2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited on 2040-cars

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Lincoln Aviator could make a comeback

The idea of Lincoln dropping its alphanumeric scheme in favor of real names was welcomed by fans of the marque and even appeared possible after the rousing reception to the Continental concept. Now, rumors suggest that the next of the luxury brand's nameplates to see a possible revival just might be the Aviator. Don't get your hopes up quite yet, though. The Truth About Cars admits that this tip comes from a second-hand source, but the person reports that Lincoln has a project codenamed Aviator as a model based on the Explorer. There's evidence to give the rumor some shaky support, though. Ford already has the trademarks for the name and AV8R. Also, an Explorer-based vehicle in 2019 is included for the brand's predictions in the recent Car Wars forecast. Autoblog reached out to company spokesperson Sam Locricchio, but he would not speculate about future products. The same source claims to The Truth About Cars that the Blue Oval might not replace the Ford Flex or Lincoln MKT when the current generations come to an end. Also, the next-gen Expedition and Navigator could use 10-speed automatics and follow the F-150 to get aluminum bodies, which is also already rumored. Although, all of this should be taken with a big grain of salt until anything more official has arrived. Lincoln spokesperson Stephane Cesareo gave The Truth About Cars no comment on the rumor, but said, "By 2020, we expect to expand the segments that we participate in by adding two new nameplates to the Lincoln brand. We have not provided any indications about the products or their names." Related Video:

Lincoln reveals the posh and powerful 2018 Navigator

If you were a fan of the Navigator concept from last year's New York show, we've got good news. The production Navigator looks just like it. Sure there are subtle changes. The gullwing doors are gone, but no one should be surprised by that. A side effect is that it has conventional chrome door handles, too. The lower grille in the front bumper is a tad different, and the rear taillights are a bit thicker, but the overall look has stayed the same. That includes the tall, regal grille with a mesh consisting of Lincoln badge outlines, the side vents on the fenders, and those beautiful, intricate turbine wheels. On the top-of-the-line Black Label models, the Navigator gets an illuminated badge that lights up with the puddle lights when the driver approaches. View 15 Photos Since the Navigator is based on the Ford Expedition, it's unsurprising that they're very similar mechanically. The Navigator has aluminum construction, and it's propelled by a version of the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 found in so many Ford products. However, the Navigator's engine makes an impressive 450 horsepower compared with the expected 375 horsepower from the Expedition. Those plush ponies goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Inside, the Navigator stays true to the concept, and most important, shares essentially nothing with the plebeian Expedition. Like in the concept, the dashboard is low and wide and features plenty of wood and leather. The instrument panel is a configurable 12-inch display, and to its right is an upright, floating touch screen for infotainment. The buttons for shifting hang off the trailing edge of the dashboard, where a gap opens between it and the center console. The console houses the climate control buttons, and rises to meet the dash. Aside from the luxurious dash, occupants are treated to the Continental's 30-way adjustable front seats, which are heated and cooled. The interior should be whisper quiet as well, thanks to laminated front and side glass. This should allow passengers to better enjoy the available 20-speaker Revel II sound system even more. Plenty of gizmos and tech are at the fingertips of Navigator drivers, too. One of the more unique tidbits of technology are the adaptive headlights. At low speeds, the headlight beam is very wide to illuminate objects or pedestrians on the sides of the road. However, at high speeds, the beam narrows to reduce glare from street signs.

Ford recalls Explorer and Lincoln MKC for fire hazard

The Basics: Ford will recall 5,536 examples of the 2016 Explorer and 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC. The Explorers have build dates between October 20, 2014, and January 28, 2016, at the Chicago Assembly Plant. The MKCs are from between November 25, 2013, and January 25, 2016, at the Louisville Assembly Plant. In total, there are 3,129 total affected examples of the 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC and 2,407 examples of the 2016 Ford Explorer. Of these, 1,543 are in the US and 3,993 are in Canada. The Problem: The combination of the engine block design and the block heater in these vehicles can cause the part to overheat when plugged in. Injuries/Deaths: None reported, but there are two cases of underhood fires in Canada. If you own one: Ford will begin notifying owners during the week of May 16, company spokesperson John Cangany tells Autoblog. Related Video: Ford issues safety recall for certain 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles to replace engine block heaters Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 5,500 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC and 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles to remove the heaters and replace them with an updated design. The engine block design, coupled with the particular block heater installed in these vehicles, causes the unit to be susceptible to overheating when the vehicle is parked and the block heater is plugged in –increasing the risk of an underhood fire. Ford is aware of two reports of underhood fires in Canada, but is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue. Affected vehicles include certain 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant, Nov. 25, 2013 through Jan. 25, 2016 and certain 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant, Oct. 20, 2014 through Jan. 28, 2016. There are 5,536 vehicles affected by the issue, including 3,129 2015-2016 Lincoln MKC and 2,407 2016 Ford Explorer vehicles, with 1,543 of the affected vehicles in the United States and federalized territories and 3,993 in Canada. Dealers will remove and replace the engine block heater with an updated design and, if needed, replace the cord at no cost to the customer.