This article on Autoweek.com sheds some light on some of the design considerations for the MKR that might lead to a business case for production. Maybe this is the first sign that Ford is getting out of "the business of building concept cars" (as BC_Shelby puts it) and into the business of building near-production ready concepts.

 

The fact that both concepts use a shared platform, production-conscious layouts, and near-production power plants (twinforce is basically a done deal, Interceptor's Cammer seems to be a placeholder for the BOSS), indicate to me that Ford's honestly trying to sell these two for production, and not just styling exercises.

 

I hope you're right.

 

I also hope you're right.

But I wish Ford would replace the word "could" with the word "will." There's always those tentative caveats in articles like the one you posted, as if they're still waffling on whether or not they want to be a REAL car company. Moreover, Mark Fields needs to stop talking the talk...and start walking the walk, IMHO.

The MKR looks essentially good to go in its concept form. Alter the headlights slightly to make them more practical...add real side mirrors...take the wheels down in size a touch (but not a lot)...get the INTERIOR RIGHT - and then engineer the bejesus out of this car so that it can go head-to-head with IS350s and cars of that ilk.

Cause as the last sentence in that article states >> ...this is their last chance. If they don't do it right now, I don't think they'll have a second chance.

I do like the fact that they are gathering inspiration directly from Lincolns of the past, like the car below >>

 

I heard that they have zero intention of building this, just a design study to transfer to their pos FWD cars they are building...

 

People "hear" all sorts of things...doesn't necessarily mean anything.

But IF there's any truth to that, then Ford is a "dead man walking".

 

Yes, but that's what I've heard from people in the know, I hope it's mis-information. I just don't have much faith left in Ford...

 

And that's a big part of their uphill battle.

They need to start actually building cars like the concepts they show, and stop just talking about them.

Apparently no-one sat Mark Fields and Bill Ford down when they were little to tell them the story of the boy who cried wolf. They've cried wolf so many times now, no one's listening anymore.

 

Who are these "people in the know"?

 

If you read the article I linked, there are plenty of references to the concept being designed with production feasibility and business case in mind. When's the last time you actually heard a Ford concept being discussed in those terms? I can't recall any in recent history.

 

The GT40 concept was less production ready than these 2 cars, and it got built. My fingers and toes are crossed.

 

And Lincoln needs a car like the MKR far more than Ford needed the GT.