Trying to appeal to a younger and more modern audience, Ford took the covers off the very European-esque, "Lincoln C" concept at the Detroit Show. The new baby Lincoln does not only look European -too be precise, it looks like a rejected Renault project...- but it is also based on the Euro-market Ford Focus platform using FoMoCo's new 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine that delivers 180HP and 180 ft.-lbs. of torque. This is the first time that FoMoCo has publicly showed off this engine that will find its way under the hood of Euro-Fords like the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo in the very near future.
In the Lincoln C, the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is paired with Ford's all-new dry, dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission, helping the concept achieve 43 mpg U.S. on the highway.
Open up the concept's suicide doors and you're welcomed by a contemporary and minimalistic interior. Among the car's highlights is the Citroen-inspired, hubless steering wheel that offers the driver an unobstructed view of the instrument panel. According to Lincoln, thanks to the cars width -two inches more than conventional C-class vehicles- it offers the roominess of a 1961 Continental at almost half the length. In modern terms, the vehicle has the overall length of a Ford Focus and the overall width of a Lincoln MKZ.
According to Peter Horbury, FoMoCo's executive director of Design, younger contemporary consumers in the U.S. have already grown accustomed to the notion of premium quality in a small package. "During the past decade, people have gotten used to the idea that you could pay more money for a smaller version of the real thing," said Horbury, citing the evolution of music players from tapes to CDs to MP3 players as an example.
"The same philosophy can be applied to the automobile," he added. "People will be happy to buy a smaller car that is better for the environment and more maneuverable in the city as long as the vehicle has all the attributes they want."
The first production example of the all-new Ford Focus RS rolled off the production line today at the firm's Saarlouis plant in Germany. Powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine producing 305HP and 440 Nm of torque, the front-wheel drive Focus RS sprints from zero to 100km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 sec and achieves a top speed of 263 km/h (164 mph). The range-topping Focus is set to go on sale this March in more than 20 European countries including Russia, with the UK, Switzerland and Germany expected to be the highest volume markets. Click through to enjoy our high-resolution image gallery of the RS.
