Loki-MKZ

Izzy, What are you doing with the stock wheels?

I just bought a 2020 3.0 AWD MKZ loaded with everything but the panoramic roof and heads up display because after this its SUV's and I will not be in the market for one. I prefer sedans in my late 50's and having a 400hp sedan is perfect, for now. In 3 years, who knows but Ford/Lincoln screwed up by discontinuing them and they are going to lose a 40 year loyal buyer because of it.

Exactly! I didn't want white or silver either but the copper burgundy comes with cappuccino or black, I'm sick of both so in order to get the interior I wanted I had to go white, the fact they limit your options boggles my mind, they would sell more if people could choose what they like. So last time was for the exterior, this one the interior, the most important was the 3.0 TT AWD. As for vibration, these have followed me from a few cars, it's like it skips every other car. I'm sensitive to it and in this car it's either a multiple wheel balance or flat spots from sitting for more than a few days, in hot weather the condition is to a much lesser degree. I'm making an appointment this week so we'll see.

Have you run it at the dragstrip? Mine with just a tune would squeal all 4 tires leaving the line for a good 15ft.

As somebody who tuned his previous MKZ, trust me, you are not going to run 12's stock. The sift points are lower stock and the engine most definitely makes more power when tuned for 93, keep in mind the calibration stock is to allow for 87. Mine with traction issues tuned on 93 went 12.7@108 and pulled an SRT Challenger 3 times by half a second at GLD in Union Grove, Wisc. I now have a brand new stock 2020 MKZ and can feel the difference between the tuned 17 and my 20.

Viking, So you're the reason the name was taken, nice!!

Any updates? VERY interested in how this is going. ?

I traded in my 12.7 second '17 MKZ that was my favorite color burgundy velvet for a brand new 2020 pearl metallic white. Both have the 3.0 AWD twin turbo but the new one has every option except for heads up display and panoramic roof, I did get the moonroof though. I wanted to keep the '17 but the MKZ is dead after 2020 so I wanted to get one brand new while I could. A friend of mine bought my MKZ so I know it has a good home. I seriously wanted the copper burgundy that closely matches the one I had but you can't get the terracotta bridge of weir leather with that color and I'm sick of plain black leather, it's nice but didn't want it this time. So white was it, the Revel Ultima audio system is both awesome and horrible all at the same time. If you have a very good recording it sounds competition levels good, playing the demo that is included in the system blows your mind, then you hear music on the sat radio and it's bleh... too much sounds over processed. Music off the iPod sounds mostly awesome. Is it worth the extra cost with the luxury package, yes. The adaptive suspension, seems no different than without, the adaptive jewel looking headlights are cool and seriously light up the road, the lane keeping is creepy, the adaptive cruise control is the same as I had in my 2013 Taurus Limited except it can stop and go, the massage seats make the seats a little less comfortable than those without, same as in the Taurus except the massage is a lot better in the MKZ, it does as described. The proximity sensors all over the car can drive you crazy when you park in your garage. There is a vibration while driving at 65 plus that feels like a wheel is out of balance so that needs to be checked out and the rear window privacy shade rattles. I hit 1000 miles this week after 5 weeks and mileage is averaging 23, power is excellent of course but I did have boost cut occur once which is very un-nerving. I don't know if I'm going to tune this one or not, the plus of the tune in the last one was an increase in mpg as well as performance, on vacation last year we averaged 32mpg for 500 miles going 70mph. I love the car so far, the dealer better be able to figure out the vibration, I HATE vibrations! ?

I believe I have a recording on my dash cam from this weekend when it did it again, it actually set off the crash alert on the dash cam. I need to download the recording.

The car ran a year plus tuned with no issues except for transmission shifting harsh at times due to the tune. Dealership checked the car while it was tuned. I have returned it to stock tune, due to covid at home this week, will drive it Monday and see how it is, strangely last few times I drove it the car was an animal as usual, no issues with boost loss at all so now that I put it back to stock tune, who knows. If it does it on stock tune then something is definitely up, what, I have no clue.

It happens with traction control off or on sadly.

I've gotten no check engine lights, no shudder either. In low speeds when it drops to a gear it shouldn't have and it lugs the engine it makes a groaning sound at times, I give it more gas so it drops another gear or I use the paddle. I've done nothing to the car but the Livernois tune and 93 octane gas which I ran before the tune as well. How people can put 87 into a car like this makes no sense to me. I have to look that up, I'll report back after work. The car has had an oil leak recall and other work done. From a dig the car is an animal and will screech all 4 tires through an intersection, that Q50 found out the hard way that some old man cars can haul ass. I want to meet the guys at Lincoln that thought up the 3.0 TT and told Ford they couldn't have it back in 2017. ?

My MKZ 3.0 TT AWD at times will not give me boot, it will just fall flat on its face and actually either slow down or drop a few gears and try to accelerate through the turbos which of course it doesn't do very well. I don't drive the car hard most of the time, but I was passing some very slow cars and sudden;y the car fell flat on its face and I had to hurry back into the lane due to cars coming, there were no cars when I hit the gas but it fell so hard so fast well, cars showed up. I test the car a few times a week and it either takes off like a scalded dog or it falls flat, this never happens from a stand still. This weekend I got into it with the Q50 that has the 400hp option and walked him, I rarely get into race situations on public roads but this was late on the tollway with no other cars and he was begging for it. I wasn't go to fall for it because I don't trust the car now. Well, it responded the way it should and left that guy wondering what the hell just beat him, I padded her on the dash and said good girl. I told the dealer about the boost issues, they find nothing wrong of course, go figure. When they drive it the car gives them boost no matter what.

I got a lot of people walking up to me asking what was done to the car, I explained it's bone stock save for the 91 octane tune, blows their minds, lots of guys in SRT's, Camaro's and Mustang's the MKZ is beating and they don't understand how. I'd love to get to the low 12's but I don't see me modding it any further.

On Saturday 10/26 I ran 12.7, 12.8 and two 13.0's, the car just sat too long between runs and would heat soak waiting for cars in front to get going. New issue, on the way to the dragstrip I went to pass two cars, as I hit the gas and started to pass the car fell flat on its face and lost speed, I take take my foot off the gas and gently lay into it again or it would again fall on its face. Ran fine at the track and on the way home, no clue what caused this, I'm using good gas.

I ran the MKZ at Byron Dragway 10/26, first up was a Chevy Silverado with the 5.3 LS and twin turbos, I was sure he was going to blow right by me. I ran a 12.7 to his 14.3, he apparently was having boost controller issues, we raced 3 times, the last time he figured more out and ran a 13.3 to my 13.0. I'm amazed how fast this car is, there was a whipple 2011 SS Camaro there running 12.4's, I wanted to race him so bad, not because I thought I could win but to scare the pants off the guy knowing I'd be right there at the end of the track, in a LINCOLN. ?

Looks fantastic!

I am definitely going in September! Driving the MKZ on the tollway, you need to go around somebody, you push just a little on the throttle and boost takes you around everybody, no need to push hard, she just goes. Amazing.

I actually felt bad for her, the last two runs when she red lit and I still just waltzed by, not fun for somebody with a Hemi. I remember back around late 1985, I had my brand new Ford Mustang Notch 5.0 LX at GLD it ran a 15.0@92 until I tweaked timing etc which got her into the 14.5's, this is what most of the performance cars ran back then. I remember seeing a guy with a Vega, huge tires, headers, sounded mean as hell and it ran 12.9@105 and I was thinking how the hell do I get to that?!?! Fast forward and I crank out a 12.8@107 in a luxury car that feels like it isn't even trying. My buddy said when I launched all he heard was a "whooooosh" and it was gone. I may look into other tweaks but with the extended warranty I don't know if I want to push it, 12.8 was pretty sweet. My Mustang goes 11.7 so I'm pretty happy there as well.

Agreed, I wish she liked to run cooler, if I want to race somebody I'll need to tell them to wait while I go do a run and then we can race, it's hard to wrap my brain around. I'd love to go better intercooler, better CAI, better but not louder exhaust. I was so happy with the performance, especially when the Hemi red lit and I squealed all 4 tires and went by her, she was not happy!! I shouldn't be building this car up but damn, an intercooler, CAI exhaust and tune should get her deep into the low 12's.

The DA was 2480 and temp was 72f. The Livernois tune is not all that and a bag of chips, when cooled off or first thing in the am 1 to 2 is harsh and 2 to 3 isn't much better. I had 1/2 a tank in the car, I'm not sure about future mods, I have a 2018 Mustang GT so that is my fun car, the MKZ is my daily and it blows my mind that it runs into the 12's! What did your 3.7 run at GLD? I'd love to go up there again, perhaps in September when it cools down?

My MKZ has the Livernois 93 octane tune. I took off early from work to wash the MKZ and get it ready for going to GLD. I met my buddy at his house and we departed for GLD. We stopped for gas so photo op of course, that ZL1 is a beastly looking machine! I didn't wait long after they opened the staging lanes, the car was still hot from the almost 2 hour drive so when I got to the line I turned TCS off, put her into Sport mode and I stalled to 2,000 rpms and launched her with a very uneventful run. The MKZ ran the 1/4 mile as if she were on a luxury cruise until the end leaving me think I ran a high 13 seconds. As I'm heading down the return road I see my buddy with both hands in the air, I'm wondering why he is doing this so when I get to the time sheet shack he hands me a time slip with a 12.997@106.25 and I'm thinking to myself, WTF?? My 1985 LX 5.0 Notch felt like a fire breather at 14.6!! This Lincoln felt like it was on a Sunday stroll. I then lined up against a Black Hemi SRT Challenger that had an upgraded exhaust and I was thinking, well this should be an interesting loss for me but I know I'll get out there first! The tree came down and we both launched and I'm looking to my left and nobody is there, I check the mirror and it's 2 cars back! WTF?!?! I ran a 13.158@107 to her 13.641@102!! I decided to hot lap it, so did the SRT, we lined up again and this time she red lights and gets a 2 tenth head start. The MKZ squeals all 4 tires and rips off a 12.88@106 to her 13.5@103 and I can't believe it. I ran her 4 times, she was not happy. It turns out the MKZ likes to run hot, if I let her cool off she slowed down, it would hold power on the 1 to 2 shift which boggles my mind but over all I couldn't be happier. My buddies ZL1 had issues with traction, I mean 600ft smoke shows no matter how he launched it would start smoking the tires even if he got out clean, it would bang into the next gear and blow the tires away so his best was an 11.8@126. He'll get that thing figured out in no time, with tires that monster should be good for 10's.

That's why I go to the drag strip, to let it all hang out and have fun so on the street I can be mellow. The Mustang ran that 11.7@121 on the stock craptastic Goodyear All Weather tires so she she could easily have gone 11.5 with real tires. The car is still at Ford because apparently very few people know how to rebuild the 10r80 so I'm in a line, this year is looking to be a low miles year so I'm looking at the positives. My MKZ on the street doesn't have wheel hop issues, thankfully they just squeal a bit and the car is off like a rocket. I haven't and don't street race my cars but it's nice to know what they're capable of. Car and Driver calls the 400hp MKZ hilariously over powered, I call it hilariously entertaining. :)

I only have the tune, when cold it jerks into 2nd and sometimes 3rd which is frustrating and once when going WOT from a light the rev limiter kicked in at 5500rpm and I had to back off. It hasn't done that since but I worry about drag racing the car as my 2018 A10 GT transmission blew at the drag strip so I'm a bit gun shy right now. 12.6 is very nice! I'm hoping for a 13.0 with the 93 tune with nothing else done.

I wish I knew, hopefully somebody with knowledge of the 2.0 can chime in. Have you taken yours to the drag strip yet to baseline it?