Lincoln Continental: Next Presidential Limousine?
Ahead of the 2015 New York International Auto Show, Ford’s Mark Fields showed off the Lincoln Continental Concept. Like the Ford GT Concept in Detroit, the new Lincoln Continental will enter production next year. So far we like what we see.
Under the hood is a new, exclusive for Lincoln, 3.0L EcoBoost engine. Not much is known about it, other than it should make more power than the 2.7L currently available in the likes of the Ford F-150 or Ford Edge, but probably not as much as in the Taurus SHO or Platinum series F-150s.
CHECK OUT: All-New Lincoln Continental Concept Looks Good
The big sedan also features LED headlights, with little Lincoln logos in them, and they’re assisted by lasers for the high beams. Being a global car, the lasers will probably see production in Japan and Europe. But don’t expect them here unless the government certifies them in the meantime.
It’s luxurious, it’s big, and it’s going global. But the purpose of this article is to appeal to the United States Secret Service to make the new Lincoln Continental the next presidential limousine.
General Motors has had all of the fun as of late, especially with The Beast. It’s basically a diesel-powered tank with a Cadillac crest, but it’s also the symbol of power and leadership around the globe.
The new Continental brings back a name plate that was made by presidents. The Lincoln Continental, in convertible guise, was used by past Presidents of the United States until the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.
After that point, limousines used by the President were covered in some way or form.
Interesting fun fact: the Lincoln Continental on display at The Henry Ford in Dearborn is the exact same car that JFK was shot in. At the time, the Secret Service didn’t have the money or time to construct a new vehicle, so they modified the current one that was then used by later presidents.
That fateful day solidified the Continental name into the pages of history, during a time when big Lincolns were all the rage.
Now, Lincoln is attempting a bit of a modern renaissance to help save the brand. Even though the MKZ is a bit of a dressed-up Fusion clone, the MKC truly stepped out from just being an expensive Escape into a truly good vehicle in its own right, worthy of a separate Lincoln badge.
The media hasn’t had a chance to drive the MKX yet, but we’re hoping that the trend of differentiating themselves from the Ford lineup continues with that one.
https://youtu.be/YhMe60gIIwI
We expect the Continental to be unlike any modern Ford that we’ve driven, especially with the exclusive engine. Making features, powertrains, and bodies exclusive to Lincoln will help differentiate the brands more than ever.
But to really solidify the coolness of the new Lincoln Continental full-sized luxury sedan, they need to stretch it out, hand it over to the United States Secret Service, slap some American flags (and body armor) on it, and make it the next Presidential Limousine.
What do you think? Let us know in the forums!
