2011 Lincoln Mkz Hybrid Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Lincoln's first shipment of cars arrives in China

It has been two years since Lincoln first announced its plans to expand into China, and the first models destined for sale in the giant automotive market just came off the boat in Shanghai on September 10. It's going to be a few weeks before Chinese buyers actually have the chance to get behind the wheel, though.
The first two models being offered to China are the MKZ and MKC, as seen arriving in these photos, and they are going to be sold at dealers that look more like hotels than traditional showrooms. The first four are opening in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou in October, with a grand unveiling of the new brand to Chinese consumers later that month. By the end of the year, Lincoln wants to have eight dealers operating in seven cities. By 2016, the automaker wants to have a lineup of five models available in the People's Republic.
"This is the culmination of months of teamwork and collaboration both in North America and here in China," said Robert Parker, President of Lincoln China, in the company's release.

Ford announces free brake pad offer if customers stop by dealers

These days, when you buy a new car, it's not unreasonable to expect a certain period of free maintenance to come along as well. Sometimes this is through the life of the warranty, in other cases a little less. But Ford Motor Company is going beyond those deals for at least one part of its cars. As of now, if you buy a set of Motorcraft brake pads for a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury model, you get free replacements for as long as you own the vehicle. The offer is good at Ford or Lincoln dealers and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers.
"We will replace the pads for as long as you own the vehicle," said Elizabeth Weigandt to Autoblog. She did clarify that the Motorcraft pads are generally for models from the '90s or newer. Also, to take advantage of this program, a person must return to the same dealer each time to get the free parts.
Of course, Ford isn't just handing out brake pads to anyone who walks by; there are certain stipulations. First, the components have to be worn down to less than three millimeters to be eligible, and the buyer still has to pay for the labor to install them. If the model is used as a fleet vehicle for commercial purposes like as a taxi or limousine, this offer also doesn't apply; the same thing for racecars. On the plus side, if you recently bought a set of pads from one of the participating locations, you're still in luck. The deal covers parts purchased as of July 1.

Lincoln Continental prototype breaks down, requires a tow

Sometimes, cars break. Sometimes, said cars happen to be prototypes covered in camouflage. And sometimes, spy photographers are on hand to capture the sad sight. Such is the case here, as our trusty long-lenses have captured images of a stricken Lincoln Continental getting a tow back the shop. It's not clear what happened with the wounded Continental, but its unfortunate breakdown has given us a great look at the car's sprawling glass roof. Like the current MKZ, it looks like the Conti's panoramic roof can slide back, although we doubt it will cover up any element of the rear window, like its smaller sibling. And unlike our previous round of spy photos, this latest gallery gives us a look at a rather substantial set of integrated exhaust tips (i.e. fakes that have been fitted directly to the rear bumper cover). We can also spy a bit of the interior, although it's nowhere near as good as our last round of images. These shots do, however, show off a full roll cage and a fire extinguisher, but we wouldn't count on those being offered with the production model. Their presence here, though, leads us to believe that the car in question is probably some kind of vehicle dynamics tester. Look for a full introduction of the all-new Continental next month, when it debuts at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: