Lincoln executives will give no details, but they promise that Ford's luxury division will produce a "flagship sedan" within the next two to 2-1/2 years. Insiders tell us that the Lincoln LS sedan chassis is the starting point for the new car. That means rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine. This flagship will sell at a price above the Town Car, and will compete directly with imports such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus LS 430 and the new STS that Cadillac is preparing for 2006.

Lincoln executives will give no details, but they promise that Ford's luxury division will produce a "flagship sedan" within the next two to 2-1/2 years. Insiders tell us that the Lincoln LS sedan chassis is the starting point for the new car. That means rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine. This flagship will sell at a price above the Town Car, and will compete directly with imports such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus LS 430 and the new STS that Cadillac is preparing for 2006.

They're calling a smaller LS-type Lincoln the "flagship?" I find that strange. Isn't a flagship usually the full-size, most luxurious car in a line up? For example, Bonneville is Pontiac's flagship. Park Ave. Ultra is Buicks, etc. Usually the largest. I wonder if this LS will try to compete with the likes of the supercar CTS-V? They can try. :hmm:

Unless they are going to terminate the TC. :confused:

Just because it is based on the LS platform doesn't mean it will be a small car.
For example, the CTS, STS, and SRX all share he same platform, yet are all very different sizes.

Of course, the LS is already about the size of a BMW 5 series, so maybe it will be just the next generation of that car.

Lincoln executives will give no details, but they promise that Ford's luxury division will produce a "flagship sedan" within the next two to 2-1/2 years. Insiders tell us that the Lincoln LS sedan chassis is the starting point for the new car. That means rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine. This flagship will sell at a price above the Town Car, and will compete directly with imports such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Lexus LS 430 and the new STS that Cadillac is preparing for 2006.
but 5 series and teh e class arent flagships either.

If it's looking to compete with the Lexus LS, it's possible that it can be the top-model without being the largest. But, can't it be as big as the Town Car on the LS platform? Is it impossible?

Desire to do something and ability to do something are two wholly different things

I agree, the LS platform/architecture whatever (DEW98), is pretty adaptable, and I dont see any reason why they cant produce a world-class sedan off of it if they play their cards right, im already pretty impressed with the LS/S-Type as it is, and thats coming from a purist who isnt too happy about the Ford-ized Jag, so Id say from this news, and some of their autoshow candy they can certainly pull some punches.

I agree, the LS platform/architecture whatever (DEW98), is pretty adaptable, and I dont see any reason why they cant produce a world-class sedan off of it if they play their cards right, im already pretty impressed with the LS/S-Type as it is, and thats coming from a purist who isnt too happy about the Ford-ized Jag, so Id say from this news, and some of their autoshow candy they can certainly pull some punches.

Do you remember where Jaguar was going before the Fordization of the Co. :D

Do you remember where Jaguar was going before the Fordization of the Co. :D

Hey I say let em' go out with dignity man! If they cant hold it together thats their fault, but if you come in and rescue em' with a product line that honestly is only about 40 percent true Jag per vehicle then its sort like holding up a house with a wooden foundation, I mean theyre still alive, but theyre a semblance of what they used to be. Im not saying its a bad thing, the S-Type R is downright awesome, but the X-Type is a Taurus looking joke, and it shows where things start to get out of hand, you cant just "force feed" a pseudo-budget engineered vehicle in the bottom end of an inherently luxury automakers lineup which has a longstanding history, and just "hope" for the best without beginning to change the key dynamics of the brand altogether (bringing it down?). In this case, the XJ is the last of the real Jags, and the X-Type only exists because competition was sorely needed for the C-Class, CTS, and 3 Series, and you know what, you can TELL thats the only reason it exists. Dont just stick a cheap vehicle in there because you dont have something to compete. To me thats just like a form of disrespect to those who helped build the brand. The S-Type could have been boosted in several key areas and given a broader range of options and cost to eliminate the need for the X-type altogether. Cross your fingers, the Jag SUV (who knows, itll probably be based on a Volvo) is suredly not far from fruitfulness (and Jags engine just got nipped for the upcoming RangeStormer too) :rolleyes:

I can honestly say though, if Ford somehow SVT-ed the Lincoln LS V8 (but please Ford dont put SVT badges on my Lincolns!), id probably take it hands down over the S-Type R any day, the performance aspect is the only reason I like the Jag side of DEW98 anymore than Lincoln, I have a pretty high respect for Lincolns, just not nearly as much as Cadillac, but thats what I love about cars. From one year to the next, they could shake things up completely and that might change. ;)
(Cue Bachman Turner Overdrive's You Aint Seen Nothin Yet!)

I like all of the new Jaguars. In some of them you can see Ford in them but you get what you pay for and they aren't going to spend a lot of money making a car completely different. Jaguar had problems because no-one was buying them. You hardly ever saw them around here and the Jaguar dealer went out of business twice. I think I read that some guy with money was the one who re opened it because he didn't want to drive a couple hours to another city just to get his car fixed. Now it's a Harley dealer and one of the Ford dealers has a section just for the Jaguars.

I don't like the LS too much. They're going to have to do a lot of work on it to make it into a flagship. Either that or make the other Lincolns crappier to bring them down to the LS level. Maybe they're just going to stretch it to give it that long look.

the x type is a joke...but jaguars in general (XJ and XKR) are absoultyl gorgeous cars nothing quite like a british automobile. i agree not many peopel buy them and i dont kno why. but all i ever see is peopel with x types. i hate the x type. next thing u kno bentley is gonna have some cheap as car. but i dont kno something about jags i just love. i would take a jag over a lexus ANYDAY.

the x type is a joke...but jaguars in general (XJ and XKR) are absoultyl gorgeous cars nothing quite like a british automobile. i agree not many peopel buy them and i dont kno why. but all i ever see is peopel with x types. i hate the x type. next thing u kno bentley is gonna have some cheap as car. but i dont kno something about jags i just love. i would take a jag over a lexus ANYDAY.

I agree, I like Jags but that X-type :rolleyes: I sat in one at the showroom, and if you are over 5' 11", forget it! You bang your head on the overhead center thingy (no, not the mirror) while you reach for the radio, or glovebox. The rear seat room is practically nil. On the other hand, I guess it is the entry level and they are targeting the younger buyers our age with it. I love all that veneer in the cockpit. I also think it's neat how they are using fiber optics to eliminate the need for hundreds of wires and connectors. Are there any other cars that make use of fiber optics? That's probably a stupid question. Are they still using the same engine for most of the line, namely that 390 hp supercharged 4.2 L? I'll take an XKR coupe in British Racing Green please. :bouncy: Has anyone test drove one of these?

All this talk of making the LS the "flagship" still doesn't sit with me. It's like calling the CTS the Cadillac "flagship" which I'm assuming is still the Deville since the Fleetwood doesn't exist anymore.

the x type is a european ford monedo reworked to be jaggish , slap a urnal grille on a ford and you get a jag , pretty sad ..

tho i hear the new xj is pretty damned sweet and is pretty much exclusive to jag

i miss the days of the inline six , that was one sweet engine as long as it got proper manintenace

as for lincoln , id say a wider track and longer wheelbase will yeild a car thats about the same size as the new sts , dew98 lends itself to this stuff easy , like most unibodys ...look at it now , we have a solid axel version of dew98 in the stang and a stellar handleing jag s type r , where else can you get this kind of versatility ...outside gm sigma and epsilon

the x type is a european ford monedo reworked to be jaggish , slap a urnal grille on a ford and you get a jag , pretty sad ..

tho i hear the new xj is pretty damned sweet and is pretty much exclusive to jag

i miss the days of the inline six , that was one sweet engine as long as it got proper manintenace

as for lincoln , id say a wider track and longer wheelbase will yeild a car thats about the same size as the new sts , dew98 lends itself to this stuff easy , like most unibodys ...look at it now , we have a solid axel version of dew98 in the stang and a stellar handleing jag s type r , where else can you get this kind of versatility ...outside gm sigma and epsilon

Everytime I see an S-Type, I think of the toilet seat grille. :helpless:

Everytime I see an S-Type, I think of the toilet seat grille. :helpless:


This should totally gross you out then Ralph, The Kia Amanti ! Korea's attempt at copying the high class automakers :hmm:

This should totally gross you out then Ralph, The Kia Amanti ! Korea's attempt at copying the high class automakers :hmm:

:histeric: That grille isn't too bad, but it looks like the headlights are stolen right off a Benz E or S class? I think it's the Sonata, that to me looks like they tried to copy the look of a current Deville. I mean the headlights are a dead ringer!

Those Korean copycats. :tisk: They are trying to win us over first by appearance, not quality. Hyndai is supposed to have got a lot better quality wise, but Kia, I wouldn't touch it.

Yea Hyundai is very respectable now, I wouldnt dawg em too much. The Deville theft award goes to the Hyundai XG350L (ESPECIALLY the tail light cluster), it does have projectors in the front tho... Kia is (if you can believe it) almost like a lower end arm of Hyundai and is wholly owned by Hyundai (this is why they share the 10yr 100k warranty), and the Amanti and XG350L actually share an extended Sonata platform, and I believe the 3.5L Hyundai V6. The Kia Sorento is a dead ringer for the prior Lexus RX300 too, but its gotten high marks for initial quality and comfort. The current little Sonata is one of my favorite cars under 20k right now fully loaded. Looks almost like a baby Jag, but not TOO much.

My mom has a 2000 Elantra that has been less problematic (counted as 2 i think), and just about as solid, as EVERY single vehicle ive owned. This wouldnt be so surprising, except shes already been in two accidents and doesnt treat it very well.

Yea Hyundai is very respectable now, I wouldnt dawg em too much. The Deville theft award goes to the Hyundai XG350L (ESPECIALLY the tail light cluster), it does have projectors in the front tho... Kia is (if you can believe it) almost like a lower end arm of Hyundai and is wholly owned by Hyundai (this is why they share the 10yr 100k warranty), and the Amanti and XG350L actually share an extended Sonata platform, and I believe the 3.5L Hyundai V6. The Kia Sorento is a dead ringer for the prior Lexus RX300 too, but its gotten high marks for initial quality and comfort. The current little Sonata is one of my favorite cars under 20k right now fully loaded. Looks almost like a baby Jag, but not TOO much.

My mom has a 2000 Elantra that has been less problematic (counted as 2 i think), and just about as solid, as EVERY single vehicle ive owned. This wouldnt be so surprising, except shes already been in two accidents and doesnt treat it very well.

Kia's lousy quality rating (JD Power) could only hurt Hyundai's reputation IMO. I can't get excited about either of them I'm afraid. :helpless:

I know what Jaguar should do, make the X-Type the Flagship, then I could finally afford one of those XJ's! :p I'm sorry, I think you can only stretch a smaller platform so far, and the TC should remain the official flagship. To me it always will be until they make a bigger car than the Town Car. What's the point of stretching the LS to a larger size, then you lose would-be profits from entry-level buyers?