2000 Lincoln Ls Base Sedan 4-door 3.9l on 2040-cars

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Lincoln revival bypasses rear-wheel drive for now

Ford execs had the axe ready for Lincoln just a few years ago, but the luxury marque is on a hot streak these days. Annual sales are up 7.5 percent through October, and the recently unveiled, refreshed 2017 MKZ previews the company's improved styling. In a great piece about the brand's growth strategy, Automotive News finds the division's bosses want to focus on the core vehicles before taking a big step and building a rear-wheel drive niche model. "Luxury coupes and sports cars are not the first place we need to go," Global Lincoln Director Matt VanDyke said in the story. The division's bosses want to use the updated MKZ as an opportunity to distance Lincoln's identity from Ford, and the powertrain will carry the 3.0T badge rather than Ford's EcoBoost name as part of that approach. The model also injects excitement into the range thanks to an all-wheel drive version with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and an optional Driver's Package with a torque-vectoring rear differential. Lincoln will launch at least three new models by 2020, too. One of those will be the production Continental that will reportedly debut at the Detroit Auto Show. The company will also allegedly revive the Aviator to fit below the Navigator. The third vehicle remains a mystery but likely isn't a compact. Automotive News' story further examines the previously languishing brand's work to climb up the luxury ranks in the US. It's well worth a read. Related Video:

Five cursed and haunted cars

Any kid lucky enough to grow up in Detroit is familiar with the Henry Ford Museum. It's huge, full of shiny things and a great place to take a child and let them burn off some energy. After several field trips and weekend outings however, the dusty concept vehicles and famous aircraft tend to lose their punch for youngsters. As a fifth grader, I was already gazing on the museum's many gems with glassy eyes. On yet another school trip, we made our way to John F. Kennedy's death car, a gleaming black Lincoln limo. The aging volunteer docent told our little group something I had never heard before. "You know, this car is haunted. Several employees have reported seeing a gray presence right here," he said, pointing to the back passenger side seat. I perked up. Now here was something I had never heard before. A haunted car? Sure, it happened in Goosebumps, but this was real life. It made sense, in a way. Cars can be violent, emotional places. That's certainly the case with JFK's limo, as well as the other four cars on this list. And maybe those gut-wrenching deaths can permanently doom a car. 5. Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Graf & Stift Death Limo World War I tends to be a forgotten war, despite being pretty terrible in its own right and setting the stage for the entire 20th Century. The French forces, for instance, lost more lives in the first month of WWI than the US did in the entire Civil War. Everyone who has been through a freshman world history course knows the conflict started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot by a Bosnian anarchist. The crazy thing is, Ferdinand had already avoided an attempt on his life that day, and was actually on his way to the hospital to comfort those who had been injured in the crossfire. One of the would-be assassins simply walked out of a cafe and saw his intended target sitting in front of him where the open-air limo had stalled. The archduke and his wife were shot through their heads and throats. Their deaths would not be the last caused by the limo. Throughout the war and into the 1920s, the limo was owned by fifteen different people and involved in six accidents and thirteen deaths, not counting the 17 million or so killed in the war triggered by the Archduke's assassination. The first person to own the car after the Archduke was an Austrian general named Potiorek, who went insane while riding in the car through Vienna.

Lincoln to get high-end Harman Revel audio in 2015

"They've never been in autos before, and this is going to be an absolute point of differentiation for us." – Matt VanDyke Lincoln executive Matt VanDyke admits he was "moderately interested" when he heard his brand was considering a partnership with a high-end speaker company. Then he listened to the silky sound they made. "I sat there and I was blown away," he said. That may be overselling the speakers, but they do sound good – we know, we've checked 'em out. Lincoln is betting subtle enhancements – like Harman's Revel audio systems – will help the historic automotive brand appeal to a new generation of buyers. The companies announced a 10-year deal on Wednesday to place Revel speakers in Lincoln cars and trucks beginning in 2015 models. Terms were not disclosed. Though Revel is a new name, Harman has long offered a wide array of car under other brands, including Harman Kardon, Infinity and Lexicon. The partnership launches with the next-generation MKX crossover (concept version shown above), which arrives in showrooms in 2015, and the speakers will be available on other Lincoln models, too. Revel is Harman's top-of-the-line brand that's marketed to audiophiles, and its home systems can easily cost several thousand dollars or more. In Lincolns, passengers will be able to tune their Revel system to three settings: normal stereo sound; "audience," which creates concert-like acoustics; and "on-stage," which is designed to make passengers feel like they're standing among the band. Revel and Lincoln designers also collaborated on the style of the speaker grilles to integrate them into the vehicles, and the uplevel Revel system, called Ultima, will use aluminum covers. "They've never been in autos before, and this is going to be an absolute point of differentiation for us," said VanDyke, Lincoln's global director. Though Revel is a new name to the auto sector, Harman has long offered a wide array of in-car audio and infotainment systems under other brands, including Harman Kardon, Infinity and Lexicon. The Revel partnership is part of Lincoln's efforts to elevate its image and make the brand more relevant to new and younger customers. Lincoln's Black Label line, a customization and service program, will launch at 32 dealerships in six states this year, before expanding nationwide in late 2015. Additionally, Lincoln signed Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey to star in its advertisements.