Lincoln Continental gets suicide doors

Lincoln has announced it is celebrating 80 years of the car-maker's large sedan with a special version of its Lincoln Continental sedan that features a pair of rear-hinged 'suicide' doors.

Paying tribute to the legendary fourth-generation Continental that was sold in the US over 1961-1969, the new Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Coach Door Edition features a pair of electric rear doors that open 90-degrees outwards.

The Ford luxury brand said it will make just 80 of the special Continentals, which as well as gaining a pair of suicide doors has had its wheelbase stretched by a substantial 150mm.

This ensures rear passengers have more legroom to enjoy in the two large rear seats.

Instead of a middle seat, Lincoln has squeezed in a large rear console that incorporates a rear stowable tray table, tablet holder and wireless charging pad.

Up front for the driver, meanwhile, there's a 30-way adjustable seat, head-up display and an active noise-cancelling premium sound system.

Under the bonnet, the limited-edition Continental is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that produces around 300kW and 542Nm of torque.

Lincoln has not released performance figures for its longer -- and presumably heavier -- Continental.

It's thought that, in the future, rear-hinged doors could reappear on other Lincoln models.

Unfortunately, we're unlikely to see the Ford-owned luxury brand Down Under any time soon.

Back in 2015 a representative of the brand told motoring.com.au that the US car-maker would focus its energies on expanding its presence in China, not Australia.