The Lincoln LS is more than an all-new car &endash; it is also an entree to an all-new

segment for Lincoln.

LS is designed and engineered to appeal to a customer who

normally wouldn't put "Lincoln" on a shopping list of

premium automotive marques. Potential LS customers are

busy building successful lives. They are independent,

open-minded and confident but, at the same time, they're

not ostentatious &endash; they don't believe that the best

choice in automobiles necessarily has to be the most

obvious or expensive.

LS is designed to balance American style and luxury with

European driving dynamics. It offers athletic and

confident performance while surrounding its occupants

with comfortable, yet functional, luxury.

LS also establishes a new level of affordable luxury,

highlighted by the most competitively priced V-8 in the

segment. The LS V-8 features a starting price of $35,225,

thousands of dollars less than competitive V-8 luxury

sedans. The LS V-6 equipped with automatic transmission

starts at $31,450; the LS V-6 with manual transmission

and standard Sport Package starts at $32,250. All prices

include $535 in destination and delivery charges.

"The Lincoln LS enters the fastest growing portion of the

luxury segment, so we know how critical it is to offer a

car with outstanding driving dynamics, superb American

comfort and outstanding value," says Jim Rogers, vice

president of marketing for Lincoln Mercury. "LS is a true

luxury sport sedan, with a unique balance of performance

and comfort &endash; all offered at a pleasantly surprising

price," he adds.

Customers in the luxury sport segment expect features

that were mandatory from the very beginning of the LS

development program: smooth and powerful powertrains;

athletic and responsive vehicle dynamics; a spacious,

comfortable and quiet cabin; functional trunk capacity;

and purposeful optional equipment, such as the Sport

Package and SelectShiftTM automatic transmission.

Early in the development process, the LS team conducted

comparative driving tests with potential customers and

competitive vehicles to identify exactly what these

customers expect. The research found that they considered

LS a timeless classic design that fits well in the luxury

sport segment. While some competitors deliver superb

performance and others are luxuriously comfortable, the

Lincoln LS was recognized as offering a desirable balance

of American luxury and European driving dynamics.

LS will provide customers with an American-bred,

American-built alternative to imported luxury sport

sedans, and is expected to attract a new and younger

customer into Lincoln showrooms.

As the Navigator proved with its instant popularity, LS

provides further proof that Lincoln has transformed

itself into a full-line luxury manufacturer delivering

exciting, contemporary products. LS will play a critical

role in expanding Lincoln's presence as a global brand.

With LS, Lincoln is well positioned to join one of the

automotive industry's fastest growing areas &endash; the luxury

sport segment. Between 1994 and 1998, vehicle

registrations in this segment grew from more than 262,000

units to nearly 438,000 units. In 1994, the luxury sport

sub-segment comprised 26 percent of the overall luxury

car segment. In 1998, that ratio had grown to 40 percent.

LS is designed for buyers who are upwardly mobile and

self-confident. Most of them will have previously owned a

domestic model, but who are now ready for a car

delivering functional performance with luxury

appointments, like LS. Features and equipment packaging

for LS is performance-oriented and purposeful with an

emphasis on functional luxury. The LS V-8 automatic is

expected to be the most popular configuration, followed

by the V-6 automatic and V-6 with five-speed manual

transmission. Standard equipment for all cars includes

leather upholstery, 16-inch brushed aluminum wheels, a

power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and real wood

trim for the steering wheel and shift knob.

LS allows customers to personalize their car with an

optional convenience package containing memory seating

and steering wheel adjusters, an electrochromic rear-view

mirror, and moisture sensitive windshield wipers. A Sport

Package will be standard equipment with the V-6 manual

transmission powertrain, and offered as optional

equipment on the V-6 and V-8 equipped with automatic

transmissions.

This configuration includes 17-inch wheels with

high-performance tires, SelectShiftä automatic

transmission and a European-tuned suspension.

The LS, in combination with the Navigator, broadens the

Lincoln brand beyond traditional luxury offerings. "For

us, the perfect garage is one that is home to both a

Navigator and an LS," says LS brand manager Mike Crowley.

Another LS distinction is the dialogue that Lincoln

established early-on with potential customers. "These are

influential, car-smart consumers who help three or more

of their friends and associates decide which vehicle to

buy," Crowley says.

Lincoln provided these potential customers with detailed

technical information, with an emphasis on the attributes

that make LS a serious driver's car. With over 600,000

hits to date on the LS internet web site, this all-new

Lincoln has attracted a lot of attention.