I was browsing Blue Oval News this morning and read about Lincoln's new D3 Prototype Platform car. I have heard rumors that this could be the new LS replacement in 2007 or 2008. It looks like it may have some new technologly as well with the new adaptive lighting. Below are some pics of the new D3 platform and new headlights:

http://www.blueovalnews.com/images/lincoln.d3prototype.jpg

http://www.blueovalnews.com/images/TeaserLighting_01.jpg

http://www.blueovalnews.com/images/TeaserLighting_02.jpg

You can read about the new lighting system here:

http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=73

Also, there is a video clip of the new D3 prototype vehicle with the new lights as well. You can view it below:

http://www.blueovalnews.com/media/lincoln.d3prototype.wmv

Eh, it's alright. Is it a RWD platform?

I think they should call it the MarkX.

They should call it the Continental IMHO. Leave the MarkX name for the next coupe. I personally like it pretty wild lookin styling. People like strange stuff now days, look how many Scions and Elements are sold. Not to mention the new malibus and those ugly PT cruisers, and oversized Cheby "PT Cruisers". One thing I have learned in this age weird things sell. And Ugly things to.:rolleyes:

it actually does not look too bad (still looks alil like a mazda). but again it is a concept, and the styling will probably change just like how the Zepoli did when it was concept. hope lincoln just does not F this one up!

Reminds me of a tbird :( oogly

Sweetness I am glad Lincoln is doing something to replace the current LS. I like the looks of it but I sure hope its RWD and has a V8 in it.

-Scott-

Good work Ken!

They should call it the Continental IMHO. Leave the MarkX name for the next coupe. I personally like it pretty wild lookin styling. People like strange stuff now days, look how many Scions and Elements are sold. Not to mention the new malibus and those ugly PT cruisers, and oversized Cheby "PT Cruisers". One thing I have learned in this age weird things sell. And Ugly things to.:rolleyes:
:I it should be called a Continental :cool:

lincoln should just offer the V8 only with optional V8 motors, and make that new headlight technology as a standard!

Yes it replaces the LS. It will probably be called the Continental from the rumblings. The D3 is the Ford 500, Mercury Montego chassis. It is suppose to have a standard AWD and a 4.4L V8. It will debut at the North America International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next month. I already have a person going to take pics of the Lincoln cars.

looks like a Acura RL and zephyr combined. not bad,

That front end just screams "AIR to AIR" .

The light system looks wickedly Cool :cool:

Eh, it's alright. Is it a RWD platform?
No. The LS replacement on the D3 platfrom will have an iteration of the Yamaha/Ford/Volvo V8 that's currently in the Volvo XC-90 transversely-mounted driving all four wheels. In short, it'll be neither FWD nor RWD, but AWD.

(still looks alil like a mazda)
Dunno why you'd say that; there's no Mazda in it. D3 is derived from Volvo's platform that underpins the S80. To my eye, it looks most definitely like an evolution of the LS. Look at the linked video clip--it shows more angles, which make it look much more like an LS iteration.

Damn!!! That's nice..

I likey. Definately a LS front end.

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

THOSE HEADLIGHTS SUCK

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

(crosses fingers) hope its an Ls hope its an LS!!!

I like it. Lincoln might have its looks just like cadillac has

Why man? The headlights look good.

The car itself looks like a mix of Acura TL, Lexus ES330 and Lincoln Zephyr. Looks cool though, I would drive one. I mean it's a prototype, the Zephyr looked good too as a prototype, but the production version... not so.

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

THOSE HEADLIGHTS SUCK

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

kinda looks like a zephyr

For all you Mark VIII fans, it is rumored too that the tail lights on this car will be compared to the last of the Mark VIII's. You know the ones with the neon tailights spanning the rear deck but even nicer trim than the Mark. They haven't found out if it would be neon or not but could since the lighting technology seems to be important on this prototype.

I can't wait to see the rest of the car. Hopefully BON will post some more pics soon.

Dunno why you'd say that; there's no Mazda in it. D3 is derived from Volvo's platform that underpins the S80. To my eye, it looks most definitely like an evolution of the LS. Look at the linked video clip--it shows more angles, which make it look much more like an LS iteration.

hmmm..... i said that cause it does look ALIL like a mazda. front end looks like a mazdaspeed 6!

hmmm..... i said that cause it does look ALIL like a mazda. front end looks like a mazdaspeed 6!
Yeah, maybe a teensy bit. If you haven't looked at the video that demos the headlight/cornering lights in action, do so. It shows other angles of the new car, which do a much better job of making it look like an evolution of the LS.

Leave the MarkX name for the next coupe.
Absolutely. The Mark LT notwithstanding, Marks should be performance-oriented luxury coupes.

saw the video...... got kinda bored looking at the lights flashing. lincoln better leave the lines on the car alone, and add maybe add alil more chrome.

saw the video...... got kinda bored looking at the lights flashing. lincoln better leave the lines on the car alone, and add maybe add alil more chrome.
Yeah, the blinkenlightzen are neat for the first little while, but the most interesting thing (to me) was the different camera angles. The one decent picture (shown above) isn't, IMHO, the car's most flattering angle.

Absolutely. The Mark LT notwithstanding, Marks should be performance-oriented luxury coupes.

yeah i totally hate the fact that lincoln used and abused the mark nameplate by putting it on a fricking truck. lincoln should of named it the LINCOLN LT-150!

interesting news...

but damm that thing is UGLY!

reminds me of a shark "jabba jaws". it has a sh*t eating grin with big teeth, and evil eyes

SOLD! I'll take one in silver :)

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

THOSE HEADLIGHTS SUCK

:slam :slam :slam :slam :slam

And you also probably think you have a ghost's chance in hell in the Cotton Bowl.....

The car looks like it was designed by Chris Bangle. It appears that the engine layout will be a Transeverse AWD system with a 4.4 derivitive of the Yamaha engine in the XC90, which itself started life in the Taurus SHO.

I have several issues with transverse engines. Note, Audi's AWD are Longitudinal. I am not talking here specifically about RWD vs FWD vs AWD, I am talking about engine orientation.

I owned an Escort GT and 3 Taurus SHO's (2 V6, 1 V8) over a 10 year span so I have a little "hands on" experience with transverse FWD. I did not know how good Longitudinal RWD was in comparison until I got my first LS (it had been so many years since I had one).

1. Transverse are terribly hard to work on (usually the rear set of plugs are a bear)

2. It is hard to tune exhaust as one bank of cylinders will always have a longer distance to the rear of the car. Where do you place the X or H pipe? Routing the exhaust from the front bank is tough to. It usually goes under the engine somewhere which has an impact on ground clearance.

3. Weight distribution is usually heavily biased toward the front. In most cases the transvers engine is sitting in front of or directly over the front wheels. Definitely was improved with the LS after owning SHO's.

4. The width of the engine and the transaxle and CV's all conspire to make the turning radius horrible. My LS can turn circles inside the SHO or any other Taurus. All of the FWD low end rental cars I get on the road have a terrible turning radius.

5. Tourque Steer. Nuff Said.

It will be interesting to me to see how Lincoln's next LS if it is Transverse AWD Unibody as I have heard will compare to our current LS. Seems like a slide backward to me all in the name of platform sharing and saving a buck. That car should be coming along around the time I am deciding to replace my LS (unless I hit the lotto or something ) So I will be paying attention to how the drive train is executed.

Give me a longitudinal V8 RWD car like CTS/STS V's, the 300 SRT8, Audi 6, BMW 5's, Mercedes E. Jaguar. Lincoln is obviously targeting Buick and Acura with this new car. Unfortunatly for them that's not what I want when I replace my beloved LS.

DO NOT LIKE IT. Think it is too far away from the original styling, but some people like that. I have probably owned my one and only lincoln product unless I get another LS or Nav.

:I it should be called a Continental :cool:

If you look back at the history of the current Town Car, it was once called Continental. The Town Car moniker was actually a trim package on a Continental back in the 1970s. The package proved very popular, so the name of the car was changed to Town Car, but the historical roots of the Town Car go back to the big Continentals that competed with the Cadillac DeVilles. The more recent Continentals have no lineage to the Continentals in Lincoln's past.

Most of Lincolns cars have no lineage to their past. Now they are talking about numerical name designations istead of using Continental, Town Car, Mark, etc. What a wonderful move Lincoln. That will surely get them in the showrooms.

i know many people in various levels of ford, from factory floor to engineers, and i have been hearing a lot about a "Lincoln Mustang" that intends to compete with big car beasts like the charger. i don't know if that is what this will end up, but it fits the profile. though i would expect something a little bit sportier.

a good friend test drives cars for fmc and has confirmed they will start test driving the Lincoln mustang "soon". it is apparently inevitable and so far it is said to be called the "Lincoln Mustang". FYI he says his favorite car to drive is the LS for obvious reasons :)

i will have to go down to the auto show and check this one out i guess

The Lincoln version of the new Mustang was in the automotive press a few months ago. Try going to http://www.autoweek.com/ and searching there.

The Lincoln version of the new Mustang was in the automotive press a few months ago. Try going to http://www.autoweek.com/ and searching there.

i checked the autoweek site and didnt find any pics, just the same article that they are "considering" a lincoln mustang. maybe i missed the pic i dont know, but im anxious to see what this would look like.

is there a pic on the autoweek site? has anyone seen the lincoln mustang even if its a concept or concept art even. anything?

hmmm... lincoln mustang would be quite interesting. kinda like the 350z/G35. As long as they keep the price under control.

on this new sedan ... i'm quite skeptical. I think, based on the one good pic, it looks great. But I'm certainly not keen on a transverse V8/AWD setup.

The whole tall car thing is kinda weird, but it seems that car companies are all doing it. Pretty soon there won't be any sports cars, suvs, trucks, there just going to roll them all into one. The term cross-over vehicle comes to mind. First glance I knew it was a Lincoln 500. Seemed logical with the Zephyr and all. The next Mark better be a 2-door, the LS is the first 4-door I've had, not including a winter beater $200 escort wagon I had when I was 18 and parked my Mustang for the winter. I hated that car.

i checked the autoweek site and didnt find any pics, just the same article that they are "considering" a lincoln mustang. maybe i missed the pic i dont know, but im anxious to see what this would look like.

is there a pic on the autoweek site? has anyone seen the lincoln mustang even if its a concept or concept art even. anything?

I don't know how a Lincoln Mustang would go over. However, I think it would be awesome if Mercury would resurrect the Cougar on the Mustang platform, like in the old days. Just think, it would be a more luxurious Mustang!