The car featured four-wheel independent suspension, with short-and-long arms (SLA) and a spring strut assembly in the front and multiple links in the rear, that offered excellent handling and ride quality.

This setup was significant as it made the Thunderbird, the Lincoln Mark VIII, and the Cougar the only rear-wheel drive North American domestic cars other than the Chevrolet Corvette to offer a four-wheel independent suspension at the time.

Due in part to its low coefficient of drag, the Thunderbird was relatively fuel efficient considering its overall size and weight.

Accompanying the more powerful engine, Super Coupes were equipped with a host of unique features underlining their higher performance demeanor relative to standard Thunderbirds.

Among these were larger, 16 x 7.0 inch alloy wheels with high performance tires (standard Thunderbirds came with 15 x 6.0 inch steel wheels and 15 x 6.5 inch alloy wheels were optional), a Traction-Lok limited slip differential, standard anti-lock brakes, 4-wheel disc brakes (vented front and rear rotors), speed-sensitive variable assist steering, lower body side cladding, fog lights, and a stiffer suspension with adjustable shocks supplied by Tokico.

This criticism came as a surprise to the program staff who expected to be praised for the Thunderbird and Cougars' technical achievements and positive reception.

[9] For 1992, the Thunderbird received its first styling update with a reshaped decklid featuring new LED illuminated tail lamp units.

A V8 Sport model was offered for this year only featuring the Super Coupe front fascia with fog lamps, lower body accent stripes and an upgraded suspension and handling package.

The Thunderbird received an extensive mid-cycle refresh for 1994, with revisions to powertrain, exterior appearance, addition of safety features, and a total redesign of its interior.

The front fascia saw substantial styling changes with larger air intakes in the bumper cover, new headlamps, and a new, slightly more curvaceous hood.

The Thunderbird emblem was moved from the front edge of the hood to the upper air intake slot in the bumper cover.

It featured wrap-around cockpit style instrumentation with a new steering wheel, radio and climate controls, and sweeping curves on the door panels and dashboard surfaces.

In their March 1996 issue, Motor Trend magazine conducted a comparison test of a 1995 Thunderbird Super Coupe against the front-wheel drive Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34 and a Buick Regal Gran Sport.

Numerous interior options were eliminated and the instrument panel was changed to a simplified version matching that year's Ford Taurus.

However, a new Sport option package was made available for V8-equipped models which included a performance suspension, 16" aluminum wheels, and a rear decklid spoiler.