Good read. If only it were true..
Remember that I wrote the original article in 1999. Things were much brighter then. That was when Jacques Nasser ran the show and was not only 100% behind the LS, but also had on the books plans for a smaller car based on this platform ("3 series"), as well as a larger one ("Continental"). And the 2005 Mustang was originally to be based on it too.
Then Bill Ford, who thought he could run the entire company, stepped in and there was a whole range of cancellations to the plans, and as you know thousands and thousands of jobs were lost as the company quickly went downhill. Lincolns dealers didn't know how to sell the LS, and could barely sell the Mercurys they were saddled with. The Thunderbird was cancelled, and we then knew the LS was dead. Too bad, because updates to the platform were in the pipeline... and they were all lost. Even the stuff that was mentioned at the original launch, such as a supercharged engine, a 6-speed manual, and a Brembo brake option were all lost. The engine was even shown in the T-Bird.
I'm disappointed to see the thread has degenerated into a Chevy SS conversation... remember that the SS has already been cancelled along with everything else GM builds in Australia. That means no more SS after 2 years, as well as no more Caprice cop car ;-) and 1 less preferred drift car on Arab highways. It remains to be seen if GM will produce something to replace it based on the new Alpha platform, which is an excellent clean-sheet design already underpinning the ATS and CTS (and in 2016 the next Camaro). Platform sharing is being done right at GM... while Ford practices it with former Volvo platforms for the Taurus and MKS (both morbidly obese monsters, and the thought of the MKS as a replacement for the LS is as ridiculous as the 4396 pound SHO).
Last year I obtained a 16k mile 2006 LS for daily business driving use. It's reminded me again of what a great platform this was. Not perfect, although the basic bones are great, the instrument panel and seats are crude by today's standards. I liken this to a first-gen G35... where the second gen version of that platform yielded the G37 that we still have today (which underpins the Q50). The 2nd-gen LS would have been terriffic.
Here's the motor the LS was supposed to get:
What do we need? The Lincoln MKR. The show car was based on the current S197 Mustang, with the IRS suspension that Nasser's successors cancelled. Look how handsome this is - it's just what Lincoln needs and the reaction amongst potential buyers would be immediate. Build this car on the new S550 platform, Lincoln, and put the EcoBoost 3.5 in it!
