Ford Steals An Eventful Detroit Auto Show

In a world where it is becoming next to impossible to keep a good secret, most brands have given up trying and often reveal their auto show gems as early as a month ahead of schedule. With that in mind the power of a true surprise has grown exponentially, especially if that surprise is a poster worthy supercar. The Acura NSX was supposed to be the supercar star of the NAIAS but then the Ford GT concept happened. There have been rumors of a GT resurgence and but nothing could quite prepare for a supercar more than worthy of an exotic badge. It's the Asterion that Lamborghini wished it could have debuted in Paris. The fact that the first shots of the GT came directly from the floor made this reveal that more exciting. Aside from the simple Lotus Evoraesque interior and a poor take on a racing steering wheel, the GT looks to challenge the very best much like the original GT40 did in the 1960s and a decade ago. Bucking most trends again Ford quotes as on sale date of 2016. The GT also gives credence that Chevy will finally make a mid engine "Corvette" after all those years. Following the no teaser route Ford rounded out its tremendous Monday with a worthy second generation Ford Raptor powered by a preview of the GT's EcoBoost and topped it all of with a track special Mustang GT350R complete with carbon fiber wheels from the factory. Likely a first for a car you can pronounce or hope to see. The only demerit was Ford's lack of actual horsepower numbers but others (Acura, Toyota) are just as guilty.

 

Lincoln MKZ: A Design Dilemma

Thanks to some Friday afternoon traffic I ended up following a brand new Lincoln MKZ for quite some time giving a perfect opportunity to study its design. When the Lincoln MKZ first debuted I was intrigued by its unique design, especially at the back. A couple of years later the MKZ is still one of the most unique designs for under 40k. Considering that the MKZ hasn't had a serious sales breakout perhaps unique really means polarizing instead. The sharp edges and strong surfacing around the rear fender and trunk area are still amazing design elements. A thin single tail light spans the entire width and hidden tail pipes round out a rear view that has a lot going on. The thick C pillar as well gives the MKZ a strong if slightly heavy look. Up front the design is simpler with a restrained Lincoln grille that does little to hint at the design at the back. Overall, the MKZ is an incredibly interesting design that each time I see I struggle to make up my mind if it's a winner or a loser. The rear end design is so strong but there isn't much design flow from the front to the back. It's a car that I would like to see more often on the road but not necessarily a car that I would want to drive on my own and it appears that I am not the only one with such an impression.



One of the most unique looks

The side profile is the weakest view

The simpler front end clashes with the rear

2013 Lincoln MKZ Is Styled

With the latest Ford Fusion receiving unanimous praise for bringing high end styling to the mainstream sedan category, the upscale Lincoln MKZ sibling had big shoes to fill. The MKZ designers certainly dreamt big with the latest version resulting in a bold yet possibly polarizing design. Upfront small headlights are part of a restrained horizontal grille that is a step forward from recent baleen whale Lincoln designs. However, the new MKZ looks the best from the 3/4 angle rear as a thin full width LED bar  serves as the taillight while a compact trunk and a thick C-pillar gives the sedan great visual appeal. The rear fender design is excellent.  From the side the sedan has a set back design with a large rear window giving the impression of a hatchback such as the last generation Mazda 6 offered.

Smaller horizontal grille is a great improvement over recent Lincolns

From the profile the area around the C-pillar is a bit awkward

But the rear 3/4 design is excellent, the rear fender shape is amazing

Full width LED bar serves as the taillight

The large retractable glass roof is large

The interior is a huge upgrade over the current MKZ but looks much like the Fusion

Looking at Luxury Brands Selling Prices

There is always a lot of talk about which luxury brand is the best, which luxury brand sells the most, and which brands even deserve to be called luxury altogether. To clear up some of these questions let's take a look at the average selling prices of the biggest eleven brands that claim to sell luxury cars in the United States. While the manufacturers do not release their average transaction prices in the way that they do with overall sales figures here is our best attempt to see who gets the most for their cars on average. At the top is Mercedes-Benz with an average asking price of around 55,000 per vehicle. Mercedes has by far the most models available for sale in the 75,000+ range. Second is BMW which is able to average a little over 50,000 per every vehicle sold. BMW falls behind Mercedes by offering fewer models over 100,000. Up third is Cadillac that benefits greatly by moving a significant amount of its pricey Escalades every month. Following Cadillac is Audi that sells its models for comparable prices as Mercedes and BMW but moves fewer A6 models compared to the competition. Up next is Infiniti that charges around 45,000 on average followed closely by Lexus that loses ground because of a significant amount of ES sales. Lincoln is able to average a little over 40,000 thanks to Town Car and Navigator sales. Right around the 40,000 dollar cutoff Acura suffers by not having a true flagship sedan or having a coupe or convertible version of the TSX. Opening up the premium category Volvo lacks serious firepower without a V8 in its lineup. Second to last Buick is a great example of selling vehicles at a premium but not luxury prices. Bringing up the rear is Chrysler with a majority of its sales comprised by the 200 and the Town&Country minivan.

*The data represented below is an attempt to find out the average selling prices of the luxury brands based on their product mix. The figures are averaged based on sales, thus a brand selling more flagship sedans versus entry level models has a higher average price than a brand selling mostly entry level models. Because of lack of sales figures BMW's M lineup and Mercedes's AMG models were not factored in, thus those brands likely have slightly higher transaction prices than indicated here.

What Mercury's Demise Means

The wait is over, Ford announced today that Mercury production will halt in the fourth quarter of this year. Of course, Ford has its glass half-full saying that shutting down Mercury is only an opportunity to improve as a company. The first few paragraphs make it clear.

"Ford Motor Company will expand and enhance its Lincoln brand lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years as part of an aggressive growth plan focused on standout product design, class-leading technology and new powertrains – all aimed at competing with Cadillac and Lexus in North America.

Ford also will end production of Mercury vehicles in the fourth quarter of this year to fully devote its financial, product development, production and marketing, sales and service resources toward further growing its core Ford brand while enhancing the Lincoln brand."

Nevertheless, the demise of Mercury does show that today's automotive consumer demands more than ever before. As a brand Mercury cars were slightly fancied up and rebadged versions of everyday mainstream Fords. This no longer works, see General Motors for further evidence.

This is not to say that consumer's aren't willing to pay more for a premium version of mainstream cars. In fact, Ford's focus on the Lincoln brand shows that quality "badge engineering" is the future. The Lincoln lineup is completely based on Ford products, yet they look different inside and out. Even Lincoln's closest competition in Cadillac and Lexus (according to Ford) features a lineup that relies heavily on modified platforms of mainstream cars.

In this sense Ford's emphasis on significantly increased emphasis on the Lincoln brand will be paramount. Ford is going to have to prove to the public that there is a significant difference between a Ford and a Lincoln for the brand to survive and not follow Mercury's fate. Based on the quality products coming out of Ford for the past year, it looks like Lincoln is poised to regain some of its former glory in the coming years.



The MKX is an appealing product, but is it too similar to its Ford counterpart to be considered luxury?