Lincoln LS is luring younger buyers into showrooms

The Lincoln LS is not your grandmother's Lincoln, or your great-aunt's for that matter. My great-aunt had a 1963 Lincoln Continental. The rear doors were hinged at the back and opened backward, like a gangster's get-away car from an old James Cagney movie. The steering wheel was a large, skinny rim, bigger than a giant pizza pan, and the front seat was a long, flat affair that did not recline, and most definitely was not heated or cooled.

Compare that old, clunky Lincoln to today's modern Lincoln LS. Jimmy Cagney could have robbed twice as many banks and he never would have been caught if this hot rod sedan could have been his getaway car. It's got a 280-horsepower variable-cam V-8 engine under the hood, coupled to an electronic five-speed automatic transmission. The odd, skinny steering wheel has been replaced by a smaller, leather-wrapped wheel, festooned with push buttons and a hidden air bag and coupled to a variable-ratio, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system. And when the bullets were flying and the cops were hot and heavy on his trail, Cagney would have been cool as ever, thanks to his Lincoln's automatic climate control and perforated-leather cooled and heated seats.

Lincoln and archrivals Cadillac and Chrysler are the only American luxury nameplates left, thanks to unrelenting competition from Japan and Europe. But even that statement is not entirely correct, because Ford Motor Company, Lincoln's parent, now owns the Jaguar and Volvo brands, and Chrysler is owned by the German giant, Mercedes-Benz. At any rate, the American luxury brands have been working hard to stop the erosion of their market place by not only foreign competition, buy also by Father Time: their customers have been dying off faster than younger customers have been coming aboard. The solution? Sportier, faster, nimble and more attractive automobiles that the younger generation relates to. The LS is the quickest and the highest-tech car Lincoln has ever produced, and thanks to it, your local Lincoln dealer is reporting younger tire-kickers than ever on his car lot.

One thing that hasn't changed is the dash-mounted ignition key -- it's mounted in plain view in the same place it was 41 years ago. But when you put your key in the slot, today's Lincoln steering wheel telescopes out to the perfect driving position, and stays there until you remove the key. The gas and brake pedals are also electrically adjustable, as is the eight-way driver's seat, and the foldaway, heated rear-view mirrors. The windshield wipers in this modern-day Lincoln are totally automatic, and I tested them thoroughly on a drive from Paducah, Ky. The harder it rained, the faster they wiped. When the rain slowed down the wipers went into intermittent mode, and when the rain stopped, the wipers stopped. That left my hands free to fiddle with the sound system buttons mounted on the steering wheel. Without taking my eyes from the road I could call up Glen Miller's "String of Pearls" or listen to Pearl Bailey beg her Bill to please come home. But I think Cagney would be most impressed with the radar and laser warning system that helps prevent backing-up accidents. A series of beeps warns when objects get too close. I wonder if it works on bullets during bank robbery getaways? Oh, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wood trim on the dash -- it's the real thing, just like in the old gangster cars.

Under the hood breathes a space-age marvel of technology and power. The LS "Sport" model I tested was equipped with the most-powerful engine Lincoln offers in a sedan -- a 3.9-liter 280-horsepower V-8 with variable cam timing and special intake and exhaust manifolds. It propels the 3,800-pound car with authority through the rear wheels, and can get you up to super-legal speeds faster than you can say, "Beat it, it's the cops!" A V-6 engine of 230-horsepower is the standard engine. The Sport's suspension is tuned for crisp handling, and Lincoln's optional ($735) AdvanceTrac stability control system uses selective braking and throttle control to help keep the car stable when your right foot exceeds your mental ability. The system monitors steering wheel angle, throttle position, wheel speed and body roll every seven milliseconds to ensure the LS is headed where you're pointing it. If the system detects oversteer, it applies the brakes to the outside front wheel. If understeer is detected, it applies braking to the inside rear wheel.

The LS Sport has a wonderful exhaust note, and shares its underpinnings with the Jaguar S-type, but is more spacious and accommodating than its British sibling. There is ample leg and headroom in the rear seat for two six-foot passengers, and the seat is heated. A center armrest folds down from the backrest that can also fold down to accommodate extra long objects in the spacious trunk. The front seats are nicely cushioned for long road trips, and as mentioned, they are heated and cooled, with independent three-position switches for each passenger. Crash test results for the LS are outstanding.

My LS Sport, at $48,585, is thousands less than some of its European and Japanese competition, and included more features than I can list here, such as a $3,000 touch-screen satellite navigation system. But if Cagney were alive today he wouldn't have to rob a Brink's truck to buy one, because Lincoln is offering special financing and rebate incentives.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at steve@robertsonsphotography.com.