It's time for a RWD Lincoln coupe

With the new Mustang coming out for 2015, I think it's high time for Lincoln to have their own version of the legendary pony car. Right now Lincoln needs some kind of halo car, something to reinvigorate the image of the brand, and bring people into the showrooms.

 Still looks so right after all these years.
The 2007 MKR concept four door coupe.

Since Lincoln came out with the latest MK series of cars, I've felt that they were doing things backwards. If they want to reinvent themselves as a brand, they need to have something exciting, something unique, and something to build the brand around. Lexus did this in 1989 with the LS, a well engineered full size luxury sedan that took the segment by storm. It was refined, quiet, unique, attractive, and a great value among luxury sedans. While many might disagree with some of the adjectives I just conferred on the LS, it is undeniable that the vehicle set Lexus up for viability and profitability as a luxury brand for the long term. The LS is the reason why the ES sedan and RX crossover, both on the entry level side of the Lexus portfolio, are perennial bestsellers. Those cars capture the essence of the LS for a lot less money, and have cachet and status of one of the world's top luxury brands. It's all about brand image, and Lexus is that polished, cool, technological marvel, refined luxury brand. Lincoln doesn't need to be like them. They can be different, but they need to make up their mind soon before their sales start to really sink from appearing confused about what they want to be.

You can create your brand identity with a big flagship sedan.
Been there, done that.
It worked well for Lexus. But Lincoln wants to create a
sportier, edgier image, and get away from Town Cars past.


Warmer.



 Now that's a car to get people's blood flowing, and garner some enthusiasm about where a company is going. Lincoln needs something similar. Futuristic is good for Cadillac, but a Lincoln is all about understated luxury.

 


Too often now, Lincoln gets overlooked, even among competitors such as the aforementioned Lexus and Acura, with whom they compete most directly in terms of their vehicle offerings and price points. The reason for this is because Lincoln has put horse before the cart. They are trying to establish the bread and butter of the brand without having a serious flagship sedan (a subject for another post, RIP Town Car) or sports car to draw people in, and have them leave in an MKZ or MKC. Lincoln is in a good (read profitable) segment of the market, the "entry level", that's just above your fully loaded Ford, edging in on Acura, and way below the Germans and other overpriced wannabes. In this overstuffed corner of the market, aflood with sporty little hybrids, teched out mid size sedans, and bland crossovers, there is room for Lincoln. But only if they can make something cool and different so they are perceived as having some originality and freedom to become more than so-called "overpriced Fords." In this era of Titanium grade Fords, which have most of the options you can get on a Lincoln for less money, they really need to set themselves apart in terms of design, or at least try and fool people into thinking the cars are more different than they really are.

Enter the 2015 Ford Mustang, redesigned and thoroughly advanced for a pony car. This car will win the hearts of enthusiasts, with rear wheel drive and available V8 power, not to mention the nostalgia that goes with the nameplate. People of all ages love the 'Stang, the question is, who would they pay an extra 10 grand to get a Lincoln Mustang? Lincoln would have to come up with a non badge engineered, unique design, and I have confidence in them to do that after seeing the latest MKZ. There could even be a 4 door version, a la the LS. A Lincoln rear wheel drive sports car, in the style of the old Mark VIII, think personal luxury more than muscle car, would excite both young and old. Here would be a 6 series BMW, or Infiniti Q coupe, for a lot less money.  And a sporty coupe would inject some needed performance image into the brand, because EcoBoosted V6s in front wheel drive cars ain't the way to do it. Need I say more?

Here's a rendition courtesy of Yahoo.com and Hansen Art of what it could look like.
 One word. Sweet!
 



I realize that the personal luxury segment is long gone, failing spectacularly with the last Ford Thunderbird, and it probably isn't the right kind of car for the times, in this era of the PC police. But that's the one area that no one has touched for years. If the car is too sporty, it will be thrown aside as a piece of badge engineering, and if it is too much of a "boat", it will only attract the older crowd, and not bring in the needed younger set, because most of them still see the brand as "old people cars." It's gotta be somewhere in between, call it "grand touring" if you like, a sort of budget BMW 6 series. But it better not have the letters MK anywhere in the name, for goodness sake. Pretty soon they'll run out of letters to throw on the end.
Just call it a Continental. That name will never go out of style.
:)