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Ford rakes in record $2.5b profit during Q1 of 2016

Fears that the auto industry is due for a downturn may be fading. Ford posted record profits in the first quarter of 2016, the company announced Thursday. Chief financial officer Bob Shanks said Ford enjoyed its best quarterly performance in history, generating operating profits of $3.8 billion and a record profit margin of 9.8 percent. Overall, the company's $2.5 billion profit in the quarter more than doubled from the 2015 quarterly results. "The first quarter was an absolutely terrific start to the year, an all-time record for the company, with very strong performance across the business," said chief executive officer Mark Fields. "We're excited about our future and confident in our ability to deliver long-term growth and profitability as we expand our business model to be both an auto and a mobility company." During the quarter, Ford announced the creation of Ford Smart Mobility, a new subsidiary that would vet future mobility projects in the realm of car-sharing, fractional ownership and autonomous deployment. The company also kicked off a billion-dollar makeover of its Dearborn, Michigan campus and headquarters. The company's after-tax earnings of $0.68 per share trumped Wall Street's expectations, and were significantly up from $0.39 per share a year ago. The results were buoyed by the company's fourth consecutive quarter of growth in Europe, which comes after a long period of stagnant sales. Ford's earnings results come amid reports that April car sales are on pace to jump 4 percent year over year, which would make it the best-selling April in history. Kelley Blue Book projects that car sales will reach 1.51 million this month, placing the industry on track for 17.5 million vehicles sold in 2016. Even as SUV and crossover sales drive the market, analysts say Nissan and Honda are positioned to benefit from renewed interest in mid-size cars. "Following a disappointing March, we expect sales to get back on track in April with SAAR in the mid-17 million range," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "Increased fleet sales and rising incentive spending among automakers remain the factors to watch, but the retail demand appears to be holding steady, signaling the industry's strong run isn't over quite yet." Related Video: Image Credit: Getty Earnings/Financials Ford Lincoln 5g Connectivity mobility auto industry financial

2017 Lincoln MKZ shows the new face of progress

No one can accuse Lincoln of failing to keep to the MKZ modern after the latest, comprehensive upgrades for the refreshed 2017 model. The sedan goes on sale next spring and features significant changes to the design, powertrain, and available technology. The designers give the luxury sedan's face an aesthetic overhaul with a mesh grille that's inspired by the Continental concept, and the company also offers LED adaptive headlights as a further improvement to the front end. That said, it looks a little derivative – many staffers are comparing it to similar Jaguar and Kia designs, not that that's a bad thing. Inside, the center console moves away from capacitive controls in favor of actual knobs and buttons. Huge changes happen under the hood, too. The all-wheel-drive MKZ is available with 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque from a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, and the mill is exclusive to Lincoln for now. The optional Driver's Package on these models should further improve the handling thanks to a torque-vectoring rear differential derived from the Ford Focus RS. The same V6 makes 350 hp in front-wheel drive trim, and customers can also order a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or hybrid powertrain. Lincoln has a load of safety and driver assistance tech for the MKZ, too. The adaptive cruise control system can deal with stop-and-go traffic and even hold the sedan in place without the driver using the brake pedal. Pre-Collision Assist can also help avoid accidents by automatically activating the brakes. Related Video: Quiet Luxury: Intuitive Technology, Effortless Performance and Distinctive Design Drive 2017 Lincoln MKZ Suite of cutting-edge intuitive technologies including available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, auto hold, Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and enhanced park assist help ease the new Lincoln MKZ driving experience Effortless performance enabled by available new Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter GTDI V6 engine, which creates a quiet, powerful ride, or popular hybrid option Distinctively redesigned from the inside out, including three new Lincoln Black Label themes available, plus two available Revel® audio systems delivering the height of Lincoln luxury LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2015 – Discover your new favorite space. The new Lincoln MKZ combines intuitive technology, effortless performance and distinctive design to deliver an enhanced driving experience Lincoln calls quiet luxury.

Lincoln Star Concept provides a glimpse of four upcoming EVs

The auto industry is in the midst of what has been called a once-in-a-century transformation as it shifts to zero-emissions propulsion. As it happens, this year also marks Lincoln’s 100th anniversary. There were actually Lincolns a few years earlier, but Lincoln counts Feb. 4, 1922, when Henry Ford purchased the company, as its birthday. Like many, Lincoln wants to electrify its lineup, and plans to introduce four new battery-electric vehicles by 2026. Today it unveiled the car that will inform that future, the Lincoln Star Concept. “ItÂ’s a clean-sheet of paper to help us get through the next four products,” chief exterior designer Earl Lucas told Autoblog at a preview. But when asked whether it's a crossover, LincolnÂ’s representatives resist dropping it into any existing categories. Global Design Director Kemal Curic describes it as a “new species.” It lacks the upright, two-box design of crossovers and SUVs dotting AmericaÂ’s roads. Instead it has a dramatically raked A-pillar and an even more acutely angled rear. The greenhouse area tapers towards the rear, and the main body has a distinct anti-wedge silhouette. To these eyes, it has almost wagon-like proportions. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The other hallmark of the Star is its use of lighting. Illuminated surfaces can be found throughout the car — on logos where badges would normally reside, on a thin band that outlines the roof, and on fingernails that trace the wheel arches. ThereÂ’s also an unmissable light bar that spans the leading edge of the nose before curving up over the fenders and to the A pillars. ItÂ’s reminiscent of the chrome strips on the blade-like fenders of the 1961 Continental, but the designers we talked to denied that resemblance. The Star is decidedly anti-chrome, and lighting takes the place of that brightwork. Throughout our walkaround, designers used phrases that evoked a jet age view of transit. “ItÂ’s the journey, not the destination,” said Lucas. Curic uses the term “in flight” when talking about driving modes. Chief interior designer Robert Gelardi called it “the romance of travel.” ItÂ’s as if the Star was channeling a time when Lincolns like the Continental Mark II, once the most expensive domestic car ever sold, bore the American standard around the world and went toe-to-toe against the likes of Rolls-Royce.