Hot Rod Lincoln: Propelling Lincoln the Right Way with a Mustang-Based Coupe
By Josh Byrnes
Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes

Fans of the Lincoln Motor Company have had little to rejoice over in recent years; however, slowly but surely, the brand is making good on its promise to reinvent itself. Attractively styled CUVs and mid-sized sedans have helped lure back buyers into the blue oval’s luxury division.

Unfortunately, the brand is still missing a dynamic point of difference; sure, the styling is distinctive and equipment levels are competitive, yet it’s behind the wheel where things remain a little stagnant.

Using Ford’s global platforms is not a bad thing; however, as they’re mainly front wheel drive biased with the provision of AWD, there’s little to get enthusiastic about when carving up those canyon roads. Lincoln’s closest competitor - Cadillac offers RWD on most of its models, as does BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.

Yet, all is not lost, as the Dearborn-based manufacturer has at least one RWD platform that it can get its hands on - that being of the latest Ford Mustang. A pony-car based coupe could finally give the brand a hero variant that driving enthusiasts want.

This hypothetical study would closely follow the S550 Mustang’s structural hard-points, yet infuse Lincoln design DNA for a look that doesn’t look badge-engineered. My illustration above highlights the best parts of Lincoln’s current design language and massages them into RWD, muscle car proportions.

For example, the front-end is dominated by a slim, split-winged grille and headlights that stretch far into the front fenders. This strong frontal stance is further enhanced by aggressive intake detailing and a lower lip splitter.

Distinctive crease-work divides the sculptured hood as it flows back towards the cabin, adding a sense of dynamism. This athletic theme continues along the bodywork with scalloped doors and flared shoulders that exaggerate the rear haunches.

Improving on the Mustang’s interior wouldn’t be a hard task; Ford’s pony car caters for those enticed by heritage, which means an blend of retro and modern. Lincoln’s version would be much more modern, luxurious and generously equipped.

Sitting under the hood, would ideally lay either the blue oval’s 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 or the potent 5.0-liter V8 from the Mustang GT. Power would be transferred to the rear wheels via a 9-speed auto co-developed with GM, yielding gains in both fuel economy and performance times.

Adding to the driving mix is sports suspension that could include a limited slip diff and magnetic adaptive damping with comfort, sport and track modes; this would allow the Lincoln to retain some degree of luxurious ride quality without being too firm or soft.

Such a coupe would battle against the main German trio - that being the latest BMW 4-series, Audi A5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe plus Cadillac’s ATS Coupe and Lexus RC Coupe. All of which are widely esteemed, so there would be no room for shortfalls -- otherwise the punters will look elsewhere.

So, should Lincoln put its efforts into making a Mustang-based coupe like the one based in this study - or focus on another model entirely?