MotorWeek | Retro Review: '97 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC

[@ossimjew]

It's amazing how right John was when he said it is the last of it's kind. Such a shame, I hate luxury CUV's and any non capable SUV for that matter. Bring back the big powerful luxury coupes!

[@MrCarGuy]

Cadillac will be first! The flagship CT8 sedan will be out late next year (or after) and the CT9 will be a massive luxo-coupe version!

[@ossimjew]

MrCarGuy20 Good, my last car was a Cl55 AMG, loved it but it was a merc so it was an expensive to fix unreliable piece of shit. The CL was really the only luxury coupe you could buy even today. I have an 08' STS but would love another coupe when I sell it, can't wait.

[@MrCarGuy]

+ossimjew I disagree with the W220/215 platforms being pieces of shit. I currently own a 2000 S430 and it has been nothing but a juggernaut. The key is not to buy the post-2003 models with the active suspension. I also like the design better pre-facelift. They are great cars when maintained properly. There's a ton of small things that have to be done to prevent the large things from failing (i.e. the air suspension compressor actually has a filter that needs to be changed every couple years).

[@ossimjew]

MrCarGuy20 It was a pile of shite, through and through, never again with another one, the pre face lifts look like the old C class, I had a 2003 CL 55, it was the worst car I ever owned. Was $50k when I bought it in 07, had it for only 3 years and cost me over $15k in repair bills and had to sell it for slightly over 20k. No wonder they say for less than a 1/10 of their original retail price. The last good S-class/CL was the W140, mercedes makes every generation now impossible to work on besides over priced mercedes certified technicians, German cars are a giant scam.

[@MrCarGuy]

+ossimjew I'm not trying to offend you, but the 2003 model year was the worst year you could have possibly chosen. ABC is one reason and new electronics systems are another. A 2000-02 is perfectly fine (and should be with preventative maintenance). BMW reliability is a myth, but I've actually owned my S430 for many years and never had an issue. The M113 engines are known to do 400k + miles. Of course in an ideal world we'd all go out and buy a Lexus. :)

[@man_on_wheelz]

We definitely need more cars like this on the market today. Getting bored of all these cross-overs, SUV's, sedans, and hatchbacks. EDIT 4 years later: We're about to lose sedans and hatchbacks too in favor of only SUV's and crossovers, gonna miss those too actually. The world of interesting automobiles are slowly but surely coming to an end.

[@johntaurus5399]

MAN_ON_WHEELZ I get chastised by fellow "enthusiasts" for mourning the loss of coupes like this and the Honda Accord. I know its a completely different car, but still the last of its kind (2017 is the last year for the coupe). they claim the only coupes we need are Mustang and Corvette and so on. I don't know about you, but I am NOT comfortable in a dedicated sports coupe. its back breaking and the ride is choppy. I am perfectly comfortable in an Accord Coupe or a Mark/Cougar/T-bird ( my preference of them in that order lol) and such as that. I miss "normal" coupes and luxury coupes that weren't necessarily capable of setting records on the 'ring, but taking you and +1 out to dinner in a smooth, comfortable and stylish package.

[@Mrmatteo08]

And now all other kinds of cars are disappearing in favor of SUV.

[@grandathegaashton3495]

Ik🙅🏽‍♂️💯🤦🏽‍♂️

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Has a lot to do with what will pass certain emissions regulations for cheaper the cost to build. I don't blame automakers for going the route of CUV/SUVs but when you have "Ford" offering 7 variants of a simple SUV, we have a problem with quality...

[@GeeEm1313]

SUVs are boring.

[@6ec6YRFPTcC]

I remember when this car came out. It had the bluest headlights I've ever seen

[@starxlr7863]

+matt k These were very popular and hot cars when they were new and they still are!!! I still love seeing these cars around. I wish there were more of them on the roads!!

[@sekopiski]

Wrong. The first production car with HIDs was 7 series BMW in 1991.

[@ormand3000]

hitek9wittafulclip youre an idiot.

[@MrCarGuy]

sekopiski First American production car. Read between the lines, buddy.

[@beaucephus526]

Yea but they immediately stopped making replacement bulbs and everyone had to buy a kit to convert them to halogen. Oof.

[@bradmedicus]

One of the best cars Ford ever produced.

[@frederick2690]

In terms of reliability, this car was a nightmare and far from the best Ford produced lol. My father was a dealer...

[@ianclaudio777]

I agree Awesome car!

[@drewburk6309]

@@frederick2690 What were the main problem areas?

[@1983jblack]

@@drewburk6309 I love this car and would kill to get one but it did have problems. Namely the air suspension would fail and many converted their Marks to coil springs. The blend door for the climate control system would break and you can't change the temperature. Engine/transmission were pretty solid however but those two are the glaring issues I've always heard about

[@anijp9275]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣TRASH CAR EVER EVERYTHING FAILED ON IT AND THATS WHY ITS NO LONGER MADE ALL THIS AMERICAN MADE CAR TRUCKS ARE ALMOST ALL JUNK THE ONLY REASON TRUCKS ARE ON THE ROAD TODAY IS BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING TRUCKS THATS IT OTHERWISE I THINK AMERICANS WOULDN'T HAVE ANY VEHICLES ...

[@Schaefft]

As the owner of an Ivory Pearlescent '95 LSC, I approve of this video. They are beautiful cars, thanks for uploading!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

'97 was 6 tenths quicker than '93, but 4 MPH slower in 1/4... somehow...

[@tavi9598]

I had the pleasure of owning one of these cars. While they can be a maintenance nightmare (headlight bulbs are out of production, air suspension and neon brake light are finicky, EATC can break down etc) they are truly a pleasure to drive. Sad that they went out of production after 1998. The Lincoln Mark VIII LSC was an example of what kind of car engineers with no budget restrictions would make. The only rule that applied to this car was "it has to use existing platforms" and it did. They created DOHC heads and an all-aluminum block for the engine, which was otherwise a 4.6L Modular. They used the 4R70W transmission, because a manual would be unacceptable in a Lincoln. And they used a stretched version of the Thunderbird chassis. I still miss my old one, a pearl white 1998 LSC with tan interior. It went on to car heaven when I was informed that part of the chassis structure was rusted through and the car was not road legal or safe to drive. Damn road salt.

[@TheGewidener]

The aux turn signals were way ahead of their time.

[@kirbyswarp]

That is such a great and great looking car. Sad that most of them are now riding on wheels that are a few feet too big in diameter.

[@Borghetto.Inc04]

kirbyswarp but this car is a pile of shit!!!!

[@BigWheel.]

E Estrada because the owners treat them like shit.

[@subaruwrx5701]

kirbyswarp w

[@SonnyGTA]

E Estrada yeah??? I’m SURE you were probably driving a VW rabbit!!! I actually HAD one and it was phenomenal (very good). Sorry big word there for you.

[@Shyzah]

it looks so ugly

[@chriswebb5590]

Still one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Especially those brake lights, and the hid's were nice up front as well. Man, what a car.

[@williswhatchutalkinbout4367]

Lol. No

[@gorgeusjames]

I agree 100% a total beauty

[@waywardboi]

This was my favorite car my parents owned back in the day! Nothing like being in your early 20's rocking around in this pretty car.

[@davenhla]

The missed opportunity for Ford in this era is mind boggling. Here we have a Mark 8, with the Mustang Cobra 4 cam 4.6. The Mark 8 was basically the same car as the Thunderbirds and Mercury Cougars, obviously with body panel differences, and some interior materials, and seat design. So, why did ford not offer a Cougar Eliminator package with a 4 cam 4.6? Why not a package for the Thunderbird? Instead, they discontinue the whole lot of them. Imagine a 1998 Mark 9 with a freshened up exterior and the 4 cam 5.4 they stuck in the Navigator. Just as Ford refused to put a 5.8 into a Mustang for the 16 years they had 5.0's in Fox Body cars, and then subsequently went head to head with Chevy 350's,(5.7) they simply refused to put the more performance oriented engines in their lineup into anything else with the mod motors. The sales lost not only from lack of offering, but just from the brand image they had willingly just given up would have been big $$. SVT Tbird? Cougar Eliminator? Ford had this bad habit of making super rare exclusive cars to show off the new tech, and then not offering anything like it to the public after. Like the Mustang Mach 3 concept with superchargers that never showed up, the Mustang Super Stallion that was 480HP on E85, and the 2000 Cobra R. All made major headlines when they came out, none of them were brought to market(in enough numbers to matter for the R) and most importantly, the tech they used wasn't utilized in any way to draw customers to the dealerships. I think the worst was the 5.4 DOHC engine, vastly superior HP and torque numbers to the standard 5.4, and it never got used in anything besides the Navigator. Not an option even for the F150, not in a luxury performance type car(remember Ford had a brand spankin new Tbird released right around the corner from this video). It was really, really hard to be a Ford performance fan when they were so out of touch with the customers wants and got beat by the competition with their best horses tied up in the stable instead of out on the track.

[@falconater68]

@Suicidal in Cleveland Your only previous car was a 97 Taurus. No disrespect but why bother writing all this? Maybe you should stick to commuting rather than "performance".

[@Davido50]

It's called potential demand. Hard to be a big5 automaker these days. Now it's do we electrify or not!? Still a huge Ford & Lincoln fan ...its all we will buy.

[@Davido50]

@Suicidal in Cleveland Ford performance is doing just fine.

[@kireality]

That was a long read. But, sadly Ford has done a lot of what you mentioned over and over again. Always late to the dance and when they finally get there, the dance is over.

[@markjones2185]

Elena Ford really dropped the ball on the Mercury Marauder by not superchargeding it when Ross and everybody else on the team wanted to produce it with the supercharger. had she done it right it would have been whooping the charger which came up a year later. I own a supercharged Marauder now I built it and that bad boy runs with hellcats.

[@amg973]

man I had no idea this was the (almost) perfect combo. rwd, v8 luxury... beauty

[@MEGABOINK65]

Still have mine 97 LSC black on black. 78.000 miles on it. love them.

[@wbrown4223]

MEGABOINK65 I had the same in 2000-02

[@1983jblack]

You are one lucky duck. I looked for one of those for years in my 20s and found one but the suspension was already worn out and it had been wrecked but not disclosed. Closest I ever came.

[@luthermbaker]

Still have my '97 Pearlescent. 93K miles. One coil changed. Couple of months ago I changed out the original spark plugs and wires. Yes the original. Everything works & works like new to this day. It's a quiet comfortable car.

[@joshn938]

Mark ViII 's are a hidden Gem. Way more powerful than a Mustang of the same year, and with more luxury to boot!

[@pontiacgrandprix733]

Had a black black 96, what a car, rode well, handled well, beautiful dash, awesome car, used to shut the traction control off, open the sunroof, and windows and brake rev it, smoke came in the windows and out the sunroof like a chimney, Lincoln needed a Mark VIIII, still does

[@tkefan29]

Mark IX

[@houseofno]

That would be a Mark IX (roman numeral for NINE) which they opted to skip in favor of their Mark X silliness.

[@Krzrrazrrokr]

That interior is beautiful

[@fernandorocha8459]

This Lincoln Mark 8 1997 is beautifull car

[@itsnotme07]

Even at 19 years old, my 97 LSC runs/drives like it did way back when it was freaking it's owner out after spending $45k on it. (original sticker price). Mine only has 84k mi now, but I do take her for long rides occasionally. All of the options are still working, including the air ride and HID headlamps. This is my go fast long trip cruiser....or drivable leather couch.

[@scdevon]

The heads on that 32 valve engine are fantastic. This is basically the Mach 1 engine rated a little lower in the Lincoln due to the lack of Ram Air and different cam profiles, I think.

[@BC08]

More like a 96-98 Cobra engine with less cam duration, cast crank and a longer runner intake.

[@BC08]

@Dino Piccinin A Coyote/6R80 swap Mark VIII would be real sweet

[@BC08]

@Dino Piccinin Check my channel for an N/A 4.6 4V build I did a bunch of years ago

[@GregK1247]

1995-2005 is an interesting time to be alive watching the car world

[@boratwilson9916]

nice truck it's winking at me. go and watch some old tryck commercials... straight savages.

[@RivieraByBuick]

the days when xenon was called "gas discharge"

[@ormand3000]

RivieraByBuick the days when HIDs was called "xenon"

[@jimgarrity2414]

@@ormand3000 Now they're just "douchebag headlights" (usually aimed wrong.... I don't care if you can see into the future, my retinas are scarred)

[@oliverdelgado6952]

@@jimgarrity2414 I hate them

[@1983jblack]

@@jimgarrity2414 They're only shitty if they are aftermarket conversions

[@patrickmartin3322]

That’s likely because the Mark8 doesn’t use xenon but instead some other noble gas

[@Mustang5L5]

I miss my Mark 8. Was a great car. I wish Lincoln would make a Mark 9 on the S550 chassis with a Coyote under the hood

[@HerrPoopschitz]

Goddamn right. Missed opportunity.

[@fijitears]

Legendary machine. I see one all around the Salt Lake county a few times a month. The gentleman came to my car wash a few days ago and told me it has airbag suspension and he was scared to go more than 130 on the way to Wendover. I asked him if it had a Mustang engine and he said it shared the chassis & he thinks the motor. It turns out that this had the motor before the Cobra did! 120,000 miles in Pearl white it was a beauty.

[@evo5dave]

The 90s produced some hideous cars. This is an exception: surprisingly handsome. The interior looks OK too.

[@jacobbarros8849]

I hate SUV's and the fact they are eating sedan market share is just the worst. Not that it would sell in great number but Lincoln should revise a new MK9 based off the mustang platform. Some excitement in the brand would be nothing but good. With Navigator, MKC and MKX profits soaring they can afford it.

[@starxlr7863]

+Jacob Barros I think Lincoln shot themselves in the foot when they retired the Continental, the Mark and most recent the Town Car! All these new Lincoln's are not REAL Lincoln's. Lincoln is not doing very well in sales and there is a reason for that. Not when you look at how well Lincoln's were selling back during the 90's and early 2000's.

[@jmjfanss]

But be prepared because the continental is back.

[@starxlr7863]

Afi James We will see how they do in production output. The older Continentals sold very well and much better than any new lincoln.

[@Davido50]

Support Lincoln by buying a new one! Thats what I do.

[@user-ui5bx4pf9v]

Especially the huge Chevy suburbans caddilac....I mean,just get an old station wagon

[@d.e.b.b5788]

'Packs a mean punch'. Perhaps not on the drag strip, but once upon a time, Lincoln's engineers took a Mk VIII to Bonneville, and ran a STOCK mark up to 180 mph with the speed limiter turned off, and a few other tricks like removing the mirrors, running it 'hot' so the oil was thinned out, etc. But the engine was all stock, just the best standard parts they could find out of the parts bin. 180. Stock. Remember that.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

@@kyboy5 Go and read the report on it, instead of trying to tell us what can't be done, because of what you believe.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

@@kyboy5 Learn to read, and read the report.

[@catsaretasty]

Forget it.

[@19shawn85]

Highly doubt that clown 😂😂😂

[@kylebethel7299]

I have a 98 mark 8 with almost 267000 miles on it. love that car. cruises very well and gets out of its own way. would def buy another one

[@jakereal3604]

Kyle at first I thought your post was one I Left LOLOL A year ago my 97 had about the same mileage! It now has 294,000 miles. Cant wait till she turns 300,000

[@schwenda3727]

@@jakereal3604 so these cars would end up being EXTREMELY reliable such as the older panther cars of the same era especially if I managed to find an example with less than 100k miles?

[@SANYUR]

This was Lincoln's Lexus SC400 fighter

[@thatboringblenderguy]

The Hellcat of its day

[@frozen2golden]

This car would burn the SC400

[@VGMDK1999]

Keita Jones no it wouldnt lmao

[@nathanlopez5667]

@@frozen2golden it would be close it definitely has more power bigger displacement

[@frozen2golden]

@@VGMDK1999 Stock off the lot, not aftermarket, no tuning, yes it would.

[@cad5359]

I really actually want one of these cars. The daily driveability of such performance.

[@scott9050]

+cad5359 There are still a few low mile ones out there but expect to pay for them. The HID's are obsolete but luckily conversion swaps are cheap. I have had three of these cars and have loved every one.

[@cad5359]

I know they are getting a bit heady in price, even the non-LSC models, but I've found a few low mileage cars in decent shape for decent prices. Just got to look around.

[@SLAUGHTYBAUDFAUST]

+cad5359 It is a very nice riding car i've owned 3. The big headaches of the car are light bulbs that are no longer made the conversions light quality sucks compared to the HID, air shocks which are no longer made which by this time most original shocks are leaking which you will have to convert to springs the Strutmasters feels almost the same, and the blend air doors which on all three of my cars broke which requires the removal of the entire dash about a $750 dollar repair. If you don't mind rectifying those items everything else has been bomb proof reliable.

[@scott9050]

There is an adapter kit for the HID bulbs which fits the new smaller bulbs into the original housing. The blend door is not that bad unless the arm itself is broken, about a 3 hour job if you have done it a few times.

[@SLAUGHTYBAUDFAUST]

+scott9050 I've had the HID and non HID conversions. Non-HID just looks like a modern car without HID. The HID conversion I used though it was bright had a horrible light pattern projection. As far as the blend door actuator I wrote that as a consideration for someone that is not mechanically inclined and would use a a repair shop. The repair shop is going to charge book time which if I remember correctly is around 6 to 8 hours regardless of how long it actually takes.

[@CarCommercialsofthePast]

Another retro review, got to love them.

[@clairekennedy8767]

My mother had a 98' and got rid of it in 2006 well before I was able to drive it. Only had 70K miles but man did that car cause her issues. She recently looked at the receipts she kept and she put $11,000 into that car between repairs and maintenance. She said the reason she'll never buy from ford again! Although she did buy my sister a 15' focus and it's been in the shop none stop. Guess my momma was right.

[@rallyrallo7886]

If you're looking for a reliable American car I recommend chevy, my experience has been great with chevy, my dad's 2007 colo has run into almost no problems

[@Krzrrazrrokr]

Ford. Found on road dead

[@3315nostrand]

i got a 97 LSC and the interior starting to fall apart,exhaust got noisy,air suspension swapped out ...and no heat ....car sucks ...

[@Davido50]

Hmmmm sounds like we have a TROLL here. Lincoln's don't break buddy. If they did ...they have big warranty . Nice try tho.

[@Davido50]

@@rallyrallo7886 Ford & Lincoln are superb nobody listening these fools.

[@vinnybruce2874]

I saw this car back in late 1996. This lincoln was ahead of its class than the regular late 90s cars. With the l e d brakes lights and xenon bright headlights.

[@JamesFHarrison]

Something that frustrates me about living in the UK is the lack of these big American coupes and saloons. The Mark VIII has to be one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen, yet I've never in my whole life seen one in the flesh.

[@WHO9119]

When Ford/Lincoln made cars with names you could remember can any one who don't one name a new Lincoln beside the MkX

[@wiibaron]

+WHO9119 Hello! This car is a Mark VIII LSC. 10 letters and only 1 vowel that is used as a vowel. I guess they could have put a 4.6L V8 on it to make it worse though...have to agree on the Mk scheme they use now. Just stupid and not a roll off the tongue combination of letters. Just name it Mark Z, Mark S if they want the 'heritage'.

[@bandombeviews6035]

MkZ

[@thoof2001]

@@wiibaron What ABOUT the 'MK' designators? Confusing? Allow me to direct your attention to the alphabet soup of BMW, M-B, Lexus, and especially Acura designators; those are UTTERLY incomprehensible.

[@jaygill5582]

And the Cadillac MLK!

[@angel_machariel]

Droooooool. Both the interior and the exterior rival the overhyped tech designs of today.

[@davenhla]

This car sat on the same chassis as the Thunderbirds and Mercury Cougars. they were all built in Canada. I owned a 94 Cougar way back, and always wanted to upgrade to a Mark 8. What always really cheesed me with Ford was how they wouldn't offer any engine choices. If the 4.6 4V fit in the Lincoln version of a T-bird, it sure would have fit in a T-bird. The Lincoln was deffinatly an eye catcher, bt it is a love/hate type mostly. A sleeper really also, sales were low in my neck of the woods so you didn;t see them much and most people didn;t even know what it was. Engines last forever, transmission not so much, and air bag suspension was a 100% going to have to fix some time item. Overall, this was a hot car for it's time, there just weren;t many cars that could boast 300HP back then. Fans of the Mark series in general lamented the change in both style and ease of modification from the Mark 7 to the 8 though. Was just so much easier doing up a Mark 7 with the less computer controlled more open and simple 5.0's. I lien the Mark 8 to the Olds Aurora- both were solid performing cars built well, with unique looks and limited production. Too unique for their own good regardless of how nice they were.

[@dredlocdragon8061]

+davenhla The Ford MN12/FN10 platform was never built in Canada and I should know because my Dad was a plant manager at the Lorain Oh. Assembly where they built the T-bird and Cougar. The Lincoln Mark series was built at Wixom Assembly in Michigan for its entire lifespan.

[@davenhla]

@@dredlocdragon8061 I just saw this after all this time. My 1994 Cougar had a Canadian label in the door frame on the drivers door side. It was bought new locally. I won;t argue with you about being built in USA, but must be not all were, mine wasn't. They built some in Mexico also. It is not that unusual for the big three to build in multiple countries. Sometimes they get exclusives, like the Dodge Ramcharger based on a second gen ram they got in Mexico.

[@paulhudson231]

Nice that you can still see the intake manifold and the valve covers; no huge plastic shroud like you get these days.

[@roville225]

Remember riding in the back of my parents '92 Roadmaster on a trip from WI through Chicago and seeing a dark red one of these on the expressway for the 1st time. Was stunned at how beautiful it was, and how well they refined it from the previous styling. Funny how these kind of memories feed us car guys for years.

[@xrmerkur]

I also own a Mark and feature on my channel. It’s great to see one of these classics still on the road. Thanks for sharing yours.

[@alexstepanski142]

New retro reviews! I love you again motor week! Don't ever leave me again!

[@tanman1501]

I had a base 95 Mark VIII and loved it.

[@HAL-dm1eh]

That's the most beautiful paint I've seen on an American car since the 60s. And that interior is tasteful, creamy goodness.

[@Ian-of9oi]

I had one of these. Best car I ever had until about 150 thousand miles. Then the little things started failing. With the loan plus a few parts cost me 25k. Sold it for 3k. Still glad I bought it.

[@robertkirkpatrick4935]

I just bought mine a week ago n am loving her everyday. My fiancee is the same way! Ive always loved these beauties. I had her processor for 6 years n missed her. Having my Mark VIII brings back memories of the good ole days

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Saw one of these on the Highway a few days ago driven by an elderly gentleman. Man it it was so sweet. looked like it was in great condition !

[@mr.boostang2064]

My aunt has one of these, one day she needed a jump and I went out to help her, I got a huge surprise when I popped the hood to discover a 32v Cobra engine starring right back at me lol I had to take it out for a spin right after.

[@filippietruszynski1927]

One of the best cars ever :D MW please upload video of '95-'97 Continental :)

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Finally, more Retro Reviews!!!!

[@1983jblack]

Even with its four wheel air suspension, I always loved these cars. Never got one since they were all used and abused for the most part. The Mark VIII LSC from 1997-98 and the Continental as well as the Town Car Cartier from 1995-97 are my personal favorite Lincolns. I didn't care much for the restyled 1998 Contis and Town Cars...kinda thought they stepped down a bit in Lincoln like finish and quality and really went towards the euro look more. Wish I could find one of each not worn out and just enjoy what Lincoln was in each segment.

[@vinnybruce2874]

this car is so advanced in 1997 including the first all-time hid headlights

[@vinnybruce2874]

I didn't know HID headlights was introduced in late 1996

[@LrulestheworldM8]

Vincent Bruce A LOT of great automotive ideas were put forth in the 90s. And they carried over to the late 2000-2010 era. Car were awesome up until that point. Then, everything from 2010 onwards shat all over everything the auto industry had done in the last 40 years, and we have been going backwards ever since.

[@b6_ruby]

The Mark 8 was the very first american car to have direct current xenon lights.

[@travelseatsyellowlab]

@Ike N That's why he said, as you may notice, "first American car."

[@charlies.5777]

@@travelseatsyellowlab Wait... What ??!! BMWs aren't American?!😀 But aren't they manufactured in South Carolina?!😎

[@tundrav8georgia]

I drove one of these new and loved it first car with seat heaters which we didn’t use much in calf lol

[@rixille]

Love this car and wish Ford didn't kill it along with the Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird.

[@myname9252]

Cobra 6 speed will hook right up. Now that would be perfection.

[@MatrixDiscovery]

Turn lights on the mirrors and HID lights were on this car? wow!

[@1983jblack]

There were three well known flaws with this car that kind of a PIA but all could easily be remedied: 1. Air suspension failure (Could convert to coil springs) 2. Blend door breaks in EATC (Replace it) 3. Coil packs seem to go bad early (Again replacement of them) All are kinda pricey but if all are good these cars were fun to drive, looked great, and had nice luxury features

[@Nightbird.]

I test drove the last year of this model back in the day..and was totally disappointed in the ride. I was driving a Mark VI at the time..which has a beautifully soft and compliant ride. But when I test drove the Mark VIII..the ride felt too hard and I could feel potholes and road irregularities that my Mark VI made disappear. This was especially surprising considering the Mark VIII had an air suspension that Lincoln claimed rode like a cloud -not so. Glad I didn't buy it back then..and the Mark VI still has a ride that is unbeatable by most luxury cars today.

[@patrickmichaellangan576]

I think if Lincoln were to do a performance car sometime in the future (wishful thinking I know, I know, I know!), it should be something with the Mark series heritage that can also compete with Cadillac's V-series hot rods.

[@starxlr7863]

+Patrick Langan I work at Cadillac and I own several older Cadillac's and I do not care much for any of the new Cadillac's except for the Escalade. Same for Lincoln. I love Lincoln but the new Lincoln's are just a joke especially when comparing them to the Lincoln's of yesterday. The last REAL Lincoln was the Town Car back in 2011. Lincoln and Cadillac both need to get a new design team of REAL car designers because the current ones are not doing anything positive to reflect there heritage and true style and elegance.

[@man_on_wheelz]

Lincoln definitely needs to do this, I have no idea what they're waiting for.

[@starxlr7863]

MAN_ON_WHEELZ Oh I know, I have no idea why they are not staying true to there heritage and style. Lincoln's were known for there distinctive style and class just like Cadillac. Now both brands are trying to be something that they are not. Now they all look the same like every other car. But I still support them by driving the older models.

[@man_on_wheelz]

AMCNorthstar 93 Exactly, I don't lust over the current models of any brand, domestic or foreign like I do the older cars. Automakers pretty much stopped being unique and started sticking firmly to the rule books. Just look at all these crossovers. I was on the expressway stuck in traffic just observing all the crossovers on the road around me. There was a Subaru something, a Ford Escape, a Jeep Cherokee (the small one) and a Hyundai Tucson while I was in my company Ford Escape. Mind you all these vehicles were 2013 and up and I'll be damned, they all look nearly the exact same in the rear... wtf is this?!?!

[@starxlr7863]

MAN_ON_WHEELZ Haha yes I know what you mean. I also take notice myself when out and about but am completely bored with the selection. It does feel nice to have something different and more elegant like any of my older Caddy's. If anything new, I think I would go with the trucks since they have improved so much within the past decade. And I have one truck, a big 2003 Dodge Ram dually Cummins that is also a nice older truck that I enjoy very much. I use it for mostly transporting big items including all my Cadillac's that I buy. :)

[@scott9050]

I still have a 97 LSC, I put 4.10's and a t-lok in it along with a custom tune. It has 89K miles but is currently off the road getting a front suspension overhaul.

[@scott9050]

+VLCC Interior shot:i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/marked8/IMG_1413.jpgDVD install:i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/marked8/2011-05-09_15-54-45_865.jpg3/4 view:i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/marked8/IMG_1420.jpgACK!:s75.photobucket.com/user/marked8/media/IMG_1431.jpg.html?sort=3&o=102Day I brought it back from Ohio:i75.photobucket.com/albums/i281/marked8/P1010434.jpg

[@BrownBomber92181]

Wow, 4.10's? I know that made a difference. My 91 Tbird SC had a tc diff, and I put in 3.73's and that car was a rocket off of the line

[@AdamAus85]

Better looking interior chrome than the current Ford/Lincoln line up.

[@wannabeetiger]

They are faster than that! Trust me, I used to own one!!! By the way, I raced a two-door, 1970 Charger 440 with it, and it was even!!!! Yes , they used to make two door Chargers!

[@TexKimball]

Would love to have one of these. I already have a 2001 Town Car, so it would be great to have a fun car that's also a Lincoln :) Plus it's a pretty unexpected car in general, don't see these too often.

[@fitfogey]

I had a 93 TT RX7 and raced my buddy in one of these in the 1/4 mile. I was surprised he stayed so close. I got him but it was not easy. He loved that car. I did too. It was a nice ride.

[@fallsgrave]

Just think.. he was basically on a luxurious flying couch while you were probably jittering like a rat in a tin shit house. lol

[@lemons3738]

love my 1996 mark VIII, I do like the looks of the 1997-98 mark VIII better but i've only seen a few in my area. Couldn't have beat the price I paid for this. Well I traded for it, a beat up 1993 mustang GT that was on its last leg. I was honest about everything that was wrong with the mustang though. Would love to get a tuner and maybe gears for my lincoln.

[@esqu1re]

One of the first cars I ever saw with xenon lights.

[@SteveBueche1027]

Had a 97 Continental The seats were like recliners Drove it till it couldn’t be repaired anymore (2016)

[@TheHelado36]

Headlights are way to long almost reaching the wheel arch. Still is a beauty !

[@DDIAZ-we4dz]

i really wish lincoln would release another one of these. truly beautiful gems these cars are.

[@guild79s]

My uncle used to get an upgrade every other year. He almost passed that one up but my aunt persisted until he did.

[@swdashcams4476]

This was in 1997, where HID headlights looked very futuristic. Nowadays, even low-end cars like Toyota Corolla, could come with HID headlights.

[@22madmax13]

Lol at the George Foreman reference, if that doesn't date this I don't know what does

[@2steaksandwiches665]

This will or has already become a collectors item. I would definitely check this out at cars and coffee

[@SVTJD]

Why have car prices more than doubled in 20 years?

[@Romulan112]

Its 2018 and I own this car. Same excact color and year. I can say that its not a good car to own. Big problems that were not told here in the review are the following: 1. Failure of ABS system 2. Failure of blend door (all made out of plastic) 3. failure of air suspension. All of the above mentioned problems are made worse because its an obsolete model (meaning Ford dumped it years ago) and no parts are availabe. Not even used parts because not many were made.

[@nassimnassim6019]

Did you have any other problem since then? Cordially.

[@Romulan112]

@@nassimnassim6019 Oh yes, also, it would never pass emissions. Ran great but would never pass. It was always 'NOT READY'. I took it to Ford and they could not find out why it would not pass. I suspected the Front CAT's but on this car, one can't remove them unless you take down the front suspension. It was made to be not worked on. Late 2020, I killed the car. I now drive a Toyota 4cyl. I learned that the bigger the engine, the more power you have but the harder it is to work on.

[@nassimnassim6019]

@@Romulan112 how do you take down the front suspension? How long do it take? I heard it is possible to lure the system with dummy sensor and it allow you to pass emission, is it true?

[@houseofno]

You're talking about what was THEN a twenty year old car. Stuff breaks. Don't buy it if you can't afford to maintain it or roll up your sleeves and fix it. The suspension from the standard Thunderbirds and Cougars will fit this model - that's a pretty common swap. Seems to me you have some pretty unrealistic expectations of a luxury car that's two decades old. Not the car's fault, and definitely not Ford's. I saw your issues listed below. That's just a lazy technician who didn't want to do his job and probably didn't even bother hooking it up to a computer. A $100 smartphone OBD-II scan tool could have gotten you a lot farther along than that lazy technician. That's beside the question of who in their right mind takes a twenty year old out of warranty car to a DEALERSHIP to be serviced? A dealership doesn't want to service a two decade luxury car - they want to charge you big bucks for something a lot more recent, or better yet, get you into the new car showroom on something a lot more profitable for their business. A dealership service department is there for one reason and ONE reason only - to maximize profit for the dealership. They aren't there to help you, and they're not the least bit interested in an antiquated, complicated luxury car. Ford engineered these cars for senior citizen buyers looking to be coddled by a premium luxury car who would likely trade it in on a Town Car or a Navigator a few years later. If you're not prepared to roll up your sleeves, buy a service manual, and the correct tools to repair these old vehicles, you can only blame yourself for what happens next when you buy a two decade old luxury car. For that matter, Motorweek doesn't review used cars, and certainly not ones that are two decades old. Motorweek didn't mislead anyone. You did that on your own by not doing your research or your homework on these cars.

[@Romulan112]

@@houseofno your reply is kind of insulting. Accuse me of not rolling up my sleeves. WTF , I put many hours of work in this junk. By the way, the repair manual sucks. I doubt you ever worked on one of these cars. I have owned the Thunderbird. It was a great car for me. It was stolen by two skinny black dudes and they destroyed it. I replaced it with this car only to have it need too far too much work in the end. The real problem for this car was it had too many unreliable electronics on it. In my reply with another person, he was asking me the pitfalls for owning it. By answering his question, I am doing 'his homework'. If he asked you is it a good car, you would most likely be convincing him to buy the damn thing and roll up his sleeves and be prepared to work on it most of his life. He most likely is watcing the videos on youtube of showing the car's beauty and power, but not the pitfalls. Why would someone wish to buy a car that is hard to work on? Thats down right stupid in my opinion. For example, a replacing the heater core on a 93 Ford T bird is much harder than replacing the one on a 94 Tbird. Which one would you work on? The 93 I figured right. Life is too short. AS for being a classic car, it is not nor ever will be. For this man who asked me about more problems, I told him. He was most likely considering buying one and was looking for feedback on it. I owned it since when it was 7 years old. Bought it in 2005. I have seen a few 20 year old cars that are worth working on, to save and this is not one of them. I would tell him to buy a old Mustang. Lastly, don't make accusations such as 'lazy tech' that didnt even put it to the scan tool. Or 'who in their right mind would take it to the dealer'. First, I have a good scan tool and it gave me squat. Ford did hook it up and the issues didnt just jump out at them. Can't spend $1,000 diagnosing a $1,000 car. All the local mechanics pointed to the dealer for their computers. They wouldn't touch the car for a diagnosis.

[@johnmoosey8173]

I owned a pearl 96 Ford Tbird...I loved that car....Could not afford the Mark at the time...I will find one

[@hotrodray6802]

I had a white 97 with white interior. 50,000 miles Road horribly on bumpy roads. 😅 Needed 91+ octane.

[@fabts6498]

I actually bought a car like this one because the suspension was a joke but I took the engine and modified my 2001 Mustang GT and it was pretty amazing...

[@dswaggda]

@Motorweek I'm thinking about buying a Mark 8 Coupe for 1500$ it has 119,000 miles on it it looks good but I'm super Nervous about it any advice before I purchase the car

[@radudeATL]

I remember Car and Driver magazine complaining about the seats. They said they were uncomfortable: it was too narrow and pinched their booties...

[@man_on_wheelz]

Car and Driver was full of it. I've driven several of these and they are very comfy car seats.

[@jakereal3604]

YES !! Good memory! Car N Driver is always biased towards German cars and Japanese seldom saying anything positive about American cars, back then and even today! I own one of these cars and the seats are supportive and the most comfortable seats to sit in!

[@ronbrock6153]

Here we are with the 2024 models coming soon. GM has 4 non SUV/CUVs. CT4 CT5 from Cadillac, Chevy has the Malibu and Camaro, the two Chevys are gone at this year. Ford has the Mustang. Chrysler group has the 300, Charger, and Challenger in their last year. Alfa as part of the Chrysler group has one sedan. What a sad world as we are now getting EVs forced upon us.

[@NeulandInternet]

Loving these Neon-Brakelights!

[@SportsMusicCars]

HUGE COUPE. Today's Sedans are he same size. why were there only 2 doors for such big cars back then??

[@v8powerr771]

People must been crazy to buy ugly ass slow suv's that handle ilke a bus instead of nice gt like this one

[@radioguy1620]

Would have loved to see a NASCAR version race

[@harrycallahan9733]

1:18 "sylvania luminar gas discharge lamps", that's what now known as HID, right? :)

[@nenadradovanovic7569]

The engine is Ford COBRA V8

[@MarloSoBalJr]

The last of the Mark model. So cool seeing one in a few roaming the streets in 2020 in the mix of CUVs that looking boring as hell to the owner driving it.

[@exinobelgonzalez2874]

I remember being in my early 20s and wanting one of these so bad.

[@chriscornelius2518]

These Lincoln cars were so beautiful. I know some 2000s had that air suspension which was a detractor, but did these years have that suspension?

[@jakereal3604]

YEs these have air suspension at ALL FOUR CORNERS! And the notion that the air ride is unreliable, poorly designed, etc is non-sense! I own one and the main "issue" is over time the air bladders dry out, get tiny cracks and leak down causing the car to SLAM. This is most often looked as a sensor problems, computer issues etc as its RANDOM. The reality is that people didn't want to accept the fact that they have to REPLACE their air struts or rear air springs!!! They were about $400 EACH fronts and like $250 each rears from Lincoln. But don't most cars need shocks/struts replaced every 5-8 years and 60,000-90,000 miles? so what not a Mark VIII? THAT is where the whole myth of the air ride being "bad" comes from

[@chriscornelius2518]

Yeah I am not educated enough to understand the principles behind the air ride. Its just that most mechanics have told me the price for upkeep can get a little salty, but it's a luxury car. I was always partial because I had heard these older Lincoln models along with the Crown Victoria and Marquis are known for getting 300 to 500 miles.

[@giibzc2371]

This ,the lumina and infinti j30 look so fuckin tuff,alien and gorgeous

[@ESPLTD322]

So this is the DOHC 4V, not the SOHC 2V right? Because I don’t think the 2V even reaches 240 horsepower until the 03 P71 came out

[@houseofno]

All Lincoln Intech V8s were 32 valve, four valve per cylinder V8's. For the other Ford brands, only the Mercury Marauder got the 32 valve V8 from the factory, and that was for just two years ('03 and '04). The 2V 4.6's did produce 240 hp later in the production run if you got the dual exhaust package. No Crown Vics or P71 Interceptors got the 32 valve V8 from the factory. Any of those cars running it under the hood was an aftermarket swap.

[@elliott585]

how can it be slower than the '93 model if the HP increased?

[@evanboyer5928]

less aggressive computer programming, mostly.

[@davenhla]

Most likely? They detuned the engine map to try to conserve the transmission. Ford did that on almost everything in the 90's, including the Mustang, even the 5 speed manuals.

[@jacintocabrales6372]

My grandma used to drive one of these, badass.

[@andrewschulzsd]

If I could find a nice low mileage one of these I'd probably buy one

[@mrbigbigtoe]

This was the first American car to have HID headlights

[@houseofno]

First American car, maybe, but not the first production car overall. The BMW E32 7-series (second generation 7 series, produced from 1988 to 1994) had them (for low beam only at the time) as early as the 1992 model, five years before this car came out.

[@mikebell2750]

I liked the styling of the Mark VII better because it wasn’t as “soft,” however the performance and handling of the Mark VIII are miles ahead of the the previous generation car. It’s a shame that Ford didn’t come up with a higher performance version of this car that looked a bit more aggressive, as they could have created a true “Hot Rod Lincoln.”

[@MrVernonSmall]

I started out with a used 1979 Ford Thunderbird, ordered a 1988 Mercury Cougar XR-7 brand new, ordered a 1995 Licoln Mark VIII LSC, color ivory pearlescent, was supposed to come with hid headlamps then, but trouble at the factory so minus that, then in 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC, still have it, no plans for a new car. Those were real cars, screw the Ford Taurus & Fusion !

[@nassimnassim6019]

Any problem with it?

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

I can't believe there's so little body roll from this boat... Although I guess it looks heavier than it is.

[@jakereal3604]

Nick while these cars are pretty big (about 207" long) they are about the weight of a MUSTANG! It weighs about 3,800 LBS. Remember this was the 90s and corporate MPG was very important and they used lighter materials to save weight. This car has a lot of aluminum components on it. I own a 1997 identical to this. Bought it in 2002 with 42,000 miles and still have it. Currently 294,000 miles and original engine that PURRS and the transmission lasted until 263,000 miles. I dont fuss with the car either just change the oil 2,500-4,000 miles and drive the car like a human being! LOL

[@bennygreene1421]

A sleeper but ready to go!!

[@johnmurdoch3083]

A cool looking Lincoln..its futuristic looking. Its basically the opposite of a mark vi while still being distinct

[@DonJ.]

I really miss my Mark VIII plenty of power and comfort. There's no other lux coupe like this anymore...smh.