Lincoln MKZ's retractable roof caught in action

The buzz around the 2013 Lincoln MKZ has centered around two questions: what will it look like and what will its retractable roof look like. Even though its expected unveiling at the New York Auto Show is a few weeks away, we still have little info on its looks, although the Detroit concept clearly telegraphed what we should expect. We have got our first impression of how the sliding roof looks in action, though.

It's been compared to the sliding roof on the Porsche 911 Targa (and we hear that Lincoln is using the same supplier, Webasto), but whereas the Porsche's roof panel slides underneath the rear glass, the MKZ has external tracks along the roofline that enable its glass toupee to rise and slide aft.

Our spy photogs say that although this roof is only retracted to a halfway position (probably due to the opaque camo that would eliminate all rear vision on the prototype), the real deal will slide all the way back.

Another rumor suggests there may be a system to create engine sounds through the car's speakers for a livelier cabin atmosphere.