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This Factory-Backed 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Nailed a Bonneville Record at 183 mph

The Bonneville Speed Week just wrapped with a new land speed record from George Poteet's Speed Demon 715 Blown Fuel Streamliner but that should only motivate you into preparing for the 2021 edition with your very own machine. And so just happens that we have the perfect fit for you and your (arguably) lighter bank account.
1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum 13 photos
Photo: Mecum Auctions
1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Mecum
Land speed records are the dreams of daredevils. They are also the nightmares of their accountants. But we might have the perfect car to satisfy both – this 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII grand touring coupe (as far as we can tell the listing erroneously refers to it as a Mk VII in the header) was once prepared as the company’s official entry into the “Class D-Stock Land Speed Racer” category.

As such, the pre-production prototype is not your average Lincoln luxury car of the era – that would leave us less excited than watching a sloth mind about its business for a couple of hours. But the example crossing the auction block late this month during Mecum’s Kissimmee Summer Special in Florida is something for Lincoln collectors with a knack for the automaker’s motorsport exploits.

The story goes that Linc wanted to prove its salt (pun intended) at the Bonneville flats in order to draw attention on the new generation’s vastly improved aerodynamics and the newly modular 4.6-liter V8 under the hood. It did so without breaking a sweat, averaging almost 183 mph over two runs.

To be precise, the Mark VIII prototype hit exactly 182.694 mph (294.017 kph) over the two-way run – and after the achievement the company’s Lincoln tractor-trailer that carried the car and its equipment was modified with white shoe polish from the stock “Lincoln. What a luxury car should be.” catchphrase to a new version reading: “Lincoln. What a luxury car should be. Fast—182.694 MPH!

The feat was achieved thanks to a slew of modifications – the standard safety changes were backed by important technical changes. Most importantly, the car’s suspension was programed to lower almost two inches and the engine was lightened by dropping the catalytic converters to make way for a true dual-exhaust system. And, when set on the dyno, the new setup showed 290 to 295 hp.
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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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