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Why no suicide doors on the Lincoln MKR?
Thanks to the 1961 Continental, one of the first things many car fans imagine when they hear "classic Lincoln" is suicide doors. Therefore it's only logical we'd come to expect them on any signature Lincoln show car. The 2002 Continental concept had them, and so did the 2003 Navicross concept. So why did Ford decide to leave them off the striking MKR concept? Automotive News quotes the MKR's exterior designer, Xitij Mistry, saying conventional doors were used on the concept because they're easier to put into production. Hmmm. That's interesting. Does this mean the MKR is a shoo-in for production? Could be. "I love it, love it, love it. To me, it almost looks like a production car, and that was a bit of a surprise. It's real, and that's a good thing," said Pat Schiavone, director of the design team at the beginning of the MRK project.
One more interesting design note on the MKR after the jump.
[Source: Automotive News]
Another interesting note out of Automotive News' talk with the MKR's designer team concerns the car's front seat interior door handles. It seems the cars' interior designer, Jason Baldas, went through dozens of different sketches, none of which pleased the bosses. So one night Baldas broke protocol by sculpting his favorite sketch from clay. That did the trick and you can see here the elegant shape Baldas envisioned in one of his earliest drawings.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
che culattone 9:43AM (1/02/2007)
you know, i really want the domestics to come back and kick the damn japanese out, but i just feel like they can't do anything right. they've got their priorities all wrong. ford, gm and dcx think that they have to come out with all these new, sharp designs and provocative models which catch everyone's eye when they're concepts.
but what is it that makes the japanese do so well? it clearly isn't design! my 8 year old son puts more design into cars he draws on napkins than honda and toyota put into their cars. the rice-rockets can't compete in any level on design with any domestic or european manufacturer. no, it's not design. it's reliability (or rather, the illusion of it, since toyota has more recalls than any other manufacturer).
why don't the domestics get it? Stop putting so much effort and resources into design. spend it on making a reliable car that will have good resale value 6 years from now. that's what will save the domestics.
all that said...wow, that's a beuatiful car!
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Brian Mita 9:49AM (1/02/2007)
Che, I think they're trying to take the Altima route: push the design and looks and once you bring people in that way, push the quality up through the revisions.
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Ron 9:50AM (1/02/2007)
That's a sweet looking ride.
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Nick 9:52AM (1/02/2007)
I must disagree - I think design is exactly what the domestic companies are messing up - especially in the luxury niche! Lincoln is outsold by BMW, Audi, etc - the german designs are much nicer and worth the extra money. If lincoln produces a car like this, it might actually be a vehicle worth purchasing over its german counterparts, given the interior is of high quality and not the typical lincoln interior where they cover cheap ford interiors with low quality false leather.
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Steven T. 11:39AM (1/02/2007)
Might it be that suicide doors were more problematic because the rear wheel well intrudes so far into the passenger compartment, thereby requiring more complex hinges than from the B-pillar?
Even if that were the case, the lack of suicide doors is unfortunate, because those are such an iconic feature. If Lincoln is going to invest the money in a halo car, why not go all the way?
Is this another instance where Ford's notorious bean counters were penny-wise and pound foolish?
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digi 10:27AM (1/02/2007)
Design? Are you kidding?! The domestics suck at designing cars. They are just now starting to get it right, at least on the outside. Just look at the Chevy line up of cars: Malibu, Cobalt, Aveo. C'mon. I could go on for days about the last generation of Pontiacs....
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che culattone 10:35AM (1/02/2007)
that's my whole point. their design has been piss poor for years, so they think that by putting out cutting edge concepts, they'll win back their customer base. they don't understand that honda and toyota are doing well not because of design (i honestly can't think of one current honda/acura or toyota/lexus that i would EVER want to be seen in) but because of their reputations for quality and reliability.
learn how to make good cars first. then, when you've won your customers back, keep them by investing in aggressive design.
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Don 10:55AM (1/02/2007)
Design gets the car noticed on the lot and certain number of sales. Reliability (real and percieved) and utility make a car a hit.
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John P. 11:00AM (1/02/2007)
Well, The Ford Fusion is at/near the top of quality surveys this year, right behing Lexus and ahead of Toyota and Honda but to me, the design isn't quite bold enough for my tastes. It's not an ugly car by any means. infact, the interior looks way better than the toyotas I've driven recently.
I just think they have to push it further. The first Taurus was a cutting edge design and sold for that reason I believe. They did Aero when the Euros and Japanese were still making square boxes and it sold.
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John P. 11:04AM (1/02/2007)
Don, you are correct about design, I might add that the taurus got them in the door with design, but Ford ruined it by not refining the quality every year, just beating it until it was a dead horse.
A complete shame if you ask me.
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peter franzoni 10:25PM (1/02/2007)
My take on no suicide doors is that this car will be based on the Fusion/Zepher, hense conventional doors. Check out the greenhouse, it is very similiar to the above twins. They will change the front and rear of the car to suggest the concept.
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Alain 11:29AM (1/02/2007)
"Che" I suggest you take a trip to a Lexus dealer... then come back and tell me that you would never EVER want to be seen in one. Try it again with Acura as well I am sure they have a car or two that would get your attention. If you don't find any, then you obviously would not buy a car from them no matter how reliable they are... what I'm trying to say is that design matters just as much as reliability and you just proved it.
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Nellydesign 11:37AM (1/02/2007)
The American companies are producing better quality cars. Quality really is right up there near the top with the Fusion as far as Fords go. No it's not an entirely fresh design but it's just different and handsome enough to win new customers. What it proves is that an American company can produce a car with high quality and reliability. The problem is that the PERCEPTION from the public is that Japanese cars are ALWAYS superior. So basically if you produce a car with the same boring looks as the Japanese you will get no sales because people will invariably buy the one with better "percieved" quality since the design is pretty much even. The goal with American design is to produce something more exciting that has that "gotta have it" factor to overcome a misplaced perception of lower reliability and quality. Then when they actually OWN the car and realize that it DOES have a high level of quality, they become converted and tell their friends, thus changing the public perception.
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The other Bob 11:59AM (1/02/2007)
I have to respectfully disagree with Che on this one-
I think design is where the battle is at. GM and Ford have invested billions in their plants to improve quality, reliability and productivity. I know I may start a flame war here, but this investment has led to huge reliability gains, especially for GM, which really is number 2 in reliability now, behind Toyota products.
I think the failure in GM and Ford has been in trying to chase Toyota and Honda in what they do best. They make great appliances with excellent reputations. You cannot out Maytag the Maytag. Why buy a G6 that has little design excitement when someone can buy another Accord? Even if the reliability is there in the G6, why should a Honda fan risk it? Ford and GM need to excel at what they CAN do best, which is to draw on their heritage and make great designs (no, not just retro, but draw on heritage like BMW does).
People do not believe that GM is catching on reliability and quality, even though multiple sources say this has happened. By making great design, people will perceive it as quality and reliable. This leads me to another point. I think quality means different things to different people. I think quality means reliable to the general public, but it means good materials and nice fit and finish to the automotive press. Once the press starts talking quality based on good interiors and design, the public will see it as more reliable. Once they are drawn in with a good deign, the reliability gains GM and Ford has made will keep them.
As far as the suicide doors go, I don’t think they are that practical. I have them on my truck. While is does improve access, they are not that accessible in a parking lot situation where you can’t get to the opening if both doors are open.
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Shotter 11:59AM (1/02/2007)
I think Nellydesign (#11) and Brian Mita (#2) have it perfectly right. The reality is it takes years to change perceptions. Just ask Hyundai. Except I don't think the American car companies can afford to do what Hyundai did, which is sell decent cars at rock bottom prices while gradually improving design and quality, then price (the upcoming Equus from Hyundai is gonna sticker above 30K, imagine that!).
It's not rocket science. People wisely or not love hot designs. The Altima was a good example. Here's another: think about how many people you knew who wanted to be seen in a late model Caddy pre the new CTS designs. For all the name and heritage, the 02 Mustang looks like a turd next to the current model. Design a HOT, gotta-have-it car, or else people will never find out how reliable it is. There's no brand loyalty without that initial sale.
oh, and this car is definitely HOT!
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Wyce 12:05PM (1/02/2007)
It's not design. It's not reliability. It's having what the other guy lacks. When the Japanese came over, the domestics lacked rock-solid reliability (outside of their pickup trucks, I guess). What Toyota and Honda (until recently) lack now is bold design. That's what worked for Nissan. That's what will work for the domestics. Look at what the 300 did for Chrysler.
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American Cars suck 12:20PM (1/02/2007)
Yeah, design is all good and stuff but it won't last if the cars aren't reliable. American car companies have yet to shake the "unreliable" stigma they have. New cars with new designs typically have 1st year problems. American car companies have to be hyper diligent in making sure these cars roll off the lines without any major defects. A big recall on a new car is catastrophic for a company that has had a history of design problems.
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che culattone 12:30PM (1/02/2007)
I agree on the point that design is important. of course it is! and i agree, look what the 300 did for teh chrysler WHEN IT CAME OUT. but what is it doing now? not much! people bought it because it looked cool at first. but when you spend 30Gs on a 300, only to sit in it and see that there's fake leather and cheap plastic all over the dash, you realise that you definitely won't get another one in 5 years.
i agree with the person who said the interior is an important mark of quality/reliability for the masses who don't know any better. and i'm happy to see that this lincoln seems to have a pretty amazing interior.
and alain, i have been in lexus dealerships (never in acura, i consider it a second rate luxury car) and no, i would NEVER buy ANY lexus model (and ESPECIALLY NEVER an acura, which are basically rebadged hondas selling for 30% more). their design is PISS-POOR. but the reason i wouldn't buy it is because i am a car enthusiast (as i suspect everyone here is), and the soul of a car matters to me when i select it. I am particular to german cars, not american cars, but i'd rather see and american caddy with soul take over from an acura or a lexus which has no pizazz to it than my whirlpool dishwasher.
and the proof is in the pudding (to me at least) that design is not as important as the perception of quality/reliability...look at all teh schmucks driving those god-ugly corollas, civis, camrys and accords. ugh, it makes me sick every time i see one, which, unfortunately, is way too often
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bcx 12:53PM (1/02/2007)
How about they actually make the production cars look like their wonderful concept cars? I think it's getting better but in previous years GM and Ford have always come up with beautiful concepts and then when we see the production version it's as bland as any rental car.
Then again, maybe it's psychological.. them showing us how good it could have looked and then shooting us with a dose of reality. I don't recall seeing a Camry concept or Accord concept... they just showed up one day with the production version. No teasing, no disappointment.
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Daniel 12:53PM (1/02/2007)
I suspect that the MKR does not have "Suicide Doors" because that are not as safe as standard doors and they reduce the structural integrity of the car because of the poor geometry of the center section. With regular doors you have a nice structural support pillar at the center of the car's side and this also improves side crash protection.
That said - this car, the Lincoln MKR, is the most beautiful car I have ever seen.
FoMoCo - I am first in line with my checkbook in hand. Please build it ASAP.
Although I would prefer an all aluminum DOHC 5.0 4 valve "Cammer" instead of an overworked V6.
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