For the 1993 model year, the Lincoln Mark VII was replaced by the Lincoln Mark VIII. The first generation of the Mark series originally branded as a Lincoln, the Mark VIII remained a variant of the Ford Thunderbird/Mercury Cougar, shifting from the 1980 Fox chassis to the FN10 chassis (a Lincoln version of the MN12 chassis). Placing further emphasis on handling, the Mark VIII retained rear-wheel drive and adopted four-wheel independent suspension (with the Mark VIII and Thunderbird/Cougar as the only American-produced four-seat cars of the time with both chassis features). The body was streamlined further to modernize its exterior (relegating the spare-tire decklid to vestigial status). In massive contrast from its 1970s predecessors, the Mark VIII was given a cockpit-style interior, with all controls oriented towards the driver.