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GM design boss Welburn says Lincoln isn't a Cadillac rival [w/poll]

General Motors Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn, had some dismissive words for a certain cross-town luxury brand during an interview with Car and Driver. When asked about his thoughts on Lincoln, Welburn deflected, before saying, "I don't consider Lincoln to be a competitor for Cadillac."
"They're not a global luxury brand. I don't consider them a competitor. Are they a competitor for Buick? Quite possibly. But not for Cadillac," GM's head designer explained. Welburn, who's been at the helm of GM Design North America since 2003 and is the first to hold the position of VP of Global Design, has been instrumental in the styling renaissance at GM, so predictably, Car and Driver's interview with him focused on the design aspect of cars.
During the interview, Welburn explicitly denied plans for a reborn Cadillac XLR, even as a new Chevrolet Corvette is hitting the market and strides are being made with Cadillac's V-Series performance arm saying, "We have a lot of cars that we're working on for the Cadillac brand. The XLR is not one of them right now."

Mustang parts under the new Lincoln Aviator mean good things for Ford

NEW YORK — As we mentioned last night, underneath the new Lincoln Aviator "concept" there appears to be an independent rear suspension lifted right from the Ford Mustang parts bin. And while it's pretty cool on its face that Mustang rear-drive platform bits are being reused in the broader Ford universe, what this means for the next Explorer could be really cool. A quick caveat: The Aviator here in New York is very close to the production version, but it's not technically a production car. It looks hand-built, with temporary exhaust and some show-car touches. The suspension underneath looks exactly like a Mustang's, but the actual production Aviator will almost certainly use beefier components with the same basic design and geometry, since the Aviator will be much heavier than the smaller Mustang. That being said, we're fairly confident that even at this early stage, the Mustang-derived suspension seen in New York is a preview of what'll be under the production Aviator. Furthermore, Ford won't say it, but based on what we're seeing on Aviator, it's a safe bet that Ford will utilize the Aviator platform for the next Explorer. That would enable the economies of scale necessary to produce a brand new rear-drive-based SUV platform in the first place. It also means that the Explorer should be available without AWD — and given the stable of powerful EcoBoost engines, and the competent 10-speed automatic in the parts bin, a rear-drive Explorer has a shot at being a decent driver. Aviator wouldn't go rear-drive-based if driving dynamics weren't important; Explorer should inherit these priorities. More evidence: The Explorer spy shots we saw back in February sure share the Aviator's general proportions. Even back then, before Aviator was revealed, we were hypothesizing that an EcoBoost 3.5-liter-powered version could boast as much as 400 horsepower, if the Expedition's tune were adopted. Suddenly, the Explorer seems very interesting. So, an EcoBoost, rear-drive Explorer sure sounds like something Ford Performance would be interested in, right? We knew an Explorer ST is coming, but with 365-400 horsepower potential and a chassis designed with dynamics in mind, it doesn't seem like as much of a stretch as the Edge ST. And a performance-oriented AWD system is a possibility, too. That's an area where Ford has been gathering experience at a rapid pace. What do we not expect from a new Explorer? A V8.

With gaps in product portfolio, Lincoln embraces experiences

In one sense, Lincoln is on a roll. It rides out the year having unveiled three substantially refreshed SUVs — the new full-size Navigator, the MKC crossover and the Nautilus, the new name for its top-selling MKX that Lincoln revealed in Los Angeles. The company is on pace to sell 50,000 vehicles this year in China, a four-fold jump after just three years in that market, and its sales growth in the U.S. outpaces its competition in the luxury segment. And analysts applauded the brand for moving away from its confusing alphanumeric naming system as a way to differentiate itself. But Lincoln remains far behind its competitors, with a market share that lags the likes of Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Cadillac. Its product portfolio is more limited too, heavy on hot-selling SUVs, but with only two cars — far fewer than the German luxury brands — and no marquee sports cars. Instead, Lincoln made it clear in Los Angeles that it's leaning heavily on creating distinctive experiences for its customers — its strategy focuses on being "warm, human and effortless" — as a way to stand out from the field. One way it's trying to do that is through its Black Label program, which offers premium interior trim options like unique leather stitching patterns, Alcantara headliners and laser-etched aluminum accents, and combines all that with a suite of services. Black Label members get an enhanced premium maintenance plan that includes wear and tear, anytime car washes and annual detailing, a dedicated concierge and the ability to be custom-fitted for a vehicle at their home. It also comes with a Culinary Collection, a curated list of more than 50 participating restaurants across the country that offer exclusive reservation assistance, visits from the noted chefs and other perks. Lincoln is introducing a new "Gala" Black Label theme on its new Nautilus, which it says is inspired by a night at a fashion gala. It's an interior decked out in what it calls Carmine Red, reflecting a popular color in fashion, with perforated seat stitching that form interlocking Ls. It joins the Thoroughbred and Chalet Black Label themes for the new Nautilus, which goes on sale next spring. Other Black Label themes including the Navigator's Yacht Club theme, with a Chroma Blue exterior paint color, upgraded leather seats and whitewashed teak wood in the center console, and Center Stage, with jet black Venetian leather with red accents, available on the MKC.