Lincoln MKR concept

By Tim Pollard

Motor Shows

02 January 2007 11:49

Lincoln MKR Concept: the lowdown

Lincoln will slide the wraps off its answer to the Mercedes CLS at the Detroit Motor Show next week: this luxurious and wedgy MKR concept. It’s the work of ex-Volvo British designer Peter Horbury, who now heads Ford’s Amercian design division, and hints at how Lincolns will look in the years ahead: the Viking-hat grille is straddled by pencil-thin LED headlights, while the flanks of the car are notably uncluttered. Don’t expect to see the 21-inch wheels and ‘Lincoln star’ patterns in the tyre treads on production cars any time soon, though. Powering the MKR is a twin-turbo direct-injection 3.5-litre V6; it runs on cleaner E85 bio-ethanol and develops 415bhp, Lincoln talking of performance to rival that of a V8 limo.

The MKR’s cabin contains some novel thinking: the instrument panel is made from recycled oak and the centre console stretches the full length of the cabin. Overhead, passengers can see through a glass roof, punctuated by a large Lincoln star. Designers claim to have created an unusually airy atmosphere with the careful use of interior lighting. Blue instrument lamps are joined by illuminated door panels, footwells and seats. Even the overhead star is lit up at night time.

By Tim Pollard