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OMG- Lincoln Aviator (2007) revealed!!!

(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Joeychgo

inline image

Ford hopes bold design reinvents luxury brand
By Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

NEW YORK -- With the launch of the Lincoln Zephyr sedan and the unveiling of the new Lincoln Aviator crossover, Ford Motor Co. has begun a reinvention of its luxury marque that is all about capturing the spirit of American achievement and optimism, albeit with an assist from a British designer and Japanese engineering.

Lincoln was once the best-selling luxury brand in the United States but has seen its sales decline amid the resurgence of General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac brand and fast-growing foreign brands.

Ford has struggled to make Lincoln relevant again but with little success. So far this year, Lincoln sales have fallen 10 percent.

"We've kind of lost our way," said Elena Ford, the company's director of North American product marketing, planning and strategy. "Product is always what brings you back."

The person in charge of designing that product is Peter Horbury, Ford's executive director of design and the man credited with giving Volvo its new strong-shouldered look.

Elena Ford -- great-great-granddaughter of Henry Ford and cousin of Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr. -- said she is counting on the British-born designer to work the same magic with Lincoln.

The first step, Horbury said, was figuring out what Lincoln means as a brand. "I think first and foremost, it's American," he said.

To Horbury, that means optimism and achievement, Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.

"I have to find a way of translating all these positive qualities of America into sheet metal," he said, adding that the new Aviator is a good start.

Horbury said the current Aviator -- like other SUVs with their high seats and long hoods -- evokes the Conestoga wagon and the stagecoach. He said the future Aviator was designed to conjure images of fighter jocks, poised for takeoff on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Elena Ford admits all this talk about Americana can sound a little strange in a British accent, but she said the fact that Horbury is not American actually gives him a unique ability to distill the essence of this country and its culture.

"He sees things differently than we do," she said. "He got on this whole American Dream thing with me the other day. I'm like, 'I get it, I get it.'"

Officially, the Zephyr inaugurates Lincoln's new look and the Aviator underlines it.

Taken together, Horbury said, they point the way to Lincoln's future -- smaller, sleeker and more fuel-efficient. Horbury offers measured praise for the Zephyr, whose design was all but finished when he was asked to begin Lincoln's makeover 20 months ago. He's more enthusiastic about the Aviator, which he was able to put his imprint on.

Lincoln also has promised two new large sedans will be coming in the future. The new Aviator bears little resemblance to the current version -- a big, boxy SUV built on the same platform as the Ford Explorer. It's a curvy crossover based on the Japanese-built Mazda6.

Horbury said it was designed to capture the spirit of the "memorable Lincolns of old" in a thoroughly modern package.

The 2007 model will officially be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January and is expected to be in dealer showrooms next fall.

The Aviator breaks with many of Lincoln's styling cues, which Horbury found too restrictive.

"America is nothing if not diverse," Horbury said, adding that he wants to mirror that in his designs. "I don't see the reason why we have to keep the same design on every car."

He also wants to see Lincoln move into new market sectors.

"What's to say that's the smallest Lincoln of all?" Horbury asked, pointing to the Zephyr. "The design department is deeply involved, not just in how the vehicle should look, but in what the vehicle should be."

With the Zephyr shipping in volume and the introduction of the new Aviator, 2006 promises to be a big year for Lincoln.

"Next year is our growth year," said Lincoln Mercury President Al Giombetti.

Source:Detriot News

Posted by: captainalias

It looks great! I was afraid of the masked cars, that the tail lights would look nasty. Sad to see Lincoln's business decline by so much over the years, but they really shot themselves in the foot.

Posted by: Conti94

It is ad how low they have fallen in the past few years. But that Aviator looks pretty good. Definately nicer than that Lexus RX330 thing. And I think it looks better than the Infiniti GX35, the BMW X5 or X3, the Mercedes M class, the Saab 9X, the Landrover Freelander, the Acura MDX, and the Volvo XC70. The only SUV in the Aviators class that may come close to lookin as good is maybe the Cadillac SRX.

Posted by: ONEBADMK8

That "Thing" is a cookie cutter Rice wagon looking hunk of crap, again what in the hell is Lincoln thinking? That is a PUKEWAGON! Looks like everything else on the road. NO style, boooooooooooooooring.

Posted by: mrlandyacht

it's ok to me, but it just looks too mush like a Lexus RX 330 or BMW X5...

Posted by: captainalias

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEBADMK8

That "Thing" is a cookie cutter Rice wagon looking hunk of crap, again what in the hell is Lincoln thinking? That is a PUKEWAGON! Looks like everything else on the road. NO style, boooooooooooooooring.

But yet people continue to buy RX330s, X5s, XC90s, and Muranos, and there ain't much difference between those previously mentioned 4. I think it will be refreshing to see a strong American competitor; if the Zephyr's interior build quality is any indication of what to expect, I think the new Aviator will do nicely.

I'[ve never liked the Caddy SRX anyhow- looks like a box with wheels, and the inside control gauge was ripped form the CTS.

Posted by: mrlandyacht

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainalias

I agree with ya, there!....

Posted by: JoeyLincolnMK8

what it really boils down to is advertising. if lincoln advertises it well... it will sell. i do not know about everyone else, but i have yet to see a commerical for the zepoli. and yet in the past 3 days in a row i have seen fusion spots on t.v.

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEBADMK8

I guess if you are use to the Yuppie wagons here's your Lincoln...

I think it sucks... Not for me....

Posted by: captainalias

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyLincolnMK8

what it really boils down to is advertising. if lincoln advertises it well... it will sell. i do not know about everyone else, but i have yet to see a commerical for the zepoli. and yet in the past 3 days in a row i have seen fusion spots on t.v.

I agree, the advertising will make or break the Aviator and Zephyr. So far, I've just seen one TV ad and some magazine inserts for the Zephyr. Look at Caddy- they expend so much to make themselves well known. And it's worth it- just look at Caddy's resugence over the years.

Posted by: JoeyLincolnMK8

it is not only caddy. but i see more BUICK commericals on t.v than i do lincoln...lol. they need to advertise more like BMW, BENZO, and even INFINITI!

Posted by: pepperman

It sucks i would never buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Conti94

I would never buy one either, I don't like vans or SUV's. But this looks better than alot of other crossovers. And as mentioned above with the right advertising may just be what Lincoln needs to get back in the game.

Posted by: ONEBADMK8

CRAPOLLA on wheels. Hideous looks LIKE EVERYTHING else hunk of $hit. What did they do gather around smoke a bone while looking at the Lexus Brochures and said "what the hell, go with this style here"?

Its just so horrible, painfully horrible and ugly as all holy hell.

PS The Fusion is a Mazda 6 Sport...shhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Posted by: barry2952

Lincoln sponsored the Glenmoor Gathering Concours last year and I got to sit in the prototype of this vehicle. Unfortunately, it was way to small for my 6'5" frame.Won't somebody build me a large two-door sport ute, please.

Posted by: evillally

No one will buy the new "Gayviator" unless it's under $30K. When will Detroit realize that the "beautiful" people, the yuppies, and the wealthy won't buy them becuase their "American" and too reliable?. The "beautiful" people won't buy American- they buy Eurotrash and Jap SUV's and cars that are overpriced, gas-guzzling, high-insurance rate, unrealible cars that are a mechanic's attention whore- so that they know that all the money they've been wasting on their big Kraut or Sweed POS's is money well wasted...

Posted by: MonsterMark

Guys, its a soccer Mom vehicle and she'll love it. Lexus meets Pacifica.

Posted by: captainalias

From autoblog:

Above: The first official photo of the 2007 Lincoln Aviator.

Below: Lincoln Aviator Concept from the 2004 Detroit show.

Not surprisingly, the production version lost the cool rear gate execution from the concept; but fortunately, its sleek overall profile has been retained. No matter how you look at it, the ‘07 Aviator is a big improvement over the current baby Navigator…and the changes goes far beyond cosmetic — the new Aviator will be largely based on the Mazda 6 whereas the old Aviator was pretty much a Explorer underneath. This car-based Lincoln midsize SUV will be powered by a twin-cam 3.5L V6 that pumps out 250 bhp and mated to 6-speed auto tranny. Can this new Aviator give the Lexus RX330 a run for its money? Will Lincoln add a hybrid version to the line-up? Only time will tell…

Posted by: Jamler3

That thing is FUGLY!!

Posted by: pepperman

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamler3

That thing is FUGLY!!

Posted by: JC1994

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEBADMK8

CRAPOLLA on wheels. Hideous looks LIKE EVERYTHING else hunk of $hit. What did they do gather around smoke a bone while looking at the Lexus Brochures and said "what the hell, go with this style here"?

Its just so horrible, painfully horrible and ugly as all holy hell.

PS The Fusion is a Mazda 6 Sport...shhhhhhhhhhhhh.

LMAO!!! I don't like it either.

Posted by: captainalias

I bet all you Aviator haters are secretly closet Caddy fans.

Posted by: JC1994

Nope, they are ugly too.

Posted by: JoeyLincolnMK8

if it was a 5.4l V8 350 hp RWD, with a option of AWD i might consider it!

Posted by: pepperman

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainalias

I bet all you Aviator haters are secretly closet Caddy fans.

The only Cadillac i would own is a Cadiilac Sedan de Ville!!!!!

Posted by: JoeyLincolnMK8

the only caddy i would get is the CTS-V. 13.1 in a quarter can not beat that for a stock sedan!

Posted by: captainalias

there's a high probability that the '07 aviator front/grille will look like the concept.

check out this thread of a 2007 navigator caught cruising on the highway.

http://www.carspyshots.net/zerothread?id=17306

Posted by: itsnotmydaddys

thats pretty cool how they drive it all covered up like its a government secret. why wouldnt they just put it in a trailer hidden if they didnt want anyone knowing what it was

Posted by: captainalias

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsnotmydaddys

thats pretty cool how they drive it all covered up like its a government secret. why wouldnt they just put it in a trailer hidden if they didnt want anyone knowing what it was

B/c they still want to let the general public know of its existence- it's intriguing, you must admit. Like a tease, if you will.

Posted by: captainalias

I must add that the new Aviator looks worlds better than the 2007 Buick Enclave crossover. Pic shown is of the Centieme concept car, but the Enclave will be based on that.

After sounding the trumpets for the future introduction of no less than 14 crossover vehicles, GM has let us know what a couple of them will be named. The eight-seat GMC Acadia we posted on last week and the upcoming Saturn Outlook will be joined by the Buick Enclave, which is reportedly replacing both the Ranier and the Rendezvous when it reaches dealers in Spring of 2007. The Saturn Outlook will go on sale first in the fall of 2006 and the GMC Acadia will wait in the wings until the end of 2007. Hopefully the staggered rollout means each model will be markedly different from its platform mates. The Enclave’s styling, according to Edmunds, will be based on the Centieme concept (shown) that debuted at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show.

Posted by: lexmarkz00

_

(since it's impossible to delete posts, I guess)

Posted by: 2001LS8Sport

Lincoln just lost one very loyal Aviator customer. If they're lucky, I'll go back to an Explorer. Otherwise, I will be looking elsewhere.

Not only is that the fugliest thing I have ever laid eyes on, it is a complete and total departure from the original concept of the vehicle. It's nothing more than a station wagon.

Posted by: turborich

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONEBADMK8

I agree! It looks like junk!

Posted by: Psychostang

Its basically a jap vehicle. But as you can see, from the mans first statement. He's taking lincolns design and purpose from luxury, to "smaller, sleaker, more fuel efficient" This does not equal luxury. I wouldn't be suprised if you see a version of the fusion, with a lincoln badge and a new name. Cookie cutter cars, all based on the same jap chassis. Is anything made in america, by americans anymore...............

Posted by: JoeyLincolnMK8

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHD

I wouldn't be suprised if you see a version of the fusion, with a lincoln badge and a new name.

yeah it is called the Zephyr

( aka the Zepoli )