Fake... but sounds plausible.

[Buntz]

2012 Lincoln Continental

After a prolonged, industry-wide decline in new car sales, the market appears to be recovering, with most brands reporting year-over-year improvements. Ford has enjoyed its own part of this success with its core brand, but Lincoln continues to slide.

Notably, every Lincoln sold today is a rebranded, luxed-up version of a less-expensive Ford — precisely the position Mercury was in, when it died. With Ford working to improve its interior quality, most customers rarely find the Fords lacking, or that a Lincoln’s chrome and wood justify premiums up to $10k.

To survive, Lincoln needed to offer products that were truly distinct from any Ford vehicle, while still taking advantage of the auto giant’s economies of scale. That meant at least some sharing of drivetrain and other components. To compete with the big names in the luxury sedan market — including domestic rival Cadillac — rear-wheel drive would be preferred.

The unlikely savior was the venerable Mustang platform, for which an independent rear suspension was once developed, and then abandoned as cost-prohibitive. For Lincoln duty, the IRS is back, and this configuration will be adapted to a range of new Lincoln vehicles.

Abandoning the MK-based naming system it currently uses, Lincoln will return to time-honored real words for its cars. The first will be its flagship, the 2012 Continental, with V8 and turbo V6 engines available, a wheelbase of 115 inches and magnetorheological shocks at all four corners.

A new platform means a new body style; rather than plastering brightwork on a plain Ford shape to feign class, this Lincoln will enjoy bold, clean lines with LED lights front and back, an upright windshield and sloping backlight, and a much narrower and more understated interpretation of Lincoln’s waterfall grille up front.

The new Continental will be a hybrid, but don’t expect to see a badge; Lincoln says that all future vehicles will utilize regenerative braking in some manner, and that it intends to be ahead of the curve by equipping its entire lineup with electric energy storage and retrieval.

This means that the 350-horsepower 3.5L Ecoboost V6 or 400-hp 5.0L V8 will be powering the rear wheels only, while motors inboard of the front wheels capture energy when braking and return it when necessary for traction. A 6-speed automatic transmission will be standard, with an 8-speed expected to become available within a year of launch.

Rather than Continentals being stocked at dealerships, each will be made to order for a specific customer, so the options for personalization will be wide open. Standard equipment in the base Ecoboost model — expected to start at around $47k — will include leather seating, navigation with Ford’s voice- and touch-screen-operated control and connectivity system, and seating for five.

The 5.0 is a standalone option, so the full range of other availables, such as ‘executive’ rear bucket seats, can be had with either model. Lincoln is touting its “American Craftsman” interior packages, with specially-chosen, domestically-sourced woods and leathers installed by hand.

As for cost, each will be different, and Lincoln suggested that it would be limited only by the customer’s means and imagination. The company expects this model may sell in small numbers for now, but that it is essential to revitalize the brand; that is, it’s worth building the Continental not because people will buy it, but because they will want it.

This 'Fake' article was posted on the site on March 10, 2011.

And while it's posted in 'Fake Car News' it does have some points to it that sounds like Ford. And Ford I believe have officially mentioned how they what to differentiate the brand from a Ford with more wood and chrome.

But I'm sure the most appealing part is the RWD, IRS platform. Which was developed for Mustang... with influence from Falcon.

[TURBOTAXI]

I think all the maybe nots (me included) are hoping.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by TURBOTAXI

I think all the maybe nots (me included) are hoping.

According to the pole. That makes three of us.