When it comes to performance, Lincoln is a brand seldom thought of. Sure, models like the Mark VIII may come to mind, but these weren't nearly as honed or quick as other performance-oriented luxury vehicles such as those produced by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Jaguar. In essence, Lincoln has contentedly occupied the back row of performance, more interested in refined looks and excellent ride quality.Lincoln took its nonchalant position on performance so seriously that when they finally produced a car that made more horsepower than any other front-wheel drive in modern memory, it's almost as though they forgot to tell everyone. The car in question is the Lincoln MKZ. More specifically, the last iteration of the model which was axed just a few years ago. It's Ford-bred powerplant was an impressive piece of engineering, turning the MKZ into quite the sleeper car.This article focuses on the Lincoln MKZ 3.0-liter's place as the most powerful front-wheel drive sedan in modern memory. The Lincoln Continental of the same era also had an identical drivetrain and layout. We chose to go the MKZ route because it's a little more interesting than the beloved Continental. We are well aware the most powerful production front-wheel drive car ever made is the 1968–1970 Oldsmobile Toronado GT W-34. The MKZ Was Lincoln's Secret Weapon Lincoln Fast Facts About The Sleeper MKZ Production commenced in 2017 Utilized Ford's 3.0-liter twin-turbo Nano EcoBoost V6 Created 350 horsepower in its front-wheel-drive configuration The last MKZ was built in 2020 The MKZ's Roots While the Lincoln MKZ ended up being one of Lincoln's most powerful cars ever built, along with being the most powerful front-wheel-drive car in modern automotive history, its story didn't start out very heroic. First introduced in 2006, the MKZ was basically a Ford Fusion in a fancy frock. While it remained based on the Fusion for the remainder of its life, the second-gen MKZ came about in 2013 and managed to shake off some of its Ford blue-collar vibe.After the debut of the second-gen MKZ, it was obvious Lincoln was going for a much more minimalist approach to design, with both the MKZ's headlights and taillights being thin and delicate, a stark difference from the late first-gen's gigantic, rectangular taillights. Overall, the MKZ now looked classy. The only issue was, its powertrain was lacking quite a bit, with the most powerful mill on offer being a 3.7-liter Duratec V6. However, come the MKZ's 2017 facelift, this would change. Enter The Sleeper Lincoln Along with a well-sculpted new front end which conveyed its luxurious image much better than the pre-facelift's minimalist face, the aforementioned facelift injected some much-needed athleticism into the MKZ. The naturally aspirated 3.7-liter Duratec V6 was thrown away, and a new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 replaced it. This very same Nano V6 is the one responsible for powering the 2020 and 2021 Ford Explorer ST, along with the current Ford Ranger Raptor. In short, it's no slouch.On top of producing 350 hp in its front-wheel drive configuration, the MKZ was also able to produce an extremely impressive 400 hp when optioned with all-wheel drive. This makes the second-gen, facelifted Lincoln MKZ both the most powerful front-wheel drive car produced in modern memory, along with earning itself the title of the most powerful Lincoln car ever produced, period, though the brand-new 2025 Navigator SUV puts out 440 hp. The MKZ's EcoBoost Heart IAAI The 3.0-liter EcoBoost unit in the 2017 to 2020 Lincoln MKZ is no ordinary six-pot, and has some unique features hidden under that engine cover that make the motor a bit more lively. It's based on the smaller Nano engine (the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6), which itself has seen extensive use in Fords such as the F-150. Ford engineers bored the 2.7-liter out and increased its stroke to create a 3.0L.While the 3.0-liter EcoBoost was based on a Ford engine, it was initially meant to solely be a Lincoln motor, although Ford began using it in 2020 with the introduction of the Ford Explorer ST, Ford Explorer Police Interceptor, and the current Ford Ranger Raptor and Bronco Raptor. Handling the MKZ's EcoBoost power was a 6F six-speed automatic transmission which, interestingly, was built by both General Motors and Ford as part of a joint agreement, just the same as the two companies' latest shared ten-speed automatic transmission. The MKZ Wasn't The Only Muscle-bound Modern Lincoln Lincoln A few years before the Lincoln MKZ's release in 2006, another car sat in an obscure, sleeper-type position in Lincoln's lineup. It was called the Lincoln LS, and it shared much of its underpinnings with the Ford Thunderbird and the Jaguar S-Type. Lincoln's idea was to unleash the LS in order to directly compete with the likes of the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.On top of its masculine looks, the LS offered a pair of Jaguar engines, one a 3.0-liter V6 and the other a 3.9-liter V8. Using the latter engine, the LS could produce up to 280 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque. While adequate for a car its size, it wasn't enough oomph to really challenge the Germans. After the 2006 model year, Ford/Lincoln made the decision to ax the LS and indirectly replace it with both the Lincoln MKZ and the larger, Ford Taurus-based Lincoln MKS. Why The MKZ Went Away Quietly Lincoln Much like what Ford has done recently, Lincoln discontinued the MKZ in order to begin solely offering crossovers and SUVs. Demand for domestically-produced sedans had fallen drastically throughout the latter half of the 2010s, and Ford was fed up with producing cars which weren't selling nearly as well as they'd hoped. The Lincoln Continental also met a similar fate, and was discontinued in 2020, as well.Lincoln Interestingly, Ford's German boss recently stated that the brand is developing new passenger cars. If it is indeed planning new old-school sedans, surely it would make sense to introduce some models with Lincoln badges... The MKZ would certainly be on the list of Ford passenger cars we'd like to see make a comeback. What An MKZ Costs On The Used Market Lincoln If you're in the market for a $30,000 luxury sedan, a 2019 Lincoln MKZ is certainly worth a look. There are several other options, but an AWD Lincoln MKZ in the top-spec Black Label trim makes a good case for itself. We found several low-mileage examples on the CarBuzz Marketplace selling for $30k. The MKZ doesn't have the best consumer rating, with J.D. Power giving it 77 out of 100, which is far below the Lexus ES' 82 points. You'll also want to check for a full service history, as owners complained mostly about power steering leaks, and cylinder head failures, mostly on early 2017 models.Sources: BlueOvalForums.com, Lincoln
