You're looking at Lincoln's new design direction, although prospects for such a new Mark coupe are terrible, says Ford Motor Co. Design Chief J Mays. The MK 9 will set the style for Lincoln sedans, beginning with the '04 or '05 LS. The coupe is "thoroughly modern, contemporary, unique and distinctive, unmistakably American," says Lincoln's British-born design chief, Gerry McGovern.
That translates into a big, chrome-vertical bar grille and thin, vertical headlamps, plus a subtle, thin chrome strip that runs the length of the shoulder line. It's a big coupe, a whopping 207.1 in. long and built on a stretched DEW (LS, Thunderbird) platform. Front fenders have functional air vents, built into a stainless-steel ring frame that Lincoln says traces the sill and door aperture for added structural integrity. The big, cushy maroon and brown seats are designed after Eames chairs. The 10-spoke wheels are 22 in. in diameter.
The MK 9 represents a bigger, bolder, and slightly less retro look for Lincoln than previewed in our June "Sketchpad" car, which will debut at Detroit in 2002. But the grille in our drawing is very close to a grille for an alternative MK 9 design. With Cadillac and Lincoln both planning distinctive design directions, we're in for some interesting Motor Trend King of the Hill contests.