The Lincoln Mark VIII is a grand touring luxury sport coupe that was marketed by Lincoln from the 1993 to 1998 model years. The first generation of the Mark series branded entirely as a Lincoln, the Mark VIII again served as a counterpart of the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar. Though maintaining its traditional brand rivalry with the Cadillac Eldorado, the Mark VIII was also developed to become more competitive against luxury coupes from automakers around the world.

The Mercury Cougar is a series of automobiles that was sold by Mercury from 1967 to 2002. The model line is a diverse series of vehicles; though the Cougar nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at various stages in its production, the model also was offered as a convertible and a hatchback. During its production as the mid-size Mercury line, the Cougar was also offered as a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon.