This is a story of redemption. The first Lincoln LS I ever sat in was a display vehicle at the auto show in Detroit. It was black with a black interior, and when the driver’s door was slammed, the glovebox door popped open. It wasn’t a good sign. And it didn’t help matters that the car’s styling was derivative and awkward. The headlights mimicked the 7-Series BMW, and the taillights were…a mess. The trunk lid cut angled toward the center of the car, while the lighting units mounted on the deck lid itself angled the opposite way, following the outline of the garish chrome accent surrounding the license plate opening. Between the two ends was a car that was blandly sporting, with an interior that was more suited to a top of the line Taurus than a Lincoln.

How times change. The 2003 LS hasn’t shed its original sheetmetal, that will come later in the form of a vehicle that has the styling of the Continental Concept shrunk to fit. But the design team has cleaned up the rough spots, the engineers have refined the entire vehicle, and the result is a car with a claimed 500 improvements. The taillights are more harmonious, and though the reshaped license plate surround still dominates the trunk lid, the rear view is much easier on the eyes. The Cheshire Cat grille opening remains, but the grille itself is crisper, and bracketed by better integrated headlamps. Inside, the instrument panel retains the overall shape of its predecessor, but the finish is Lincoln’s signature brushed nickel, and the graphics have been revised. And a switch to a Dura-supplied electric parking brake allowed designers to eliminate the handbrake from the center console, and increase interior stowage space. Plus, during the entire time spent in the car, the glovebox door stayed shut, no matter how rough the road or how hard the door was slammed.

During a drive through rural Virginia, the 2003 LS proved itself to be very adept dynamically, an almost perfect melding of American luxury and sportiness. I say “almost” because, on occasion, the rear dampers could be made to “float” which introduced a wallow that would quickly take up the available suspension travel. I can understand why the ride engineers wouldn’t want to mess with the firmness of the dampers – the ride could become too harsh, costing the LS its ability to confidently soak up bumps and road irregularities without bothering the passengers – but greater control needs to be exercised by the rear springs and dampers. Adding a bump rubber in the back might do the trick without doing any harm.

Overall, the LS is planted, solid, yet light on its feet. It feels beefier than a Japanese sport/luxury sedan, but not as harsh as its German counterparts. It is a refined, American texture that’s aided ZF’s capable Servotronic II speed-sensitive power steering unit. It gives accurate helm control and reasonable feel, is never caught out under pressure, and isn’t so responsive that the car feels nervous or so slow it seems sluggish.

A quick run down – and back up – a steep, switchback-infested section of road showed the surprising capabilities the Lincoln LS. By manually shifting the five-speed automatic transmission on this section of road, it was possible to use the broad torque and rev range of the 280-hp. 3.9-liter V8 to best advantage. Granted, a 5-Series BMW would have gone through this section quicker, and offered a few more options in terms of adjusting the vehicle’s attitude, but that’s not the point. The Lincoln tackled this road without fear of failure, imparted no undue harshness, and came out the other side with head held high.

The LS is a much better car now than ever before, yet not as overtly sporting as some competitors. The ride and handling – except for the small concern mentioned earlier – are able to tackle rough roads and tight corners with nearly equal aplomb. With the LS, Lincoln has created a defensible outline for what constitutes a true American sport sedan. One that melds equal measures of sport, luxury, and comfort without overpowering the senses. Now all Lincoln needs to create is a fresh wrapper to complete the LS’s metamorphosis.