Lincoln launched an all-new rear-drive near-luxury sedan for 2000, similar to the Jaguar S-Type. The two cars' platforms are related, but the LS was built in Michigan rather than Britain, and they differed in styling and equipment. Base engine was a variant of the 3.0-liter V6 used in Ford's Taurus, but the available 3.9-liter V8 was based on Jaguar's 4.0-liter engine. Both drove a new five-speed automatic transmission (also used by Jaguar), but the V6 model could be equipped instead with a 5-speed manual gearbox.