Lincoln does not build many cars like the Lincoln MKR: a 4-door fastback sedan with 3.5L TwinForce/EcoBoost V6, built from 2007 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is J Mays / Peter Horbury / Gordon Platto.
Where it came from
The Lincoln MKR is a 4-door fastback sedan concept car, introduced during the 2007 North American International Auto Show by Lincoln. Its chassis was based on the Ford D2C platform as used in the Ford Mustang. The MKR signaled the next-generation of premium Lincoln vehicles, introducing the new TwinForce engine family and a restyled "bow wave" waterfall grille. The concept car was first unveiled to the media and the public in a press release on January 1, 2007.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 3.5L TwinForce/EcoBoost V6. The gearbox is a 6-speed automatic. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 112.9 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Lincoln's history is not in doubt: the Lincoln Navicross came before it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Hyundai i30, the Nissan GT-R. Nearby in the Lincoln catalogue sit the Lincoln First Call and the Lincoln Funeral Car.