The first pickup for Lincoln -- riding on the full-size chassis of Ford's best-selling F-150 truck -- shows a profile that's similar to F-150 but Lincoln design cues apply, such as the waterfall grille up front, a band of shiny chrome ringing the vehicle and four thick-spoke wheels plated in chrome. Inside the four-door cab, there's genuine wood accents with soft leather covering all seats and textured aluminum dotting door panels and the front console. There's a truck-strong powertrain on tap with Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8 kicking out 300 hp. High power and torque ratings for this engine make the Mark LT worthy for towing a hefty trailer, as maximum tow capacity rises to 8900 pounds and payload capacity in the truck's back bed tallies to 1620 pounds. Optional gear extends to four-wheel-drive traction, power adjustable pedals, a power moonroof and running boards.

A stylish luxury sedan shows up in Lincoln's line for 2006 called Zephyr, namesake from ancient Greece for the mythic god of the west wind but also a streamlined Lincoln from 1936 packing a V12 engine. Zephyr of 2006 also shows a streamlined package and luxury-car cabin but the engine has only half the number of cylinders of its 1936 predecessor. Powertrain is a dual-cam 3.0-liter V6 with 210 hp managed through a six-speed automatic.

Standard safety systems include dual front air bags and seat-mounted side air bags for each front seat plus curtain-style air bags concealed above side windows for head protection of front and rear riders. Cabin content ranges from soft leather upholstery on seats to trimwork in real wood (dark ebony or light maple) and satin-finish aluminum, white electrolumin-escent lighting for instruments, twin-zone climate controls, a navigation system and deluxe THX audio components. (...BACK)