack of a RWD "Ford".

 

...

 

 

:lol:

 

he speaketh the trutheth

 

The S-type is a truly wonderful car

[bri719]

Yes it is, Ford is replacing it with a Lincoln version of the Lexus ES 330. If you want a RWD performance luxury car you have to buy it from.... Any other large car company..

 

 

it's too bad about the LS...I really liked that car though I never owned one. to have to sacrifice by buying FWD doesn't sit right with me. might I suggest Audi?

 

my buddy from work owns a previous-generation S4 and that thing is insane. in mid-2005 they came out with the new one, though the convertible remains under the old platform. if it's luxury and performance you're looking for, in a RWD package I'd pick Jag though price is an issue for most. and though the forthcoming MKS w/ AWD doesn't suit me too badly (except for that horrible light-wood trimmed steering wheel with giant logo).

 

it's too bad your avg. Lincoln buyer is more interested in luxury barges, making the brand look a lot more like Buick or Oldsmobile than it should. however I'm sure the new Edge-based Aviator will sell much better than its predecessor, which as far as the brand goes is better than the alternative.

Edited January 23, 2006 by bri719

[Heywood]

Yes it is, Ford is replacing it with a Lincoln version of the Lexus ES 330. If you want a RWD performance luxury car you have to buy it from.... Any other large car company..

 

This is wrong. The Zephyr was never intended to replace the LS. The logical LS replacement will be the MKS.

[one2gamble]

The MKS is to big to be a direct replacement to the LS. In reality there isnt one. Lincoln is splicing the LS market into pieces top and bottom.

 

As awd 300hp Zeph could compare nicely to the LS but I would rather they shrunk the MKS down a little bit.

[Hemiman]

Lincoln LS: An Epitaph

 

For the first time in recent history, an American automobile manufacturer developed a near world class performance/luxury offering in the Lincoln LS. Initially, the LS was a great idea, but as per usual for a domestic manufacturer, Ford cut too many corners and delivered a great idea that was not fully realized...cheap interior materials, a poorly designed transmission, insufficient power, too much bling, etc. Over the course of its limited life span, Lincoln engineers and designers did listen to the public and in final model year of production, the Lincoln LS had evolved to be the contender it should have been in the year 2000. For 2006, instead of resculpting the body and bringing further refinement to this great idea, Ford has dropped the Lincoln LS from production.

 

The LS was and is far more than just another model. It could have been and should have been a defining moment for Lincoln...a concept marking the change of the Lincoln badge from the fat, wallowing, land yachts of the days of yore to that of a true performance/luxury, supremely engineered and designed, world class American automobile company. A company where every model reflects those rare, pristine qualities. It could have been done...it was done, with the Lincoln LS...of course, it took seven years, but the point is that it was done. Yet the white flag was raised and the proverbial towel thrown in because the Ford bean counters were disappointed with the late sales figures and mostly, the buyer demographics.

 

Here's a news flash: the Lincoln trademark image is still that of fat, wallowing, land yachts of the days of yore.

 

Lincoln: If your target buyer demographics aren't supposed to be the "old guys", stop building cars that look like the old guys old cars. Instead of more of the same old predictable, boring, based on and reminiscent of 1965ish loaded with plastic chrome designs, perhaps Lincoln should embark on a long-term image changing marketing campaign. If you don't like who is buying your brand name, change your brand name image. Stop being a follower...position yourself as a leader...exercise being proactive instead of being mired-down in the mediocrity of reactive. Forget the glory days when the deluxe automobile du jour was a rolling living room, had the most chrome and was a city block long. Nobody cares anymore. Dismiss the mutant platform carbon copies of Ford, Mercury and Mazda. In the long term, position and market yourself as a true, upscale, world class, performance/luxury American automobile manufacturer and offer only vehicles that meet those criteria and THEY WILL COME. It will not happen overnight or with one model...but the Lincoln LS could have been the beginning of a promising, directed future.

 

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

I will be in the market for a sedan in about two years. Looks like I'll have to by a used LS. Maybe a DCX 300 or Charger but they'll need some major changes to get the nod over an LS.

 

Ford has truely blown this opportunity to make Lincoln something special.

[CPManx]

Let me add one more voice of mourning on the passing of the fine LS. The irony of it all is that Lincoln and Cadillac both saw a market for RWD performance sedans. Cadillac struck out with the Catera, Lincoln got it right with the LS (except for the tame styling). Cadillac learned from failure and now has the CTS, STS, etc. Lincoln flubbed its success and now it is killing the LS. Result: Cadillac now outsells Lincoln by nearly 50%.

 

The new MKS looks good but misses the RWD heart of the market, where you find BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti, and M-B. Instead Lincoln seems to be targeting Acura, Audi, and the bottom-end of the Lexus lineup--in short, aiming for the also-rans and the cheaper models while missing the part of the market with the biggest sales and the fattest profit margins. I'm sure somewhere there's a spreadsheet analysis that finds some logic in this, but I don't see it.

[Ron W.]

Like Jaguar?

 

My goodness. I wonder how much overlap there is between the people that hate Jaguar (which builds RWD performance sedans and coupes) and the people that bemoan the lack of a RWD "Ford".

 

...

 

 

How many Jaguar dealerships do you see? You will find Ford Lincoln Mercury dealers almost anywhere, most of the people that bought a LS don't have to go to far to get their vehicle maintained. The people that buy Jag....? I'm thinking lost sales, Lack of convenience and availability come to mind.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Ron W.

[DRODMOTORS]

The LS was a vehicle that was right but went wrong as someone pointed out. Every LS sale cost FoMoCo $10K. Obviously you cannot have a lasting company when you're paying $10K for every sale.

[CPManx]

The LS was a vehicle that was right but went wrong as someone pointed out. Every LS sale cost FoMoCo $10K. Obviously you cannot have a lasting company when you're paying $10K for every sale.

 

Amazing if true. How did Ford end up designing a platform that had so little design flexibility and that cost so much to build? I presume the design decisions needed to support the Jag S-Type turned out to be disasterous for a cheaper Lincoln?

[DRODMOTORS]

Amazing if true. How did Ford end up designing a platform that had so little design flexibility and that cost so much to build? I presume the design decisions needed to support the Jag S-Type turned out to be disasterous for a cheaper Lincoln?

Mainly through the incentives. It was mentioned in Al Giombetti's speech last Monday

[stapjr]

The LS was a vehicle that was right but went wrong as someone pointed out. Every LS sale cost FoMoCo $10K. Obviously you cannot have a lasting company when you're paying $10K for every sale.

The LS is simply a beautiful car!!!! I believe that if Ford could produce the focus to look like the LS (giving up all the luxury but maintaining it's look) at the same price range, they could not make them fast enough. If your listening Mr. Ford, think about it!

Edited February 4, 2006 by stapjunior