Inside our roomy LSC, the plush perforated-leather seats were accented in grand fashion by authentic burled-walnut trim on the door panels and console.
The gauges on the instrument panel are bright and nicely styled. A multi-function electronic message center permits the driver to track time between oil changes, control seat and mirror positions, switch the traction control system on or off, change the display unit from English to metric, and operate the autolamp-delay function. The alpha-numeric display also provides cellular telephone data, and the Mark VIII's optional cellular phone can be used either inside the car or from a remote locale.
The leather seats are cozy and offer the driver a lot of cushion. Power seats that provide six adjustments offer enough configurations to ensure a comfortable and proper seating position.
To ease exit from the vehicle, the driver's seat floats back two inches and the steering column ascends upward whenever the key is taken out of the ignition.
Because the Mark VIII LSC sports a $39,000-plus base sticker price, it should come as no surprise that the vehicle is equipped with a long list of luxury features as standard equipment.
They include: anti-lock brakes (ABS), traction control, speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering, 16-inch chrome wheels, air conditioning with automatic climate control, power windows, power door locks, power heated mirrors, message center with trip computer, burled walnut wood applique, leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power-tilt telescoping steering column, driver's seat memory with remote recall, six-way driver and passenger power seats, and remote keyless entry.
Trunk-mounted CD changers offer the advantage of being able to load up a magazine with hours of music without having to mess around with compact discs, a nice feature when traveling. Their disadvantage is that they are a bit fussy when you've got a disc in hand that you want to quickly try out.
The Mark VIII is quiet. To reduce engine noise, Lincoln's engineers positioned the air-intake system away from the passenger cabin. They also used generous amounts of body insulation and sealing.
The 4.6-liter V8 engine on the standard Mark VIII delivers 280 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque. It comes with four valves per cylinder (32 valves) and double overhead-cams (four cams).
A slightly more powerful version of the same engine is used in the LSC that puts out 290 horsepower. That power provided a burly burst of acceleration in all situations, from standing starts to critical highway-passing scenarios. In cruise mode, it was smooth and quiet.
Lincoln's engineers extended tune-up intervals to 100,000 miles with a coil-on-plug ignition system; each spark plug has its own coil.
When tackling sharp corners or freeway on-ramps, the Mark VIII provided impressive handling capabilities for such a large car. The speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering offered precise control. A four-wheel independent suspension with computer-controlled air springs automatically adjust for changes in the load, while gas-pressurized shocks with integral rebound springs help keep the car taut. Large front and rear anti-roll bars reduce body lean in corners.
The LSC comes with even larger front and rear anti-roll bars for flatter cornering response. We found our LSC impressively nimble when along the twisty roads in Detroit's fittingly tony northern suburbs.
Lincoln's Mark VIII uses a rear-wheel-drive layout, and the all-speed electronic traction control system reduces wheelspin in slippery conditions.