MrFatbooty

"I have heard that the Zephyr will get the new 3.5L Duratec 35 engine, after it is introduced with the 3.0L. The HP numbers on the 3.5L aren't out, but they should be about 250HP, based on displacement. The Zephyr will also get AWD. Ford's strategy, apparently was to get the car out soon, and improve it later. Still no plans for a manual transmission, from what I have heard.

The larger engine and AWD will really help the car, I think. I hope that people aren't turned off by the weak first model."

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000370041026/

M Type X

Ford as well as Pontiac (G6) and Chrysler (Pacifica) have had a history of pumping out product lines with weak model configs (weak in the sense of what customers want; the most powerful Pacificas actually came out first, and the cheaper ones later). It's ridiculous. The engine is one of THE most important features of any car, so why debut with a lackluster powerplant? You can get it out faster, but you ruin the product's image and rep.

buffalobill

Compared to the Cadillac CTS this Lincoln is a breath of fresh air. Won't grab too many sales away from the geriatric set that buys their dumber than dumb Town Cars, and that's good for Lincoln because they won't be stealing sales from one of their own products. This new Lincoln is a tasteful alternative to the really bizarre CTS, which was ugly when introduced, and now looks dated & still ugly. And most folks don't know that the CTS is a redo, albeit an extensive redo, of the truly awful and troublesome Cadillac Caterra (which was an Americanized Opel Omega, a real piece of crap, too. Heavy, underpowered, awful brakes, and questionable build quality). And here's a mind blower -look at the '04/'05 Pontiac GTO and compare it to either the Caterra or the Opel Omega. Other than Holden's (and therefore the rebagged GTO's) switch to rear drive, aren't they more than a familiar shape - like a 15 yr old Lumina?

kazi

Huh? The Omega/Cetera were RWD to start with.

MrFatbooty

Lincoln needs help and hopes the new FWD Zephyr is their Florence Nightingale. For five bucks under $30,000 the Zephyr will be pretty loaded with only six options available. Standard equipment includes the 221 horsepower V-6 with a six-speed automatic, 17-inch rims, ABS, side air bags and curtain bags, choice of dark ebony or maple wood accents, six-disc CD/MP3 player with six speakers, dual-zone HVAC, power everything and LED taillights. Options at the link.

Options include:

• Industry-exclusive THX II-Certified ® audio system featuring 14 speakers – ten primary speakers deliver surround sound; two front and rear center-channel speakers add acoustical depth; and two subwoofers augmented by power amplifiers deliver deep, rich bass – and a quick-loading six-disc player compatible with normal audio, MP3 compressed or text format CDs ($995).
• DVD-based navigation system on a single disc that features a sharp, 6.5-inch-wide screen and text-to-speech technology for travel directions aloud in English, Spanish or French. Includes THX II-Certified ® audio system as detailed above ($2,495).
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps designed to produce more light, last longer and use less energy than typical incandescent headlamps ($495).
• 17-inch 8-spoke chrome wheels ($895).
• Perforated premium leather cooled front seats ($495).
• Power moonroof ($1,200).

The MSRP of a fully-loaded Zephyr featuring all available options is $35,575. All prices include destination and delivery. Is it enough to stem the losses of a brand that was the luxury brand sales leader in 1998? For $36,000 loaded, if the Zephyr can perform well, they may just be hope. We just fear the price of a 2007 AWD Zephyr with the bigger 3.5-liter V-6.

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000300047061/

sherwood

four---teen---speakers?

i vote to bring the concept tail lights back

fastball

The Mark Levinson DVD-Audio system offered by Lexus is the absolute best factory car audio system on the planet. It's even tough to beat it with an expensive aftermarket system. So it sounds like Ford is going to try to go at them with THX.

98CoupeV6

It's not bad, but its powertrain would have been competitive 5 years ago. The equipment level seems pretty impressive for the price.