Lincoln Town Car 0–60 Times
The Lincoln Town Car 0–60 times and quarter-mile times below are from 7 verified production tests sourced from reputable automotive resources such as Car and Driver, Motor Trend and MotorWeek and more. A further 1 modified or prototype run is listed by year but kept out of every record and average, per our methodology.
The fastest tested production Lincoln Town Car is the 1998 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series Touring Sedan, which went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.90 seconds, reaching the ¼ mile in 16.10 seconds at 85.5 mph, according to Motor Trend.
The slowest tested production Lincoln Town Car is the 2005 Lincoln Town Car BPS (Ballistic Protection Series) Sedan, which took 12.00 seconds to reach 60 mph, running the ¼ mile in 18.60 seconds at 77.0 mph, according to Car and Driver.
Across the 7 verified production tests of the Lincoln Town Car, the average 0–60 mph time is 9.86 seconds. The average quarter-mile time is 17.24 seconds at 80.93 mph.
Separately, 1 modified or prototype run is on record for the Lincoln Town Car, led by the 1990 Lincoln Town Car Sedan (Prototype) at 11.80 seconds. These are not stock configurations and are excluded from the figures above.
Fastest 0–60 7.90sec 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan · stock
Average 0–60 9.86sec Across 7 production runs
Fastest Modified 11.80sec 1990 Sedan (Prototype) · modified
Avg ¼ Mile 17.24sec @ 80.9 mph trap
Slowest 0–60 12.00sec 2005 BPS (Ballistic
Across 7 verified production runs, the Lincoln Town Car ranges from 7.90 to 12.00 seconds 0–60, with a 9.86-second average. 1 modified or prototype run is recorded separately and excluded from this range.
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Lincoln Town Car Performance Overview
Lincoln’s body-on-frame Town Car ran from 1987 to 2011, and across 8 verified tests spanning those years (7 production, 1 modified), its performance story is defined by steady V8 refinement rather than abrupt shifts. Early cars were slower by modern standards: the 1987 Cartier Designer Series Edition Sedan reached 60 mph in 11.2 seconds, and the 1990 FN36 Signature Series Sedan improved slightly to 11.0 seconds. In this period, tested examples were gasoline-powered, naturally aspirated sedans, with the FN36 data centered on a 150-hp configuration.
The larger step came with the FN145 generation for 1998–2011, when the Town Car adopted the 4.6L SOHC Modular V8 in 200–239 hp form. That era produced the model’s quickest verified run, the 7.9-second 0–60 time from the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan, while later mainstream trims clustered closer to the nine-second range, including the 2003 Cartier Sedan at 9.2 seconds and the 2003 Cartier L Sedan at 9.3 seconds. At the far end, the armored 2005 BPS Sedan needed 12.0 seconds to 60.
By the final model year, the 2011 Signature Limited Fleet Sedan delivered the quickest quarter-mile at 16.1 seconds @ 88 mph. Today, the Town Car stands as a gasoline-only, naturally aspirated full-size sedan whose measured performance ranged from low-8-second best case to specialized 12-second variants.
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Lincoln Town Car 0–60 Times by Generation: FN36 to FN145
2 generations| Generation | Years | Avg 0–60 | Fastest 0–60 | Production Tests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN145 | 1998–2011 | 9.36s | 7.90s — 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan | 5 | The FN145 generation (1998–2011) averaged 9.36 seconds to 60 mph across 5 production tests, led by the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan at 7.90 seconds. Output ranged from 200 to 239 hp across 4.6L V8 configurations. |
| FN36 | 1990–1997 | 11.00s | 11.00s — 1990 Signature Series Sedan | 1 | The FN36 generation (1990–1997) averaged 11.00 seconds to 60 mph across 1 production tests, led by the 1990 Signature Series Sedan at 11.00 seconds. Output was 150 hp across 5.0L V8 configurations. A further 1 result from 1 modified vehicle is recorded but excluded from the average. |
FN145 1998–2011
Avg 0–60 9.36s
Fastest 7.90s
Tests 5
1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan
The FN145 generation (1998–2011) averaged 9.36 seconds to 60 mph across 5 production tests, led by the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan at 7.90 seconds. Output ranged from 200 to 239 hp across 4.6L V8 configurations.
FN36 1990–1997
Avg 0–60 11.00s
Fastest 11.00s
Tests 1
1990 Signature Series Sedan
The FN36 generation (1990–1997) averaged 11.00 seconds to 60 mph across 1 production tests, led by the 1990 Signature Series Sedan at 11.00 seconds. Output was 150 hp across 5.0L V8 configurations. A further 1 result from 1 modified vehicle is recorded but excluded from the average.
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Lincoln Town Car 0–60 Times by Year and Trim
7 production tests + 1 modified · 7 years ▾
2011 Lincoln Town Car
1 production run Avg 0–60 8.10 sec
Avg ¼ Mile 16.10 sec
Production Tests 1
#02
2011 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited Fleet Sedan
8.10sec 0–60
16.10s ¼ mi @ 88.0 mph
▾
- 0–60 mph
- 8.10 sec
- ¼ Mile ET
- 16.10 sec
- Trap Speed
- 88.0 mph
- Engine
- 4.6L V8
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Transmission
- 4A
- Horsepower
- 239 hp
- Torque
- 287 lb-ft
- Curb Weight
- 4,349 lbs
- Power-to-Weight
- 18.2 lbs/hp
- MPG EPA
- 16 C / 24 H / 15 Obs
- Production Vehicle
- Body Type
- Sedan
- Powertrain
- Gasoline
- Test Source
- Car and Driver
- Overall Rank
- #2 of 7 production runs
How we verify Lincoln Town Car performance data
Records and averages on this page cover verified production runs only; modified and prototype results are listed by year but never folded into them. We include only independently published road-test results from automotive publications. Manufacturer-claimed 0–60 times are excluded unless clearly labeled. When multiple publications test the same Lincoln Town Car trim, each run is listed separately — weather, tires, surface, rollout, and instrumentation all affect results.
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Lincoln Town Car 0–60 and quarter-mile distribution
0–60 vs ¼ mile · lower-left is fasterEach dot is a verified production test run
0–60 → ¼ mile →
Fastest Recorded run Slowest
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Lincoln Town Car performance FAQs
11 questions The 2011 Lincoln Town Car reached 60 mph in 8.1 seconds in Signature Limited Fleet Sedan form. That same test recorded a 16.1-second quarter-mile at 88 mph. It used a 239-hp 4.6L SOHC Modular V8, rear-wheel drive, and carried a 4,349-pound curb weight.
The quickest Lincoln Town Car on record is the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan, which ran from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. It is also the fastest stock Town Car on record, so there is no modified example ahead of it in the verified runs.
The fastest stock Lincoln Town Car is the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan at 7.9 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. Across all 8 Town Car tests, the average 0-60 time is 10.1 seconds, but the quickest stock result comes from that 1998 Touring model.
Across 8 verified Lincoln Town Car tests, the average 0-60 time is 10.1 seconds. The average quarter-mile is 17.35 seconds at 80.4 mph. The quickest run is 7.9 seconds to 60 mph, while the slowest recorded Town Car reached 60 mph in 12.0 seconds.
The FN145 third-generation Lincoln Town Car, sold from 1998 to 2011, averages 9.36 seconds from 0 to 60 mph across 5 tests. Its quickest recorded example is the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan at 7.9 seconds. Power across this generation ranges from 200 to 239 hp.
The fastest FN145 Town Car is the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan, with a 0-60 mph time of 7.9 seconds. Within the 1998-2011 third generation, that stands as the quickest verified acceleration result. The FN145 generation also posts a 9.36-second average across 5 tests.
The FN36 second-generation Lincoln Town Car, sold from 1990 to 1997, recorded an 11.0-second 0-60 mph time. Its quickest example on record is the 1990 Signature Series Sedan, also at 11.0 seconds. That generation is naturally aspirated, gasoline-powered, and rated at 150 hp in recorded form.
The Signature Series Touring Sedan is quicker. The 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan reaches 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, while the 2011 Signature Limited Fleet Sedan does it in 8.1 seconds. That gives the Touring Sedan a 0.2-second advantage in verified 0-60 testing.
The Cartier L Sedan is slightly quicker in recorded testing. The Cartier L Sedan runs 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds, while the Cartier Sedan posts 9.5 seconds. That means the Cartier L holds a 0.2-second edge over the standard Cartier in verified acceleration results.
The slowest Lincoln Town Car on record is the 2005 BPS (Ballistic Protection Series) Sedan, which takes 12.0 seconds to reach 60 mph. That makes it 4.1 seconds slower to 60 mph than the fastest Town Car, the 1998 Signature Series Touring Sedan at 7.9 seconds.
The quickest quarter-mile recorded for a Lincoln Town Car is 16.1 seconds at 88 mph, set by the 2011 Signature Limited Fleet Sedan. Across all 8 tests, the Town Car averages 17.35 seconds at 80.4 mph in the quarter-mile, so that 2011 run stands well ahead of the overall norm.
Sources
Car and Driver
Motor Trend
MotorWeek
0–60 and quarter-mile times vary with driver, weather, tire temperature, and wear. We collect every verified run we can find — so you see the range of what a Lincoln Town Car can do, not a single marketing claim.
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Other Lincoln 0–60 times
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