Lincoln Mark VIII

Lincoln Mark VIII

The Lincoln Mark VIII is a large, rear-wheel drive grand touring luxury coupe built from 1993 to 1998. It was the successor of the Mark VII. The Mark VIII was built at Ford's Wixom, Michigan assembly plant and was based on the FN10 platform, a relative of the MN12 platform which underpinned the 1989-1997 Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar.

The Mark VIII was a larger car than its predecessor, the Mark VII, being about five inches longer at 207.3 inches and nearly four inches wider at 74.8 inches. The car also had a wheelbase of 113.0 inches (2,870 mm), over four inches (102 mm) longer than the Mark VII's, which afforded greater interior space and ride quality. In spite of its larger overall size, the Mark VIII's base curb weight was slightly lighter than the Mark VII at a little over 3,750 lb (1,700 kg).

Like the Mark VII, the Mark VIII featured a unibody construction with a high-strength roof capable of withstanding 5000 lbs of pressure, heavy-gauge steel door beams to protect against side impacts, front and rear crumple zones, dual front-side airbags and four-wheel antilock disc brakes. Like the similar Thunderbird and Cougar, the Mark VIII featured a short-long arm (SLA) four-wheel independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars and a standard computer-controlled air suspension with sensors to automatically lower the ride height at high speed, enhancing the car's aerodynamic efficiency. Powering the Mark VIII was an all-new, all-aluminum 4.6 L DOHC 32-valve V8. The engine was the first of its kind in Ford's Modular engine family. The 4.6 L V8 produced 280 hp (210 kW) @ 5500 rpm and 285 lb·ft (386 N·m) of torque @ 4500 rpm and required premium grade 91-octane fuel for optimum performance. Handling the V8's power was the 4R70W 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. The Mark VIII's rear axle ratio was 3.07:1. The Mark VIII also featured standard chrome dual exhaust tips and 16-inch cast aluminum wheels.

The Mark VIII features a 140-mph speedometer, an electronic message center (giving time, compass heading, fuel efficiency, engine oil life, and various other vehicle-related warnings and information), automatic climate control, cruise control, leather seating surfaces, six-way power driver and passenger seats with power lumbar supports, a two-position memory for the power driver's seat, power door locks, heated power mirrors, power windows with a driver's-side express-down feature, illuminated keyless entry with remote, automatic headlamps, an AM/FM stereo-cassette radio, and an automatic power antenna. Options included a power moonroof, electrochromic automatic dimming mirrors (which filtered out headlight glare from behind), an AM/FM stereo-CD player, a 10-disc CD changer, and a JBL speaker system.

For 1995, the Mark VIII received a slightly updated instrument panel along with a new radio design. Arriving midyear was a new LSC (Luxury Sport Coupe) model. A retuned version of the standard 4.6 L DOHC V8, now marketed under the name InTech regardless of model, with a true dual exhaust, produced 290 hp (220 kW) @ 5750 rpm and 295 lb·ft (400 N·m) of torque @ 4500 rpm. The Mark VIII LSC used the same 4R70W automatic transmission as the standard Mark VIII, but featured a more aggressive rear axle ratio of 3.27:1. The brochure for the 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC claims a zero to 60 mph acceleration time of 7.5 seconds. The LSC featured unique body colors, distinct rear decklid badging, perforated leather seat inserts, and floormats. The bright chrome inserts normally found in the body-side moulding and bumper on the Mark VIII were replaced with monochrome body color inserts on the LSC. The 1995 Mark VIII LSC also marked the first domestic use of HID headlights.

A Diamond Anniversary package was offered on the 1996 Mark VIII to commemorate Lincoln's 75th anniversary. It featured "Diamond Anniversary" badging, leather seats, voice-activated cellular phone, JBL audio system, auto electrochromatic dimming mirror with compass, and traction control.