cmon and tell us what you know about the changes coming to the LS. Are you trying to say it will be off of DEW and on to the new mustang platform(DC197 or something along those lines)? thats the only way i see them fitting a modular motor, as i was under the impression that the dew platform only accomodated the jag based motors

 

You are right.

For those of you who didn't know, the problem with the DEW chassis is that Ford can't fit their V8s between the fender wells with the space needed for an assembly line installation. The LS' 3.9 is based on Jaguars V8 engine, not the modular engine Ford uses. The 3.9 is physically smaller than Ford's 4.6.

Ford wants to use their modular engines in the LS' replacement. The '197 is engineered to be pretty flexible, and will be under a number of future Ford vehicles. Including Lincoln.

 

any projections on timeline here? maybe the ls replacement in 06 or 07, a 2 door in 08 or 09?

 

LS is due to be replaced by the Continental in '06. Mercury is due for a version of the chassis between then and 2007 (I can guess what it is, but I have no official word that pinpoints it). The next Thunderbird (it won't be a 2 seat convertible) will be on the '197.

Ford has been dabbling with a coupe for Lincoln since at least '99. I suspect that like the Chrysler 300, so much additional work has been done while the vehicle was "on hold" that once the green light is given, it could probablly end up in showrooms very, very quickly.

 

99, eh? wasnt that the year (or slightly before) that the MK9 concept came out?
so altogether that gives us 4 new rear drive cars on top of the mustang by 07? thats not too shabby, especially if theres plenty of division between the platform mates, short of the mercury you're thinking about and the mustang.