07 Jan 07
The American car industry's navel-gazing approach to design has produced mixed results, with two Chrysler PT Cruisers for every winner like the latest Ford Mustang. But the new Lincoln MKR concept is a very welcome arrival.
It's the work of a team led by British-born Peter Horbury, Ford's executive director of design for the Americas. It's a glass-roofed four-door coupe that, like the Ford Interceptor concept, has some Mustang in its genes. The engine is a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6, claimed to have six-cylinder economy but the power characteristics of an eight. It can run on E85 biofuel.
Unveiling the car at the Detroit Motor Show, Horbury highlighted the sporting stance and profile, and classic Lincoln elements including the twin-wing grille, the rising beltline and the thin rear lights. He said the interior was about 'guilt-free luxury' with the carpeting made from renewable mohair.
Horbury added: 'The elegant rear falls away like the train of an evening gown.' Right... To us it looked like a very neat mix of BMW 7-Series at the front and Alfa GT at the back.
