(from Ford Press Release) "The
focus with Mark X was on pure, integrated design. Our holistic exterior
and interior design approach instantly shows its rewards…"
– Marek Reichman, Chief Designer
Mark X’s sumptuous interior and
integrated exterior design theme embody future Lincoln luxury.
Mark X is Lincoln’s first convertible
with a power-folding, retractable, glass-roofed hard top.
The forward-looking design aspirations of Lincoln vehicles in the 21st
century are expressed by the Mark X, Lincoln’s first two-door
convertible concept with a power-folding, retractable, glass-roofed
hard top.
Mark X, pronounced "Mark Ten," is a
two-seat luxury convertible roadster that blends design elegance with
driving athleticism. The use of rich materials, varying textures and
contrasting colors represents an evolution of the current Lincoln design
philosophy.
Throughout its history, Lincoln has used the Mark name to signal a truly
special vehicle. It began with Edsel Ford’s first Continental, the Mark
I. Next followed the 1956 Continental Mark II, which quickly became a
classic because of its high quality, clean styling and consumate good
taste.
The 1969 Mark III went on to sell more than 30,000 units, making it at
the time, Lincoln’s most successful new model ever. Other Mark vehicles
were introduced in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
The Mark X concept is designed to demonstrate the potential of the
Lincoln brand by stretching its DNA to a sophisticated roadster. While a
concept at this point, Mark X illustrates one possibility for expanding
Lincoln into new luxury niches.
"The focus with Mark X was on pure, integrated design," said Marek
Reichman, chief designer. "Our holistic exterior and interior design
approach instantly shows its rewards, competing against the best
personal luxury convertibles in the world."
Based on the rear-wheel-drive Ford Thunderbird architecture, Mark X
features a 3.9-liter, 4-valve DOHC V-8 aluminum engine mated to a
five-speed automatic transmission delivering 280 horsepower and 286
foot-pounds of torque. Its athletic stance is accomplished through
19-inch, 12-spoke machined aluminum wheels with P245/40/R19 Michelin
tires on the front and wider P275/35/R19 tires in the rear.
Clean Surface Design
Mark X’s surface language is a model of
precision engineering. Emphasis was placed on integrating design into
the functional aspects of the car from the expansive grille to the
innovative door handles to the sleek rear fascia. The result is an
uncluttered exterior where essential details like the delicate contrast
of Atlantic Pearl paint, chrome accents and well-placed Lincoln emblems
are subtle, yet drape the vehicle in elegance.
The focal point of Mark X’s exterior is a new Lincoln grille. The
polished aluminum egg-crate grille features a rhythmic pattern of solid
horizontal and vertical chrome trim. Mark X’s grille may appear on
future Lincoln vehicles.
Two High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps use an arc capsule to
generate a faster response and produce double the amount of light
compared to a conventional headlamp.
Mark X’s sleek 185-inch profile is accentuated through the refined use
of a chrome finisher along the upper shoulder line that wraps the entire
vehicle and a subtle shoulder break that runs front to rear. Understated
breaks also appear on the rear deck and hood while heated exterior rear
view mirrors with directional indicators are elongated for visual
emphasis.
Occupants access Mark X using slender polished aluminum door handles
that are flush-mounted to the driver and passenger door surface. Thumb
locators set in the door handles allow the handles to reveal themselves
when pushed. Both doors can also be opened by remote keyless entry.
To ease ingress and egress, one-piece hinges on the inside driver and
passenger doors move the doors forward and out to give increased foot
clearance at the front compared with conventional hinges.
Mark X’s boattail rear fascia offers pure and clean surfaces without
typical bumper offsets. The wide, Light Emitting Diode (LED) tail lamps
center the Lincoln emblem. The LEDs light up 200 milliseconds faster
than traditional bulbs, consume less power and outlast more conventional
lighting sources. Consistent with the vehicle’s integrated design theme,
the dual exhaust pipes are neatly placed into Mark X’s sloping rear.
At nearly 15 cubic feet, Mark X’s leather-lined trunk is spacious. The
fully powered two-piece glass roof is choreographed to stow smartly into
the rear deck in less than 30 seconds without interfering with trunk
space.
Inviting and Indulgent
Interior
Mark X’s high-quality interior showcases
Ford Motor Company’s tripling of investment in interior design.
The interior workmanship of Mark X is flawlessly crafted. The right
combination of contrasting colors and textured materials presents a
modern and luxurious cabin. Mark X’s Lime Sorbet interior is
complemented with White Corian accents, polished aluminum, dark chrome,
natural grain leather seating, plush sheepskin flooring and tailored
tone-on-tone stitching throughout.
The instrument panel integrates a softly illuminated, jewel-like
instrument cluster that combines analog with digital technology. A solid
flowing center console constructed of ribbed dark chrome separates
driver and passenger, unites the interior with the exterior and conceals
a storage unit in the rear bulk head. A laser-inscribed "Lincoln Mark X"
vanity plate above the glove box suggests an air of luxury.
A four-spoke, power adjustable steering wheel wrapped with leather and
dark chrome features cruise, volume and navigation controls. Mark X’s
SelectShift transmission allows the driver to shift from manual drive to
a five-speed automatic from the steering wheel or shifter in the center
console.
A multi-functional, 7-inch LCD information panel is operated by a mouse
located in the center console and displays satellite navigation, climate
control status and vehicle dynamics like seat memory or tire pressure.
Occupants further benefit from Mark X amenities like rain-sensing
windshield wipers, an automatic dimming interior rear view mirror and
Lincoln’s exclusive THX®-certified audio system with six speakers,
automatic mute control and automatic volume adjust. Dual zone climate
control with pollen filtration allows a 30-degree F difference in
temperature settings for the driver and passenger.