Lincoln LS Dead (1:06PM today I built the last one)

Last LS pics

Did not get to final line in time for pics I did find the second to last one in pre delivery. I'll see what I can do Tuesday.
 
S.O.Bs

maybe we just have to buy the rights to the designs and the templates/molds etc and start making them ourselves.
 
Well, I've built jets; and I've built tanks...what's a little sheet metal between friends...
 
I don't think we should worry too much about all of this. We don't know for sure what Lincoln has in store for the future regarding driver-oriented sedans.

I won't lose any sleep over this; I bought my LS new nine months ago and I like this car as much as I did when I drove it off the lot at the L/M dealer (if not more now that I got to drive it for a while.) We may like or dislike the replacement when it finally bows in a year or two. In the meantime,it will be business as usual on this forum.........................

P.S. I see alot of bashing of the new Zephyr. Remember,this car was not intended to be a replacement for the LS. I don't think this car touches our cars on any level (except for the THX II audio system which is better than the standard THX in the LS) and it never will.But for the money,it's a pretty nice car nonetheless still way cheaper than an LS.
 
2001LS8Sport said:
Actually, that's not correct. SVT is indeed dead as of the end of March. They barely answer their phones. The GT500 is NOT an SVT product any longer and will be marketed by all Ford dealers...not just SVT. I own an 04 Cobra...we've been following this very close....SVT is gone.
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SVT isn't completely dead; it's more like they're on life support--Hau Thai-Tang is still in charge of it, so the unit still exists. AutoWeek has covered this in the last month or so, and while they're dubious about SVT's future, they've reported (and Ford has officially said) that it's not dead.

(Yet.)

It's really close; the Adrenaline is dead, and the new Lightning was killed almost before it got started, so the GT-500 is all they have left now--and it's going to be sold through all Ford dealerships, not just the SVT dealers. The speculation is that the crash program to bring the GT online for Ford's Centennial burned out SVT human and engineering resources.

Hau Thai-Tang is (or was...) a rising star at Ford; he spearheaded the new Mustang and was (IIRC) one of the project leads on the '03 LS, so it's hard to believe that Ford would put him at the helm of a unit they're killing. Stanger things have happened, though...
 
hard to believe? With the steps they have taken in the past it hard to believe they would have the foresight to keep. I love ford and all I have ever owned have been fords or ford owned, 95 4x4 f-150, 00 lincoln ls, 04 mustang mach 1. These guys however have made some of the worst decision, even with the new mustang what the h**l happen to the prototype hood, they put this big flat ugly hood on it instead of the awesome prototype one. Killed the adrenaline, lighting, cobra (I would really like to do some a*s kicking about that). I don't give a d**n if shelby is helping with this new mustang. The cars and trucks they make for australia are awesome, why the h**l don't they sell them here. I think there major problem is they aren't putting vechicles out there that ATTRACT customers. Fusion, give me break. It is like an old persons sedan that forgot to take its viagra and shrunk. Look at dodge, there throwing products out that are appealing to its customers. I guess there still just trying to find there WAY FORWARD, whatever the H*LL that means. I guesing there it is their way to bankruptcy.
 
machlsowner said:
These guys however have made some of the worst decision, even with the new mustang what the h**l happen to the prototype hood, they put this big flat ugly hood on it instead of the awesome prototype one.
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It probably wouldn't fit over something in the engine compartment. Remember, the guys in the styling studio (where they build the concepts) aren't bound by reality like the guys who design the production vehicles. That's the same thing that happened to the Zephyr; the hood on the production Zephyr is higher to accomodate structures required in the production car. The studio knew it, but built the conecpt as they did anyway.

machlsowner said:
Killed the adrenaline, lighting, cobra (I would really like to do some a*s kicking about that). I don't give a d**n if shelby is helping with this new mustang.
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The Cobra's the only one they didn't kill. It's the GT-500 that's going on sale this fall.

machlsowner said:
The cars and trucks they make for australia are awesome, why the h**l don't they sell them here.
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I'll give you three reasons: NHTSA, EPA, and DOT. Don't blame Ford if Australia has less restrictive automotive regulations than we do; that's not their fault in any way, shape, or form. That, my friend, would be our fault, for electing people who'd write the laws that enable those regulations.

But it does gall me that an Australian can go buy a Ford car powered by a DOHC 5.4L mod motor built in the US (in the Romeo plant), but the only way I could get one would be to buy a GT at $100K+. :mad:
 
SoonerLS said:
It probably wouldn't fit over something in the engine compartment.

The Cobra's the only one they didn't kill. It's the GT-500 that's going on sale this fall.
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The hood on the concept was taller, very similiar to aftermarket hoods sold now, there was also one somewhat like the GT-H (Hertz rental GT-500). It fit, however it would have made the car cost slightly more, quite a bit got cut due to cost. I just believe somethings should have been cut before others.

I believe your statement says enough about the status of the cobra, since I thought that cobra was the model name.

I main question about the Australia deal is this. If they can put these motors in SUVs and pass them why couldn't they be put in a car and pass and probably get very good gas milage. Maybe not 30 or 40 miles to the gallon but I believe they would get the same range as the current 4.6 in CVs and TCs
 
Car Manufactures are bound by the EPA to produce an average fuel mileage cost across all of it's cars sold in the US. They are going to have to do it with SUV's and light trucks in the near future too. And since FMC sells so many "gas guzzeling" Mustangs, Crown Vics(including police and taxi), Town Cars, Grand Marquis etc, it has to get better mileage in the rest of it's line in order to compensate and make the average. Killing the civi version of the CV and Grand Marquis should help that a little bit.

Austrailia does get some pretty awsome Fords though. The V8 Falcon is BADA$$!
 
machlsowner said:
I believe your statement says enough about the status of the cobra, since I thought that cobra was the model name.

I main question about the Australia deal is this. If they can put these motors in SUVs and pass them why couldn't they be put in a car and pass and probably get very good gas milage. Maybe not 30 or 40 miles to the gallon but I believe they would get the same range as the current 4.6 in CVs and TCs
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The name of the new car is the Shelby Cobra GT500, so, either way, the Cobra still lives. Now it's just been reunited with its creator.

Large trucks and SUVs (over 8500lbs. GVWR) are currently exempt from the EPA's CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, and the smaller SUVs may also be exempt (I don't remember). That's why they can use the powerful engines. The GT is built in such small numbers that its fuel efficiency has no effect on Ford's CAFE numbers.
 
Funny, I received a mass email from Lincoln on Thurs inviting me in to look at the new Zephyr. I replied "no thanks" , that I was disappointed with the demise of the LS. I also informed them that I try to buy American made cars but now that Lincoln Zephyr is made in Mexico I might as well consider Lexus, Infinity or other foreign cars.
I think Ford needs new thinking. They have missed the boat entirely with fuel efficient cars and are playing catch up with Toyota/Honda. They stayed with SUV's way too long. You can't give them away now.
Why can't Ford come up with a diesel engine (i.e. VW's Jetta/Passat) that gets 44 mph.
 
doug03ls said:
I also informed them that I try to buy American made cars but now that Lincoln Zephyr is made in Mexico I might as well consider Lexus, Infinity or other foreign cars.
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Maybe it will make you feel better knowing that the MKS is slated to be built in Chicago, in the same plant as the Five Hundred.
 
SoonerLS said:
SVT isn't completely dead; it's more like they're on life support--Hau Thai-Tang is still in charge of it, so the unit still exists. AutoWeek has covered this in the last month or so, and while they're dubious about SVT's future, they've reported (and Ford has officially said) that it's not dead.

(Yet.)

It's really close; the Adrenaline is dead, and the new Lightning was killed almost before it got started, so the GT-500 is all they have left now--and it's going to be sold through all Ford dealerships, not just the SVT dealers. The speculation is that the crash program to bring the GT online for Ford's Centennial burned out SVT human and engineering resources.

Hau Thai-Tang is (or was...) a rising star at Ford; he spearheaded the new Mustang and was (IIRC) one of the project leads on the '03 LS, so it's hard to believe that Ford would put him at the helm of a unit they're killing. Stanger things have happened, though...
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Sooner...I need to take back my earlier statement. A couple of weeks ago, when you called SVT and needed something from them, IF they answered the phone, they couldn't help you and referred you to Ford in general. They even told us they were out of business as of the end of March. However, just today I read where Ford has rethought it's new plan and decided to keep SVT alive...but scaled back. They have decided to keep the GT500 production at SVT. The GT itself should be done as it was never scheduled to be a long term running production. But I read where there will be an addition to the family....a TRUCK!! Will it be a Lightning....an Adrenelin??? They aren't saying for sure. But the same article does mention the Adrenelin is a dead and gone issue. So it sounds like we will still have the two staples of SVT...a Mustang and a truck. This is good news for all of us as it keeps the performance door open for all Ford products.
 
The problem i have with ford is that they seem to be so far behind the times. GM has stuck to their older style engines (350, 327, etc) and perfected them. Hell the Corvette, with a big 6.0L gets pretty much the same mileage as the new ford five hundred. Maybe im one of the only people who see's a problem with that. The cars are also getting to be very boring, they need to bring out some new cars, besides the mustang, that will give people a grin when they take it out for a drive. Ford needs to come out with some new cars that will compete with the corvette, and all the little rice burners out there. Even the new camaro will probably hand it to ford when it comes out. Even my bro, who was always a ford guy. Has switched to GM when he bought his sierra, it gets better mileage than the fords, at least compared to other 2003's.
 
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