zoom44

http://www.motortrend.com/features/a...ook/index.html

I like the overall shape and glass roof. I wonder if others will see what i see in the article.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/a.../photo_04.html

http://www.motortrend.com/features/a.../photo_02.html

http://www.motortrend.com/features/a.../photo_06.html

USA today has a video of the preparation of this car

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...uto-show_N.htm

which includes designer Freeman Thomas being identified as J Mays, who can actually be seen just after "14 days to go" in the vid standing with Thomas chatting with the Aria president. Actually Mays and the Aria guy can be seen behind Thomas as Tomas is mis-identified

CyberPitz

Glass roof? I don't know, I'd be worried about some punk chucking a cement block at it and now I have no roof, and have to pay a crap ton of money to fix that.

Otherwise, not a bad looking car! I like the steering wheel especially.

m477

Front end is hideous, they have to stop giving every car the front of a Navigator. They've fallen into the same trap as Pontiac, who makes every single car look like some cheap old 80's Grand Am....

zoom44

see i love the front. and the glass roof. Pitz (and ive pointed this out numerous times to others) there are already quite allot of cars with a "Panoramic Vista Roof" as Ford calls it. even that Scion TC has it. Hell you can get it on the Mustang. Mercedes and other European brands as well.

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

It's the American Renault Avantime!

It seriously has a lot of features that the Avantime offers, including the huge opening roof and the huge side windows. Lincoln is late to the game.

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

If it werent for the horribly designed front facia it isnt too bad,,, the front fenders even have hints of the new 3, and 6...

alienRX8

that is just ugly

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

if they keep the doors, the hud, and the roof, i think it would make a pretty cool car.

Floyd

hmmm...looks like they ripped off the smart idle start/stop system from Mazda. I guess that was a good bye break-up gift to Ford.

zoom44

yes exactly!!!- Ford was not using that spray in the combustion chamber system!!! they were using the starter motor system. Now with this concept they have switched to Mazda's SISS !!!I hope they have to PAY Mazda for the use now that they have sold off their control!!

DailyDriver2k5

Ford should just close the Lincoln division down, there hay days was in the '40's,
'50's and possibly '60's. Unless Lincoln does a turn around like Caddy and re make there image , there doomed!

All there cars are B-O-R-I-N-G! Even old people are looking else where for there point A to B transportation beacuse of Lincolns lack luster models.NOW THAT IS SAD!

That concept car is meh....

dillsrotary

See i use to like the glass roof set up, but more and more it seems like the extra weight isn't worth the change.

DailyDriver2k5

Renault wants there design back.

Symbioticgenius

Were you referring to the Suicide doors?

Or the Jacking of Mazda's smart idle start/stop system.

ndhoffma

I believe Ford has (or had? not sure if they did sell it) the controlling share in Mazda, so I don't think they really stole anything there......


Interesting car though, especially for a Lincoln, being so small and all. Looks nice

JRichter

"had" is correct though they will still continue to share components and technologies

zoom44

Yes Jacking the SISS


they sold their shares and there was no indication what so ever that Ford was thinking of using the Mazda system previously.

Now this Lincoln C project was started 8 months ago so thats before Mazda announced their new SISS so they had probably already shared the tech. But this shows that Ford is still reliant on Mazda for innovation.

Like i said i hope if Ford does want to use this system they have to license it from Mazda

Check out this TopGear i found on the Renault on streetsoffire.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/T...ime_199780.htm

They all really like the Renault but it apparently didnt do well sales wise

zoom44

Furthur study shows its not even Renault's design and wasnt even built by Renault. It was designed and Built by a French company called Matra and badged/sold as a Renault.

Interestingly Renault had another car about the same time with a similar silhouette but was bigger. The Vel Satis



they actually showed a new concept for a Future Vel Satis at Detroit a couple years ago

JRichter

I think what hurts Lincoln more than anything is the word "Lincoln". Scrap Mercury, rename Lincoln something like "Zephyr", stick w/ AWD cars only (for the Ford derived models), introduce a really pretty RWD luxury coupe with a retractable hard top and somewhat tidy proportions (a Benz SL type car) kill any truck based SUV (that's what Ford's for), never use the name "Town Car" ever again, make a true hybrid variant of it's crossover, pick a better looking styling direction (and stick to it) and go from there. I think Lincoln had something going looks-wise w/ this concept (below) but the production version didn't quite come off the same way.

alfy28

lol was going to post that renault lol.

zoom44

totally agree richter- they dumbed that car down too much. they should have stuck much closer to the concept

DailyDriver2k5

That concept was at the Orlando Auto show, you should of heard the buzz about the vehicle, it caused quite a stir. All i could hear from people looking at the concept, "if Lincoln would build a car like this , I would consider buying such a vehicle".

People are ready to buy , if manufactures create interesting cars. That concept was really nice looking, the roof is in the shape of there logo. And the interior had a swoopy clean feel to it, it had a nice road presence to it too, its about the size of a Mercedes CL550 coupe.

Lincoln really needs to follow the likes of Caddy, ditch those tired names like you mentioned Jrichter and start over with some fresh designs that capture the soul and grace of a luxury vehicle.

Caddy did it with there wedge shaped vehicles and general public warmed up to there news style pretty quickly. Caddy was once in the same boat as Lincoln , now look at them , there brand reputation is sparkly clean and resepcted in the luxury world again.

dynamho

Agree JRichter. Now that's what a Lincoln should look like.

JRichter

Yeah, Caddy really got their act together around the start of this century and are now really representing what the Cadillac name stood for back in the first half of the 20th century. There has been several models I would proudly (enthusiastically) drive from Cadillac in recent years and I never thought I would say that 10 years ago.

Gauge

eek...

Glass roof? Doubt it.