1986 Ford Bronco 4x4 Lifted With Warn Winch 7 Passenger! on 2040-cars

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RWD Lincolns are coming, fate depends partly on MKZ success

The product portfolio at Lincoln may seem a bit sparse at the moment, but if a report is to be believed, new products are on the way. TheDetroitBureau.com spoke with sources at Lincoln and Ford, who claimed the American premium brand is working on, perhaps more than one, rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
Lincoln would likely platform-share with the next-generation Ford Mustang to develop those RWD offerings in the early going. Moving forward, the report indicates that Lincoln could take the lead on other rear-drive projects in the future. As the RWD architecture continues to take shape, "most or all" of the front-wheel-drive portfolio will also be offered with all-wheel drive as an option, ala Audi.
But wait, there's more! The report also suggests that a replacement for the full-size MKS is on the way, as well as a new Navigator and a luxury crossover based on the current Ford Escape.

Ford To Unveil Solar Hybrid Concept Car At CES

Ford plans to unveil at this month's International CES gadget show a solar-powered concept car that offers the same performance as a plug-in hybrid but without the need for a plug. The C-Max Solar Energi Concept car uses a gasoline engine combined with a gizmo that acts like a magnifying glass to concentrate the sun's rays on the vehicle's roof-mounted solar panels. The automaker says the vehicle's estimated combined city-highway mileage is 100 miles (160 kilometers) per gallon. The U.S. auto maker says that by using solar power instead of an electric plug, a typical owner will reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by four metric tons. The company says it sold about 85,000 hybrid or electric vehicles in 2013, including 6,300 units of its C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The sun-ray concentrator was developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and uses what is known as a Fresnel lens, which concentrates light but can be made thinner than a conventional lens. A full day of sunshine is equivalent to a four-hour battery charge, or 8 kilowatts, Ford says. On a full charge, it should have a range of 620 miles (997 kilometers), the same as the C-Max Energi. The concept car also comes with a plug-in port for standard electric charging. Ford says that 75 percent of all trips made by an average driver could be powered by the sun. After showing off the concept car at the convention in Las Vegas Jan. 7-10, Ford Motor Co. says that it will test the vehicle with institute researchers to determine if it's feasible for mass production. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery 2013 Ford C-Max Energi Test Drive View 9 Photos Green CES Ford Alternative Fuels Fuel Efficiency Solar Cars solar car

Ford Explorer, Expedition next to go aluminum?

Ford made some serious waves when it unveiled the latest F-150. Instead of making its bodywork out of steel, like just about every other truck on the market, Ford went with aluminum. And you can bet the F-150 won't be the last Ford model to go with the lightweight alloy construction, either.
Our compatriots at Edmunds report that Dearborn is considering replacing two of its most popular SUVs with aluminum versions. One candidate is the Expedition, which would make sense considering that the current model (like the two preceding generations and the fullsize Bronco before it) is based on the F-150's underpinnings. Another is the Explorer, which was traditionally based on the Ranger pickup but went with a car-like unibody chassis in its current iteration. If the Explorer does go the way of aluminum, don't expect it to be a part of its very next update, which is likely due too soon for such major changes.
It would stand to reason that, if the Expedition were to go aluminum, so would the next-generation Lincoln Navigator. Ditto the MKT together with the Explorer. But those aren't likely to be the only models in contention for aluminum construction. Like any other automaker, Ford is under pressure to steadily reduce its carbon emissions and improve its fuel economy figures, prompting it to look at a whole range of measures - including more efficient engines, lower rolling-resistance tires, active aerodynamics and lightweight construction. Expect aluminum to play a big part in that equation moving forward.