Ugh. Wouldn’t it have been more cost-effective to stretch the Mustang’s platform?

I have to admit that it wouldn’t make much sense to offer a large RWD Ford. With the new Taurus and updated Fusion, it’d be hard to see where a large RWD sedan would fit, unless it went to a ‘67-71 T-Bird-type redux. The effort would be wasted if it just went to replacing the Crown Vic. If the Vic is filling a void for the fleet market, they wouldn’t make much on the RWD large sedan anyway.

Were Lincoln to get the platform, a new Mark IX would fit nicely in the line…along with a proper Town Car replacement.

Mercury would have benefitted the most, though, with replacing the Grand Marquis AND bringing over the AU Falcon as a Mercury, since the Sable will be gone now.

It’s bad news for enthusiasts, but it makes sense with the vehicle line they’ve got.

However, I think it’s a load of crock. They have Aussie RWD platforms, plus the Mustang’s basic structure. It couldn’t cost that much. Their new hybrid tech costed them a fortune.

Too bad thei didn’t build that KMR either. The MKS is too watered down stylistically from that.

The difference compared to BMW/MBenz/Cadillac is that all those manufacturers already have performance imbued into customers perceptions of their products…when people think of BMW, majority of people think “sport sedan, fast, etc.” that is definitely not true for the most part of Ford or Lincoln and unless they invest literally millions to billions of dollars on advertising and changing those perceptions on top of actually engineering a new RWD, sport-driven platform. It simply isn’t cost-effective for Ford (especially considering economic conditions) to pursue such an agenda when most of the global population has no desire for such a product.

Agreed that American car companies don’t care about diesel. Only the Germans seem to be forward thinking but that’s only because some 50% of their European sales are modern diesels due to guaranteed fuel economy advantages and gas versus diesel tax structure pervasive everywhere except the US and Canada. However, it’s all going to change once buyers realize how good modern diesels are – and then, once again, the American manufacturers will be behind the curve – not that they have a choice due to current market conditions.

WTF Ford?

Actually, I thought they already gave us this news.

But currently, now isn’t the greatest time for Ford to be going into too many ventures. (not that some would think they’ve gone on many lately) Let them recover, build up, then we might just be seeing these cars (or something like them) on the road.

Heh. It’s most likely not gone yet.

-eat your cereal

Of course, being a proponent of SERIAL hybrids (Parallels like the Prius are a sham), I would want to see that in FORD’s near future. Using a gas generator to run an electric motor. You can skip the batteries as a matter of cost and have a car with Mustang power and performance at roughly the same cost and get around 50mpg. You look at a Fisker and the Eliica and you say to yourself, “WHY ISN”T EVERYBODY DOING THIS?”

Ford really should not have canceled RWD however, Postponed it for a later time for sure. The Panther platforms are so decrepit and better cars, DODGE’s Charger police car and the CARBON MOTORS E7 Purpose-built Police car, are out or no the way. The Panther turned 30 last year. Even the Fox got retired over after 25 years. FORD needs something soon.

Like several have said so far, if Lincoln is to be taken seriously as a luxury mark, they need RWD. Whether it is turbo six or V8 and RWD/AWD or EV or SHV and RWD -like to see AWD with a SHV (Serial Hybrid Vehicle), it NEEDS to happen.

Not happy news but not unsurprising.

How deeply have they looked into this? When a BMW 325i gets nearly identical fuel economy to a US-market Focus ST (per EPA estimates, which a BMW has no trouble exceeding), fuel economy is not the only answer. I have to think it could be more to do with cost. It’s only barely more material, arranged differently, but rear-drive does add cost.

It reminds me of the big cost-cutting uproar at Chrysler over a rear-drive 300.

Actually, I don’t wonder at all.

I know it wont do mush, but it will be so-cool… Watch me get arrested, I’m sure some one will posted up on You Tube…

Not having a RWD platform will hurt them long term. Eventually we will have the fuel thing figured out and more people will be wanting large RWD sedans again. Business need to thing long term to stay ahead. That’s what Toyota has done and a major reason why they have been so successful.