1962 Lincoln Continental Base 7.0l on 2040-cars

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2021 Lincoln Nautilus scores Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS

A new set of standard headlights has lifted the 2021 Nautilus to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick nod, Lincoln and the IIHS announced Wednesday.  The rating accounts for an improved set of LED projector headlights that were made available for 2021. IIHS says the new hardware significantly reduces glare, improving their score dramatically. The upgraded lamps are offered on Black Label models and Reserve models equipped with Ultimate package, provided they were assembled after March of this year. Since the standard headlights are still saddled with a "Poor" rating, the Nautilus doesn't qualify for Top Safety Pick+; IIHS reserves that designation for vehicles that ace all of its crashworthiness, score an "Advanced" or better in its accident avoidance tests, and come equipped with "Acceptable" or better headlights on all available trims.  Both the standard and optional safety systems on the Nautilus scored high marks, and it received the highest possible rating in each crash test.  Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Lincoln Zephyr makes a comeback, but only in China

The Lincoln Zephyr name is back. The name was previously used on some of the luxury brand's sedans before World War II, and for a single model year on a sedan derived from the first-generation Ford Fusion. Now it appears on the Zephyr Reflection concept, a car that will preview a production sedan for the Chinese market. Yes, the car you see above is only for China, and also happened to be designed by Lincoln's Chinese design branch. Apparently the country still has a strong demand for sedans, so Lincoln can keep offering them. It's a very stylish machine, looking a bit like a smaller first-generation Audi A7 from some angles. The wide, low grille and accompanying light bar give it an athletic stance. It has cool details such as the fender trim that blends into the front door handles. Although it's being shown at the same show as the Ford Evos crossover, the Zephyr is unrelated. And looking closely at the profile, we can see that the roof and glass bear an extremely strong resemblance to the outgoing Ford Fusion. We wonder if it's a majorly redesigned version of the old sedan. There's nothing in the interior that would remind you of the Fusion, or its cousin the MKZ (successor to that other Zephyr). The whole width of the dash bears a screen, which can be split for driver and passenger to do things.The rest of the interior is similarly simple, decorated mainly with some contrasting leather, and a Lincoln badge pattern in the doors. Lincoln didn't give any information about the powertrain. We imagine it will use some existing Ford turbocharged engines. The production model will launch later this year, so more details will probably come closer to the on-sale date. But remember, this Zephyr won't be crossing the Pacific. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.