Time for a Cougar concept?

[Hellcat_F6F]

how about something like this?

 

I like that, I like that alot.

[ice-capades]

My question is it time for a Cougar concept? Here is the quote from J Mays when he was interviewed by Autonews.com last April:

"Lincoln Mercury dealers have wanted a sporty coupe.

 

They would love to have a next-generation Cougar. But we've got homework to do with that brand before we get to the recess. I look at a brand as you do your homework and then you have your payoff with something that's a little bit more indulgent. And coupes are very indulgent. We've got a lot of homework to do, and I want to get that out of the way first.

 

We hear you're exploring something off the Mustang platform for Lincoln.

 

Well, we're exploring multiple directions. But Peter knows that Mark (Fields)'s focus and my focus is on getting the homework done. A brand has to have a solid foundation on which to build. And a solid foundation is the slightly higher volume products with more longevity."

Homework? Is J Mays still doing his homework? Meanwhile, what have we seen BMW came out with a new 3 Series Coupe with all wheel drive and 300hp, Audi devloping a new A5, refreshened 350Z and Inifiniti G, new Nissan Altima coupe, Pontiac G6, Honda Accord concept to name a few. What more homework is there to do? Ford has just shown what they can do with the Mustang platform by streching it and developing 2 new concepts with inependent rear suspension. How hard would it to be strech the wheelbase, let's say 3 inches and then through in the independent rear suspension. Whether the car should be retro or an all new design, I would like to see what they can come up with. What would work? A base LS-X with 3.5 and all wheel drive and a XR-7 with the 4.6 and rear wheel drive. At least tease us a little. If there is to be no new Cougar, then please just kill Mercury.

 

I'm all for seeing a new Cougar based on the Mustang chassis. The Cougar was disctinctive for many years and instantly recognized as a Mercury. It is one of Mercury's few legacy models but so successful that the "Sign of the Cat" campaign was developed to further establish and develop the Mercury brand. As such I'd love to see a contemporary version of the Cougar based on the 1970 Cougar XR-7 series coupe and convertible. I'd suggest building it on a strectched Mustang chassis but make it distinctively Cougar with tuck-away headlamps and sequential tail lights. Give it a different body and interior to differentiate it from the MUstang series and sell it as the more luxurious, upscale alternative to the Mustang. There's no reason why Mustang and Cougar can't once again co-exist successfully in the market as they did for many years.