Lincoln LS: Lincoln’s rear-wheel-drive sports sedan

The Lincoln LS is a mid-size luxury car built for the 2000–2006 model years, with production starting in June 1999. It was Lincoln’s first rear-wheel-drive sport luxury sedan and shared its platform with the Jaguar S-Type and the eleventh-generation Ford Thunderbird.

Lincoln LS at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the LS.

History of the Lincoln LS

The LS was developed while Lincoln was part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group and was a deliberate break from the front-wheel-drive and full-size cars the brand was known for. Lincoln planned to sell it as the LS6 and LS8, the names reflecting the cylinder counts, but Toyota’s Lexus division objected that LS was too close to its own flagship, and only the name LS was used. The LS was designed with a plain, functional look to compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz while still being recognisable as a Lincoln beside the Town Car, Continental and Navigator.

Under the skin was the Ford DEW98 platform, shared with the Jaguar S-Type, with double-wishbone suspension at both ends on a 2,910 mm wheelbase. The bonnet, boot lid, front wings and many suspension parts were aluminium, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes were standard and AdvanceTrac traction control was optional. The base engine was an all-aluminium 3.0-litre V6 related to the Jaguar AJ-V6, and the option was a 3.9-litre V8 derived from Jaguar’s AJ-26, both on premium fuel. Cars came with 16-inch alloys as standard and 17-inch wheels in the optional sport package, and the battery sat in the spare-wheel well in the boot.

The automatic was Ford’s 5R55S five-speed with SelectShift manual shifting, while a Getrag 221 five-speed manual was offered on V6 cars with the sport package; only 2,331 were built before Lincoln dropped it. The 2000–2002 automatics were programmed to pull away in second gear unless the throttle was pressed more than 60 per cent, a trick to meet fuel economy rules that was dropped for 2003. The LSE package of 2002 brought round fog-lamp openings, a metallic grille, a larger lower body kit, special wheels and twin dual exhausts, and every one of the 1,500 built was a Limited Special Edition.

The LS received a facelift for 2003 with optional HID headlamps, a revised boot lid and tail lamps, and more power and torque from both engines; the V6 gained variable intake cam timing, improved intake runners and drive-by-wire throttle. Production ended at Wixom on 3 April 2006, when the plant was idled as part of Ford’s The Way Forward plan. About 262,900 cars had been built, and the LS left Lincoln without a rear-wheel-drive sedan until the tenth-generation Continental arrived in 2017.

Design and features

• Rear-wheel drive: a first for a Lincoln sport sedan, with a near 50/50 weight split.
• Jaguar engineering: the DEW98 platform and V6 and V8 engines shared with the S-Type.
• Manual option: a Getrag five-speed was available on V6 cars, though only 2,331 were made.
• Aluminium body parts: bonnet, boot lid and front wings were aluminium.
• Sport package: stiffer suspension, 17-inch wheels and manual shifting for $1,000.

Lincoln LS versions

• V6 (2000–2006): the base car with the 3.0-litre engine.
• V8 (2000–2006): the 3.9-litre engine, automatic only.
• Sport package: stiffer suspension, 17-inch wheels and a manual gearbox option on the V6.
• LSE (2002): Limited Special Edition with unique bodywork, grille and exhausts.
• 2003 facelift: revised lights and boot lid with more powerful engines.

The LS was the sporty alternative to the Lincoln Town Car and the Lincoln Continental, and its place in the range was later taken by the Lincoln MKS. More Lincolns are in the Lincoln collection.

Video: Lincoln LS Flowmaster Exhaust – Startup, Rev, 0-60 MPH, & Burnout

Video by the uploader on YouTube.

Sources

• Lincoln LS, English Wikipedia: development, engines, trims, production