Lincoln Wants 2015 Mustang Components for RWD Sedan, Could Be a Study In Ford’s Brand Discipline

With development of the all-new 2015 Mustang well underway, the car’s component set—or more precisely, part of its component set—has activated interest in a rear-wheel-drive platform to underpin a Lincoln sedan.

We’ve learned that Ford is contemplating a new four-door platform using the next Mustang’s MacPherson front and new independent rear suspension (spy photos of the new rear setup here) as its basis, along with some of the pony car’s larger underbody stampings. With the manufacturer time and again stating its commitment to the wayward Lincoln brand, moving forward with rear-drive plans would allow the blue oval to back up its words with something of substance. Indeed, key folks in Lincoln’s planning and design departments are on the prowl for rear-drive products that can go head-to-head with Cadillac and other serious luxury makes. There are three possibilities, as outlined below.

A Series of Vacuums in the Lineup

Compared to key competitors Cadillac and Lexus, the current Lincoln range shows a number of empty spaces. The most obvious missing product is an entry-level luxury performance sedan, a segment contested by Cadillac with the new ATS and by Lexus with the IS. There are those within Ford who believe that the 2013 MKZ with its optional AWD is a player in this segment; these may be the same people who thought the Ford SVT Contour was a BMW 3-series competitor. Make no mistake, while the MKZ is well-positioned enough to go mano a mano with the soft Lexus ES, it lacks the street cred to play in the same sandbox with the 3-series, ATS, Infiniti G, Audi A4, or Mercedes-Benz C-class.

The next void in Lincoln’s offerings isn’t so much a hole as it is a misaligned product: the MKS sedan. Essentially a re-skinned Taurus with a snazzier interior, the MKS has never found footing in a segment populated by harder-running cars such as the Cadillac CTS, BMW 5-series, Lexus GS, Infiniti M, and Mercedes E-class. In 2011, Lincoln sold just 12,217 examples of the MKS. For comparison, Cadillac moved more than 55,000 CTS models during the same period—it was the second-highest seller among its competition. Although station wagons and coupes factor into the CTS totals, it’s nevertheless true that Lincoln sold just 22 percent of what Cadillac did in this profitable segment. While it wouldn’t guarantee success—execution would key that metric—a rear-wheel-drive entry from Lincoln might allow the brand to close the gap. On paper, the current MKS looks to be better positioned to challenge Cadillac’s XTS anyway, and a new RWD mid-sizer would free the MKS up to serve as the cushy techno-cruiser it really wants to be.

2015 Ford Mustang independent rear suspension

The third and most obvious hole in the Lincoln range calls for a brand-defining large car. With only two sedans in Lincoln’s rudderless lineup, a vehicle like this may be even more important for the brand than it is for Cadillac. Unfortunately, this would be a hefty stretch for the Mustang chassis and underbody components being evaluated by Ford. While the engines, gearboxes, differential, and rear-suspension geometry could be poached from the 2015 Mustang, a car with the proper dimensions (think 16 feet long, or more) would force significant reengineering and retooling of many of the sports car’s components.

If the new RWD sedan underpinnings are approved, of these three cars, the smart money has Ford going with the CTS/5-series competitor. Still, even with a green light, there still will be some significant drivetrain work to be done.

Complications: One Technical, the Other Managerial

Looking at the mid-luxury-sedan landscape, pretty much every product offers optional all-wheel drive (with the ironic exception of the Ford-planned and -developed Jaguar XF, although it will add the tech in the next couple of years). Packaging and engineering an AWD system for the Mustang-derived architecture will be a big upfront challenge to getting the model approved. History has shown that luxury sedans become virtually salesproof throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and in the Rockies from November through April if they don’t offer all-wheel drive. This makes development of AWD a gilt-edged priority.

Even if such a model is approved, rides on rear-drive bones, and offers all-wheel drive, perhaps the biggest roadblock to a Lincoln performance sedan is the blue oval itself. The Ford brand is a sponge when it comes to product, and, if such a vehicle is approved, the Ford executives will want a version, citing immediate volume realization and commensurate quick economic payoff. But despite those things, and regardless of how well a Ford version might take the fight to the upcoming Chevrolet SS sedan, it is essential that the product be Lincoln’s and Lincoln’s alone.

With initially low sales volumes and relatively high variable cost to produce the Lincoln performance luxury sedan, it likely will take two product generations to see meaningful returns. If Ford isn’t willing to wait the decade it’s going to take to revitalize Lincoln the right way, it should probably just fold its luxury brand now and save itself the inevitable “death of a thousand cuts” fate that awaits any carmaker that expects to redeem a brand in 60 months on the cheap.

Nissan Juke-R

Question: When is a Nissan GT-R not a Nissan GT-R? Answer: When it’s a fat-fendered piece of lunacy with the face of a Nissan Juke. In other words, when it’s a Nissan Juke-R.

There are currently two Juke-Rs in existence: one is left-hand drive, the other right-hand drive. Both are powered by a modified version of the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-6 found in the 2011 Nissan GT-R. Both were commissioned by Nissan Europe and built by British motorsports house RML Group. Nissan’s Japanese brass reportedly didn’t know the cars were being assembled until the first construction videos found their way to the internet. Some 2.3 million YouTube views and a scant 22 weeks later, the world was gifted a 485-hp, two-ton, 5.2-foot-tall monster. Forum fanboys pissed themselves.

Allow us to blow your mind: Nissan claims the Juke-R will bolt to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds.

Allow us to blow your mind again: We have reason to believe that figure is pessimistic.

It takes no small amount of wrench pimpery to stuff a GT-R’s powertrain into a crossover the size of a bento box. The rear seats are gone, replaced by an FIA-compliant roll cage. Gone, too, are the Juke’s original floor, firewall (a new one lives 3.9 inches to the rear), and headliner. The V-6 supports both air conditioning and power steering; and save for a shortened driveshaft, much of what’s here are showroom-ready Godzilla bits. The wheelbase, the length, and the height are shared with theordinary Juke, but composite fender flares cover 20-inch wheels, stiffer springs and dampers, and the GT-R’s wider track. The whole mess looksAnimal Planet deadly, like a ’roided-up gibbon or psychotic puffer fish. (Fugu-R?) It is glorious.

We flew to Dubai to drive this beast. After five Nissan-policed, stability-controlled laps around the 2.7-mile Dubai Autodrome, the silly-metaphor well ran dry. Nitrous-powered bar stool? Sure. Chrysler Building with a Saturn 5 suppository? Why not? Loony doesn’t even begin to describe it.

The chassis is neat, much like the Manhattan Project was neat. Who knew science could make such violence? There’s grinding understeer under throttle in slow corners, neutral drifts in fast ones, impossible grip, body roll out the wazoo. Go deep into the surprisingly soft brake pedal, the back end hops around. High-speed turn-in is abrupt enough to make your coccyx itch. Crosswinds, sneezes, and butterfly wing flaps in China make the Juke’s tall body twitch and bob. Still, it’s fast, predictable, and remarkably approachable. Nissan claims the top speed is a drag-limited 160 mph, which is 31 mph lower than that of the GT-R, a vehicle that is not shaped like mobile teratoma.

Nissan says the Juke-R’s suspension is set up for street use, but we weren’t allowed off the track, so that’s anyone’s guess. It also says, amazingly, that a production R is under consideration—rumor has it several sheiks tried to buy the cars brought to the Middle East, but sheiks will buy anything. No matter. Much like Dubai, the Juke-R is a tangible fantasy, a fancy confection whipped up from thin air and dreams. It exists because it’s awesome, and that’s good enough for us.

2014 BMW 3-series / 328i Sports Wagon

When BMW swapped in the chubby 5-series GT for the 5-series wagon in its U.S. lineup, aficionados of the 3-series wagon (including us) began fretting that their beloved carryall would be yanked from our market, too. Fortunately, the 5-series GT has failed to move the needle at all with traditional wagon buyers, and BMW didn’t want to completely abandon its slice of annual station-wagon sales in the U.S. (about 10,000 to 15,000 units per year). So it lives. Hallelujah.

The 2014 Touring, as the Germans call it when they’re not using its F31 internal code, adopts all the changes from the new F30 3-series sedan. (It’s sold here as the 3-series Sports Wagon.) Despite what we’d previously been told, the only model making the transatlantic trip will be the 328i, motivated by BMW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four coupled exclusively to an excellent eight-speed ZF automatic. (That means no 300-hp 335i, no diesel, and no manual.) Buyers again will have the ability to choose between rear- and all-wheel drive.

Wagon a More Roomy Tail

Following the example of the F30 sedan, the new wagon is longer than the last model; the stretch here is 3.4 inches, two of which have been added to the wheelbase. The extra length adds 0.7 inch of rear kneeroom and bumps luggage capacity with the rear seats folded by 4.0 cubic feet to 64.9.

The lift-over height into the cargo area is lower than on the preceding car, and the liftgate opening is several inches wider for easier loading. The hatch is now power operated, and the rear window once again can be opened independently of the sheetmetal. BMW offers the hands-free ability to open the hatch by waving your foot under the bumper, provided the proximity key is with you. This is a feature we’ve seen on European Passat wagons and the latest Ford Escape.

There are a couple of storage compartments under the trunk floor. The forward one has some deep wells, and the rearmost one can hold the roll-up luggage cover when you need it out of the way for taller cargo.

Overall, the new model looks a bit sleeker, thanks to the increased length and a beltline that rises more sharply than before. Inside, the wagon looks just like the latest sedan. It has all of that model’s new features, such as the engine stop-start system; an “eco pro” driving mode; electrically boosted steering; and Sport, Modern, Luxury, and M Sport trim options. The list includes an available head-up display and an automatic parking system.

Drive One, and You’ve Driven Them Both

The 2014 wagon drives much like the sedan, feeling poised and balanced overall. The steering is a little light and lacking in feel, but it is accurate. Torsional stiffness is said to be up by 10 percent, and the wagon certainly felt solid and was particularly quiet, which is not easy to achieve when the cabin is so large and extends over the rear axle.

The turbocharged four pulls strongly, and we estimate a 0-to-60-mph time of about six seconds, or 0.3 to 0.4 second slower than a 328i sedan. Even in throttle-dulling eco-pro mode, the transmission is always willing to find the right gear quickly, according to the demands of your right foot. The stop-start system stays out of the driver’s way in operation, but you definitely know when the engine turns on and off. Engine noise and vibration at idle and during startup will have to be reduced by an order of magnitude before these systems become transparent.

The new Sports Wagon will go into production next spring and arrive here shortly afterward. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but if we apply the sedan-to-wagon increase from the prior generation to the new one, we’d expect a base price of about $40,000 for the rear-drive wagon and a two-grand premium for all-wheel drive. For fans of station wagons, the fact that a new five-door 3-series is here at all is good news. That it looks great and drives competently might be considered bonuses. 

2014 Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype

In its present form, Porsche’s upcoming hybrid supercar, the 918 Spyder, looks more like something out of Doc Brown’s imagination than the flashy concept that stunned the crowds at the 2010 Geneva auto show. Its body, such as it is, consists of a collection of  ill-fitting chopped-up 911 pieces bolted to a carbon-fiber tub bristling with snorkels, fat bundles of wires, and what appears to be a Zero Halliburton aluminum suitcase.

We’re at the Nardo high-speed test track in southern Italy to get a taste of this rolling science project. As we enter the mule through a flat-black 911 door, we see the ignition key to the left of the steering wheel, just as in nearly every other Porsche. This is about the only thing familiar about the 918 Spyder. When the key is turned, the car remains quiet. There’s no snorting or crackling coming from the exhaust, as you might expect from a super sports car. There is only a gentle buzz from behind the seats. The hybrid-powered 918 Spyder starts moving under electric propulsion.

A 107-hp electric motor drives the 918 Spyder’s front wheels, up to 16 mph. This makes the 918 Spyder the first front-drive sports car in Porsche history. Sort of. Say you want to go a little faster in this nearly million-dollar targa. That’s when a second electric motor, mounted behind the driver, kicks in. This 121-hp machine is part of the main ­propulsion system that includes a 570-hp, 4.6-liter V-8.  As with other Porsche hybrids, this centrally located power unit works as a parallel hybrid driving the rear wheels.

Hard to see here, but you are looking almost directly down the top-mounted exhaust pipes. Hope you didn’t actually want to see the engine.

The rear electric motor kicks in without interruption as the front motor gets decoupled and goes asleep. The rear electric motor powers the now rear-drive two-seater up to 93 mph. In electric mode, acceleration is sufficient but not breathtaking. According to project leader Frank Walliser, the 918’s electric range is 16 miles. It seemed easy to maintain this mode as long as the throttle wasn't depressed to the kickdown point. At that point, the V-8 fired, adding its considerable thrust to the electric motor’s torque. The transition from e-mode to combustion mode is amazingly smooth, especially for a vehicle with more than a year of additional development work remaining.

Both electric motors are powered by a 6.8-kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack mounted between the seats and the V-8. Because the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid, the batteries can be charged with 240-volt household electricity in about four hours or with a higher voltage system in a couple of hours. An AC-to-DC converter located near the battery pack is fed by a power socket built into the passenger’s-side B-pillar.

Predictably, the 918 Spyder will use regenerative braking to stretch its electric range. Porsche says this system is three times more powerful than those the company uses in its other hybrids. The two electric motors decelerate the 918 up to 0.50 g versus 0.15 g in a Panamera hybrid. Naturally, the 918 Spyder also can be slowed with its carbon-ceramic brakes.

The road to the future is littered with wires and black boxes. Try as we might, we were unable to locate the flux capacitor.

As in the Panamera hybrid, there’s no regeneration until the driver hits the brake pedal. Lifting off of the throttle only allows the car to coast, or, in Porsche parlance, to “sail.” The harder the driver pushes the brake pedal, though, the more electrical energy is generated.

But we’re more interested in the right pedal. And when it's kicked hard enough to fire the V-8, the 918 Spyder is transformed from an advanced tram into a serious race car. As a result of two special design features, the mid-mounted V-8’s voice has an extraordinarily aggressive timbre. “Our target is to emulate the sound we know from the Carrera GT’s V-10,” says Walliser. The exhaust manifolds sit between the two cylinder banks in a “hot-V” configuration, with collector pipes running over the top of the engine just behind the occupants’ heads. This reminds us of historic racers such as the 1965 Indy 500–winning Lotus-Ford with its high-mounted double-barrel exhaust.

The mule’s hot-V arrangement is a departure from the 918 concept’s, on which the exhaust outlets poked out the sides of the car just ahead of the rear wheels. For all its racy coolness, the new configuration—which the Germans call “heisse Seite innen,” or “hot on the inside”—is mainly here to keep the battery pack from overheating. This exhaust routing concentrates more heat between the cylinder banks, leaving the flanks and the bottom of the engine near the battery pack relatively cool.

Porsche developed the 4.6-liter, dry-sump V-8 engine exclusively for the 918 Spyder from the 3.4-liter V-8 that powered the company’s RS Spyder Le Mans prototype racer. Thanks to titanium connecting rods, plastic oil pumps, and a thin-walled crankcase, it’s extremely light. Porsche has eliminated belt drives by powering all accessories electrically.  Another departure from normal practice is the use of a flat, 180-degree crankshaft instead of the more common 90-degree design. What this sacrifices in smoothness, it more than makes up in high-rpm volumetric (breathing) efficiency. With a power peak of 9000 rpm, the 918’s engine certainly revs

Volvo S60 Polestar Concept

Volvo’s relationship with its racing partner Polestar has inched ever closer in recent years, and that’s a good thing—especially if this new S60 Polestar concept is anything to go by. Last year, Polestar introduced a series of output-boosting tuning kits for Volvo’s turbocharged inline-five and inline-six-cylinder engines—neat, but the S60 Polestar raises the bar several notches. The concept is a total, wheels-up performance overhaul of Volvo’s S60 mid-size sedan, and did we mention it has 508 hp? We know you’re excited.

Not an M5—More Like a Volvo MS60

Before outlining the myriad of changes Polestar made to the Volvo S60, allow us to lay some staggering performance estimates on you. Polestar claims the S60 concept can rocket from zero to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds on its way to a terminal velocity of more than 186 mph. (The 2013 BMW M5, for you skewed-comparison junkies, can sprint to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and is electronically limited to 155 mph.) We don’t really doubt Polestar’s figures, mostly because of the numbers the outfit furnished for the concept’s turbocharged inline-six engine: 508 hp, 424 lb-ft of torque, and a redline of 7100 rpm.

Polestar modified the six’s cylinder head, connecting rods, and intake manifold; it bolted on a Garrett turbocharger and a Ferrita 3.5-inch-diameter exhaust system. The folks at Polestar must be Save the Manuals! fans, because the S60 concept gets a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission in place of the regular S60’s automatic. Power is routed through the manual to a modified Haldex all-wheel-drive system with an electronic limited-slip rear differential.

The Polestar concept’s numbers are impressive, given Volvo’s not-quite-meek history of churning out swift Swedish sedans. For example, the current Volvo S60 R-Design—until now the burliest S60 iteration—makes a relatively healthy 325 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, can run from zero to 60 in 5.3 seconds, and is electronically governed to a top speed of 134 mph. Or look to the first-generation S60, which served as the basis for the funky S60 R. We could even go way, way back and hit up the 1990s to remember the boxy 850 T-5R.

Blue Streak

History lesson aside, let’s get back to the S60 Polestar. The concept sits 1.2 inches lower than stock, and the suspension features Öhlins adjustable dampers, modified control arms, stiffer subframe and control-arm bushings, and beefier anti-roll bars front and rear. The S60 concept’s track was widened by 0.8 inch up front and 1.6 inches in the rear. To reduce lift at speed, Polestar widened the body by 0.8 inch and fitted a new front splitter, a larger rear spoiler, and a carbon-fiber diffuser.

Given that the S60 concept can achieve some dizzying speeds, Polestar gave it a major brake upgrade. Up front there are giant brake rotors measuring 15 inches in diameter that are squeezed by six-piston Brembo calipers. Out back, Polestar installed 11.9-inch rotors with its own calipers. Those big stoppers are visible behind the S60 concept’s awesome dark gray 19-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, the car gets Alcantara on the seats, steering wheel, and shift knob. Outside, the cool wheels contrast nicely with Polestar’s signature bright blue paint.

For now, the S60 Polestar is merely a “concept,” and apparently it was built for one lucky customer. The good news is that Volvo and Polestar are closely following public reaction to the monster S60, and the duo may put a limited number of cars into production. Whether or not that means we could see the S60 Polestar in the U.S. is a different story, but hopefully one that ends with the car making it here. We certainly count ourselves amongst the, uh, vast number of enthusiasts who would like to sample an M5-challenging Volvo. View Photo Gallery

2014 Mercedes-Benz MLC

WHAT IT IS: A redesigned ML with a very low roofline and a few design cues from the CLS. It will have a big rear hatch and folding back seats. The MLC’s low greenhouse corresponds to the body’s diminished ground clearance. 

WHY IT MATTERS: Following the unexpected global success of the BMW X6, Mercedes would like to profit from the trend toward “SUV coupes” in Asia, the Middle East, and North America. It’s an expression of  Dieter Zetsche’s desire to make the brand cooler. 

PLATFORM: Based on the new ML’s, but about 200 pounds lighter. It will get the ML’s suspension with the next-gen GL’s air springs. An off-road package will not be available. 

POWERTRAIN: The MLC will offer a choice of two engines: a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 making roughly 335 horsepower and a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 with 518 horses (550 with the AMG Performance package). We doubt there’ll be a diesel engine, as the MLC will have limited appeal in Europe. 

COMPETITION: BMW X6, Infiniti FX. 

WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG: Because of growing competition in the SUV-coupe arena, Mercedes might not sell as many MLCs as expected: The segment’s only good for about 60,000 cars worldwide right now. If China comes up with new regulations against monster SUVs for megacities, sales would crumble there. 

ESTIMATED ARRIVAL AND PRICE: Summer 2014. Prices should be about $6000 higher than an equivalent ML. 

Any Car without a Service History

In this age of computerized record keeping, a car without a comprehensive service history is simply a car that hasn’t been serviced. It doesn’t matter if the guy selling it swears he always changed the oil himself; you have to assume that what’s currently in the crankcase has been coagulating in there since the early Pleistocene.

Of course, exceptions might be made for classics, but the truth is that, since the introduction of computerized ignitions and engine-control modules, an ever-increasing number of repairs have been creeping beyond the realm of home-mechanic care. Look for a long service history in any used car, with most of the servicing done by the same mechanic or dealership over time. There are simply too many good used cars out there with such a background to settle for anything less.

Caution: If a car doesn’t have a service history, look for signs that it spontaneously assembled itself after a strong wind blew through a junkyard.