1966 Lincoln Continental Convert Suicide Doors on 2040-cars

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Is this the production version of the Lincoln Zephyr concept?

Lincoln stepped out of the sedan segment when it ended production of the Continental in late 2020, but it's already planning a comeback. Leaked patent images suggest that the stylish Zephyr concept unveiled at the Shanghai show earlier in 2021 is well on its way to production. Uncovered by Japan's Sun News, the sketches show the outline of an elegant-looking sedan whose proportions match the Zephyr's almost perfectly. It's a three-box sedan with a long wheelbase and an almost fastback-like roof line. Some details tell us we're not merely looking at renderings of the concept, like more realistic headlights, redesigned air intakes in the front bumper, bigger door mirrors, and a reshaped rear bumper. These are the changes we'd expect Lincoln to make in order to turn the concept (pictured below) into a car it can build and sell. Lincoln Zephyr Reflection View 5 Photos Powertrain specifications were not leaked, though we're guessing the sedan will use turbocharged engines sourced from the Ford parts bin. Similarly, we don't know what it looks like inside; the concept's cabin featured a two-spoke steering wheel and an extra-wide screen. Just like the exterior design, the interior was futuristic enough to earn the "concept" label but not to the point where building it wouldn't be feasible. Lincoln hasn't commented on the patent images, but it has already confirmed plans to turn the Zephyr into a production car. The model is scheduled to make its official debut later in 2021, though there's a catch: It will exclusively be sold (and presumably built) in China. As of writing, nothing suggests the firm will add another sedan to its lineup in the United States, where demand for low-riding cars has crashed. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Lincoln Navigator Black Label Inside and Out

Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.

2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator reportedly facing numerous QC issues

A lengthy report in the Detroit Free Press delves into a range of quality control issues confronting the 2020 Ford Explorer and its luxury platform sibling, the 2020 Lincoln Aviator. Freep says it's been following the issue for two months, tapping various unnamed sources for information on the automaker's unorthodox route to resolution. Seems the problem is Explorers and Aviators leaving the production line at the Chicago Assembly Plant with flaws in areas like the chassis, transmission and suspension, said vehicles trucked to Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant (FRAP) outside of Detroit for repair. The estimates range from 10,000 to 18,000 vehicles affected, numbers so high that Ford has sought help from Roush Engineering in nearby Allen Park, and brought workers and managers from other plants in the Midwest to FRAP to get vehicles repaired and shipped to dealers. Ford hasn't shared the nature of the problems with anyone outside the company, including dealers and customers. Freep's sources are said to include workers who have provided photos of certain vehicles and of tents used to house parts at the FRAP repair site. The Explorer chassis allegedly has an unidentified problem that engineers are using X-rays to diagnose, and the transmission is having problems sensing when it's in park or going into park. Both the Explorer and Aviator have come off the line with HVAC units that only blow hot air. And the Aviator's height-adjustable suspension enters failure mode for unknown reasons. These come on top of quotidian mishaps common to every new vehicle, but that are meant to be sorted in pre-production, like missing emblems and trim pieces. They also come on top of a recall in early August issued for the Explorer and Aviator concerning the instrument cluster and parking brake, and another at the end of August over rear seatbacks that could collapse in a crash. An automaker spokesperson told Freep, "Making updates to preproduction models based on all-new platforms as they roll off the assembly line – is standard industry practice." Except these aren't pre-production, these are early production vehicles that paying customers and dealers are waiting for, and some of the affected vehicles have been pulled off dealer lots. Dealers say they are fine waiting for the trucks to get sorted out, and they'd rather have Ford fix the problems before the SUVs go to customers.