Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, including luxury models like the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS, now run on regular unleaded gas, the automaker reports.

By developing vehicles that deliver both fuel efficiency and performance using regular unleaded gasoline, customers can save as much as $200 annually at the pump filling up a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury product rather than using premium unleaded fuel, according to automaker.  

The Lincoln MKS, equipped with the 3.7-liter V-6 and front-wheel drive, for example, delivers 275 hp and 274 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel. Fill up with regular unleaded, and the luxury sedan still delivers more than 270 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, along with maintaining 24 miles per gallon on the highway.  

Thanks to Ford's improved adaptive spark ignition system, Lincoln MKS owners that fill up with regular unleaded don't have to worry about the common engine knock and pinging often associated with using a lower-grade gas.

This system can sense what type of fuel is being injected into the motor, and communicates the information to the powertrain control module (PCM), which adjusts the spark accordingly.