Autoblog

Autoblog talks design with Ford Design Director Peter Horbury.

Ford has seen its ups and downs when it comes to vehicle styling, but with immense competition around the world and in North America specifically, design disasters will hurt an automaker now more than ever before. Ford design director Peter Horbury leads Ford's North American design, so responsibility for both beauties and beasts will rest firmly on his English shoulders. We had the opportunity to spend some time with Horbury and learn more about his plans for both Ford and Lincoln, and as usual the eloquent designer didn't disappoint. Hit play on the video above to hear what Horbury had to say about future European Fords in the U.S., global design, and the future of Ford interiors.

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Not that they ever left, but Lincoln's not going to pull what Cadillac tried in the '90s, switching its entire lineup to FF chassis. Derrick Kuzak, Ford's Lutz, has intimated to Car & Driver that rear wheel drive remains part of Lincoln's plans, and that there's a new FR car under development. While the big news at Lincoln lately is the MKS, that car's fan base will likely not know what stringbacks are.

Last year's hotness, the MKR, was based on modified Mustang underpinnings, so perhaps that's what's coming. Or, Ford could be looking at the new global RWD platform that's being developed in Australia, though that seems unlikely. It would be expensive to build a car in Oz and shipping would add another layer of expense, too. The MKS is a good start for Ford's plan of more Lincoln sales volume. It's nice looking, the EcoBoost motor will shove you back into the seat, and even the unboosted 3.5 is a great match for the chassis. For all that, the MKS probably won't have what it takes to sway drivers with enthusiast desires, but such a car could definitely slot nicely in the lineup.

Thanks for the tip, Zac!

[Source: Car & Driver]

The 2007 LA Auto Show has come and passed, and the show acted as a North American catch-up for all the world-wide unveilings from Frankfurt in September. We saw the production F430 Scuderia, the Reventon, the Up!, and many other vehicles that first caught the public eye in Germany two months earlier. LA had its share of world debuts, like the all-new Sequoia, the Nissan Murano, and the Lincoln MKS. We looked over all the world debuts and came up with a video of our top five new introductions of the 2007 LA Auto show. We tried to figure into our decision both industry significance and enthusiast impact. Click play on the video above to check out where the new vehicles ranked, and hit the jump to chime in with your list as well.

click above image to view new high-res live shots of the 2009 Lincoln MKS

With the momentum of 13 straight months of increased sales, the latest Lincoln bid to keep that trend going is the launch of the 2009 Lincoln MKS. The full-sized sedan will be initially launched with FWD, but will offer AWD as a cost option (and a turbo gas engine with direct injection), and will start at $37,985. That price, Mark Fields was sure to tell us, is $5,000 less than a Cadillac STS V6. Even fully optioned, the MKS won't touch $50,000, which puts it at $5,000 under a similarly-equipped Lexus GS350 and Acura RL. Check the 'value' box, then, will you?

Designed by Peter Horbury (ex of Volvo), the car has "jewel-like headlamps, well proportioned athleticism," stainless steel accents, and a host of other design cliches. However, it also has some novel design touches. And it's got the only 20-inch wheels as standard in its class. The overall shape of the car looks good from the side -- and it's even better if you're a fan of stainless steel accents (it is a Lincoln, after all) -- and we are terrifically happy to see a car make it from concept to showroom with a standard set of wheel-well-filling rims. The rear end genuinely interests us, with Euro-Asian cues and a raked rear window that truncates the trunk profile making us think (forgive us) Sebring Done Right.

Follow the jump for more, including video of the live reveal in LA.

UPDATE 2: Video of MKS in motion added after the jump
UPDATE: Many more high-res pics added to gallery

click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Lincoln MKS

For the past two decades, the only thing consistent about Ford's Lincoln division has been its inconsistency. To put it lightly, the brand has struggled to find it's place in the automotive landscape. The vehicles from Ford's premium domestic division haven't had a coherent look since the early '80s. Several of its models, such as the LS and the Navigator, have sold well at times, but the absence of a Lincoln DNA hasn't helped. In 2006, North American Design chief Peter Horbury set about changing all that. He gave his team the task of examining past Lincolns to determine what set them apart.

The first new model intended to set Lincoln on it's path to rebirth is the 2009 MKS, which is making its debut in production form at the LA Auto Show later today. The MKS first appeared as a concept at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. It's based on the same platform as the Ford 500/Taurus, which originated at Volvo under the S80/XC90. When the concept first appeared it was reasonably well received as a pleasant if not daring design for the marque. Subsequently, Horbury's team began its quest for the soul of Lincoln and came up with a list of seven elements that would be part of future Lincoln designs. Most of these appeared on the 2007 MKR concept that we saw in Detroit. While most of the MKS was already locked in for production, after the show Ford management made the decision to adopt one of most prominent elements from the new MKR concept, its grille.

[Source: Lincoln]

click above image to view more new pics of the 2009 Lincoln MKS

The 2009 Lincoln MKS will make its official debut at the LA Auto Show in mid-November, but this luxury sedan-turned-Hollywood actor has already been spotted on the set of the new Batman movie in Chicago once before. A sharp-eyed reader, however, has caught the car in the middle of filming again, whether for the movie or for a commercial we don't know, and has graciously shared his snaps with us.

A bit clearer than the last on-set images of the MKS we showed you, these pics reveal in clear detail Lincoln's new big sedan. The design appears extremely clean and sharp. Up front is the split-wing grille that promises to soon become a familiar design cue across the entire Lincoln line. The side of the car is very smooth with an indent near the bottom that's highlighted with a chrome strip. Check out the size of the rear window opening, however, which seems pretty small to us. The rear end, meanwhile, has a look that will take us some time to get used to, but doesn't necessarily detract from what we see as a very slick overall design.

Thanks to Jason A. for the pics!

UPDATE: Turns out we were tipped on the MKS spy shots, as well. Thanks to Jarrett A. for sending in the pics!


A friend who's friends with our friends over at Jalopnik sent in spy shots of the new Lincoln MKS while it was on set apparently making a cameo appearance in the new Batman movie. These shots don't get any clearer, with the front fascia, back end and everything in between fully exposed for the gawking.

The front end is significantly toned-down from the concept version that made its debut earlier in the year, but it still holds onto many of the elements that made the MKR a success. Out back, it is a bit bland, but it's clean and elegant – exactly what we'd expect from Lincoln.

The MKS is set to be unveiled sometime next year, with sales likely to begin in the latter half of '08.

Click image for a gallery of other MKS spy photos

Michigan-based reader Alan Adilman spotted something on his daily drive this week that caught his eye, and he thoughtfully snapped the pic you see above and sent it our way. Alan was unsure of what the disguised prototype was, but we're able to clear that up. It's the 2009 Lincoln MKS, which, if we had to guess, will bow in January at the Detroit Auto Show. When Ford reveals the car, expect to see Lincoln's new winged grille up front, as well as a TwinForce V6 in the top-end model's engine bay. Both were previewed on the 2007 MKR concept. Until the big day, however, it will continue skulking about Michigan looking like a Taurus wearing a couple of really extreme bras.

You can check out the other spy pics we've picked up along the way, as well as shots of the original concept in the galleries below. Thanks for the new photo, Alan!

At Ford's 2008 model year introduction event, group vice president for global product development Derek Kuzak mentioned that the same Twin-Force technology the Blue Oval unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show in the MKR concept will soon be available on production models. Even better, Kuzak says the twin boost will result in fuel efficiency on par with comparably sized diesels. Ford has more powertrain plans, too, as the folks from Dearborn, MI usher in the best of 2003 with a manual-mode "Power Shift" automatic transmission, and multiple displacement V8s.

Ford has been playing catch-up in the competitive powertrain department for years, and these new technologies will go a long way toward Ford leveling the playing field. The Twin-Force technology in particular seems very exciting, with high horsepower and above average fuel economy promised. We'll believe the diesel-like fuel economy claim when we see it, though, since diesels come with turbochargers too, and oil burners are just more efficient than gasoline powertrains.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

click above image to view more spy pics of the 2009 Lincoln MKS

The spy photographers from KGP have been scoping out Lincoln MKS prototypes for a while, but this is the first time they've gotten close enough to get a clear view of the interior. The first thing we noticed is that the production interior retains many of the shapes, lines and styling cues from the interior of the Lincoln MKS Concept that debuted at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. The center channel speaker atop the dash, the four large air vents, the metal trim accenting the sides of the center console are all examples of what Lincoln designers decided to port over directly from the concept. Whereas the concept's dash was awash entirely in buttery soft beige and brown leather, the production interior adds a wood accent bar that spans the width of the dashboard and is repeated on the steering wheel (and likely the door trim). It appears that the top of the production MKS dash, however, will still be covered in leather, as stitching is clearly visible in these spy shots. The center console, however, is devoid of any expressive styling, instead relying on the corporate parts bin to fill the space allotted with buttons and dials. Overall we agree with KGP's assessment that while tasteful and pleasant, the interior of the Lincoln MKS sedan will have a difficult time measuring up to the new standard set by the 2008 Cadillac CTS.

Check out the gallery below for high-res spy shots of the 2009 Lincoln MKS interior, as well as more spy shots of the luxury sedan's exterior.

[Photos: KGP Photography]