ds91776

Exactly! Lincoln has a few great names up their historical sleeve: Continental, Navigator, Aviator, Zephyr, Town Car, Mark IX. While only used on a concept, I thought the name "Sentinel" is a great name.

I know these kinds of discussions are all opinion based, but I think Zephyr is a great name. It sounds mysterious to me. Plus, few automotive names begin with a "Z" so it is highly distinctive. But to each their own.

Hmmmm....I don't know what to make of that. If I had to bet, I'd bet that "Continental" isn't coming back soon....but I hope I'm wrong. That's all I can say.

The luxury car market is a long-long-game. Audi and Infiniti been winning respect and comparison tests since the late 90's and their sales STILL aren't a match for BMW and Mercedes. Lexus has a similar great reputation but outside of the RX and ES their sales have never been great either. Cadillac has put in the "respect and comparison" work to great effect I think. Real sales will come but it will take time. There is some generational changeover coming that will help brands like Cadillac, Audi, and maybe Infiniti.

Part of me wishes Alan had left Ford before the launch of the 2013 MKZ.....my guess is that Mark Fields would have been more amenable to changing MKZ back to Zephyr. NOTHING, except the announcement of a bespoke RWD platform exclusive to Lincoln would give the brand more good-will amongst the press and car-fans than the return to names. And we all know that Lincoln needs all the good-will it can get. The last couple of weeks have seen tons of rumors pertaining to both Lincoln and Cadillac...it seems like the next year or two are going to be really exciting times for these two brands and their fans. I am loving the rumors of a return of the Continental nameplate. I hope it's true. I also hope that Lincoln ( and Ford ) building more products in Michigan. It would be great if Ford could fully reopen Wayne Assembly in order to make its rumored next-gen Prius fighter series of vehicles. My hope would be that the next MKZ ( if the brand doesn't return to using names ) would be a premium compact hybrid vehicle. Then, a rwd MKR sedan could be made the brand's proper entry-level sport/luxury sedan.

While this rumor doesn't get super excited ( I would much rather have Ford brand announce a NA-style Minivan or a NA version of the EcoSport ), this is interesting. However awesome the last Ford GT was....I hated the name. I know the reason they couldn't use the GT40 nameplate...but I wish they would have used something else. In my opinion, any sports-car/coupe/convertible in the Ford range above the Mustang should be called "Thunderbird." I know that name has been used on an entry-luxury convertible, as well as a midsize and large coupe. But we all know that those markets no longer really exist anymore out of the luxury market...and it barely exists there. So, I think the only way to keep the storied "Thunderbird" name in the lineup is with a limited production sportscar to compete with the Corvette, Viper, Porsche and other high-end sportscars.

Now that the Aluminum F-150 has been confirmed...it now seems clear that over the next year or two Ford Motor Company will become the industry leader in aluminum vehicles. I find it hard to believe that Ford hasn't committed to this strategy since that has been the company's normal operation procedure for a long time now. Ford committed to Sync, then EcoBoost, then MyFord Touch. They aggressively spread those features across their lineup as fast as possible. I'm not saying that the next Fiesta will be all aluminum or anything ( can you imagine how awesome that would be though? ) but I do think it is reasonable to conclude that FoMoCo will not stop at the F-150. I've thought of a few near-term possibilities. 1. I would think the next-gen Expedition and Navigator will make extensive use of Aluminum. I'm not talking about the 2015 update, I'm talking about the 2017/18 model. 2. Will the next-gen Super Duty make use of aluminum? For some reason I doubt it will go "all in" like the F-150 but I could see greater usage for sure. 3. I REALLY wonder if the next-gen Lincoln MKS will be aluminum. This would be really awesome, for several reasons. Most aluminum intensive cars are high-end luxury cars like the Audi A8 and Jaguar XJ. An aluminum Lincoln sedan would give the brand plenty of bragging rights and cache. It could also help the car differentiate itself from the Taurus or other Ford/Lincoln sedans that it will probably share its platform with. 4. A future-possibly-but-probably-unlikely Lincoln coupe or 4-door coupe based on the Mustang. Can you imagine an aluminum skinned RWD performance car the size of an ATS, 3-Series, etc? THAT would be a HUGE public relations booster for Lincoln. 5. Aluminum could also be used on the next-gen Explorer and the inevitable Lincoln three-row-crossover. These would be high-volume ( Explorer ) and high-margin cars that could lose hundreds of pounds of weight to improve fuel economy and handling. This wouldn't surprise me at all. Any other thoughts?

I'm not convinced that a reguarily aspirated 2.3I4 will find its way into the MKC...but I could see the EcoBoost version going in there. But I am intrigued that this evidence possibly supports my theory that a base 2.3I4 will replace the 2.5I4 in the Fusion and Escape, etc.

I love it ( if that is even very close ). My only gripe ( similar to both the 2005 and 2010 models ) is that the side scoop/hockey stick is so faint. The 1999 version was a bit much but I love how it looks on the 1994 Mustang. I would love to see an updated version of that side-scoop.

I wasn't saying that Edge/MKX sales will double, but I would expect EXPORT sales of Edge and/or MKX to at least double in a few years. Why wouldn't Ford want a minivan? Yes, minivans are no longer a huge volume market, but I think a North American style minivan could be sold in ( limited volumes ) Europe ( relegating the S-Max to a more important positition there ) North America and China. There is huge potential for a North American style minivan in China, and selling it in the US/Canada is just icing. Many buyers ONLY want a minivan, and for good reasons. They're fantastic people carriers. I bet, if the product is done correctly, Ford could sell 50,000 minivans in the US a year, plus more in Canada, and perhaps 50,000 or more in China. That would be a profitiable business for Ford, no doubt. As for the cancellation of the Grand C-Max, I would place good money that the last minute change had more to do with focusing on the C-Max Hybrid, and not any realy fears that the Grand C-Max wouldn't be a small success here. Ford decided to make a "unique" hybrid model instead of a family of people movers. I was disappointed by that decision but so far it seems to have worked.

Since Oakville, like Chicago and Avon Lake, seems to be ripe for future product speculation, this is more fuel for the fire. I imagine that Ford is counting on significant sales increases for the next-gen Edge and MKX in North America and world-wide. This could also be the long-speculated investment for a North American-Chinese minivan in the form of the next-gen Galaxy with companion S-Max for export? We'll see.

I am sure there are many of us around here who remember when Ford of Europe was truly a dark spot in the Ford Empire, right after the original Focus debuted...and it didn't really start to claw its way out of the mess until right around the the time the second generation Focus debuted. During those days I remeber one of the glaring weaknesses of FOE's lineup was a lack of a small MPV to compete against the Renault Scenic and Opel Zafiria. Rumors swirled around that a Focus MPV would show up in 2000-2002 and might even show up in North America...but then it was canceled. I remember lots of *face-palm* reactions around here: "HOW CAN FORD CANCEL A NEW PRODUCT IN A BOOM SEGMENT?" kind of comments. Anyway...we all know that the Focus C-Max eventually came out based upon the 2nd gen Focus that launched a year afterwards. My question is...does anybody know what happened with the orignial Focus MPV and why Ford cancelled it? I can't remember any explination offered...and my internet searches can't find any answers either. My other question is this: In the late 90's or early 2000's ( 1998-2001 ) I seem to remeber Ford quietly releasing a concept vehicle that was obviously a preview or hint at the original Focus MPV that never was. I know I saw it at the Detroit Auto Show ( NAIAS ) but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me. It was white, with a front-end clearly evoquing the original Focus with its sharp headlamps and "snarky" smile of a lower grille and fog-lamp area. It also might have been a hydrogen or hybrid concept. I can't remember. Some of you might be thinking I'm refering to the Faction concept of the mid-00's but I'm not. Am I the only one who remembers this thing? I can't find any pictures of it online and it's driving me nuts. Thanks!

Amazing. I'm so happy that the Mustang will finally be integrated into the Ford Family Design Language.

I'm pretty sure Ford announced earlier this year that the next-gen Taurus and MKS could be made at Flat Rock as well.

Word is that Lincoln will have a major announcement/reveal at the upcoming Pebble Beach event. Based upon comments from Autoline After Hours, I think this is going to be special, and could feature a significant surprise. But what could it be? Option 1: The simplist option is the production version of the MKC. Of course, this would be great...but I kinda suspect that Lincoln might have something more 'interesting' up its sleeve. Option 2: Navigator refresh: This is the rumor that just won't die. Some people still insist that a refresh of the Navigator is coming before a redesigned model in two years or so. I think this is the least likely. Option 3: MKX Production-Preview Concept. If this happens I imagine that this concept will be much like the 'not quite there' concepts like the MKZ and MKC. Of all the the concept options this is perhaps the most likely but also the least exciting...but still would be fun to see. Option 4: Farther-Out Production Preview Concept: Another option is a concept that is far less 'production ready' than the MKZ and MKC, but still gives direct hints of future product. The obvious options for this are a veiled preview of the next-gen MKS or Navigator. Option 5: Presitige Concept: Take a cue ( HA! get it? ) from Cadillac, Lincoln might show off a high-concept design study concept similar to the Ciel from last year. Lincoln needs to show that it can do breathtaking far-out design, and it might telescope that at Pebble Beach. The obvious candidates for a concept like this are a Flagship/Continental/Town Car concept or a coupe/convertible concept. Any of these options would be fun and exciting for Lincoln fans...and we don't have much time to wait. What do people think it would be? Are there any FoMoCo employees willing to share?

Rumors of a 2.3I4 EcoBoost have been swirling for quite a while. It has been rumored to be used in a broad range of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles with power figures ranging from 270-320hp. But I've never heard any rumors or theories about a naturally aspirated version of the engine. I could easily imagine it making more power than the 1.5/1.6 EcoBoost I4, possibly in the area of 180-190hp? This engine could replace the 2.5I4 in the Fusion, Escape, Transit Connect, etc. Has anyone heard any rumors?

Well, this Autoshow season we'll see the 2015 Mustang, Edge, and F-150 for certain. We could also see an updated Focus or Explorer for the 2015 MY. I would guess that the Edge will debut in LA. Cars like the Flex and Explorer have become important beach-heads for Ford in California. I could imagine that Ford would see more opportunities with the 2015 Edge.

I think Ford needs a CUV slotted below the Escape. Kia is there with the Soul, Scion with its XB and XD, Honda will enter the B-Segment CUV soon. The Chevy Trax isn't coming here because it wanted something very unique for Buick to sell here...and at a higher price. My other reasoning is that I think Ford needs a "quirky" and affordable entry in its lineup. A North American-spec EcoSport ( WITH A DIFFERENT NAME ) could be a hit. Build it alongside the NA Fiesta and price it starting at 18-20 and have it top out at $25,000 fully loaded right below the Escape.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-to-debut-new-concept-in-shanghai.html The Shanghai Auto Show starts April 20th, it looks like.

Over at Left Lane News they are reporting that Ford is going to reveal a significant ( read: production preview ) new concept car. What could this be? The most obvious answer would be a developing market vehicle to sell in China, India, and Brazil. If this is the case it would make sense for it to be a B or C class sedan and or hatchback. I also imagine that it would be placed between the Fiesta and the Focus in the Ford lineup...kind of like a big brother to the Figo/Ikon. But there are other possibilities. What about the rumored strecthed EcoSport? Or some other king of small MPV? Or perhaps it is a more direct preview of the next-gen Ka than the last Start concept was? Or perhaps it is a preview of the next Fiesta? Any thoughts?

Next year ( for the 2015 model year ) could be insane. 2015 Edge 2015 F-150 2015 Mustang 2015 MKC 2015 MKX Possible 2015 Taurus 2015 Expedition 2015 updated Explorer 2015 Updated Focus 2015 MKS 2015 Navigator And we might get some more launches than that. You would think Ford would have tried to get the MKC, MKX, and Edge out for 2014 just to lighten the load.

Also...didn't Ford just announce that Taurus and MKS production for their next-generations would move to Flat Rock?

How is the car not selling well? Compare Taurus' sales with the LaCrosse, Azera, Avalon, Maxima, Charger...and the Taurus more than holds its own. Yes, the Taurus isn't as roomy as its exterior size suggests...but that wasn't as much as a probelm when it shared the showroom with the previous Fusion. The next-gen Taurus should be much more space efficient and offer significantly more interior room than the new Fusion.

I don't see the Taurus going anywhere for several reasons. 1. The model has been selling pretty consistently with fairly high ATPs. 2. The current and future Taurus share/will share platforms, engines, wheelbases, etc with multiple Ford and Lincoln products...meaning the cost of development should be fairly low. 3. It serves a distinct niche in the market. Large cars may be a small segment now-a-days but they serve a purpose, attract high-end buyers, and are distinct enough from their midsize bretherin. 4. China. China loves large sedans and the next-gen Taurus will most certainly sold there. If the next-gen Taurus has significantly more interior room ( espeically rear-sear leg and headroom ) then it could easily find a market both in North America and in China. 5. Selling a long-wheelbase version of the Fusion might work in China...but it wouldn't work in North America. Thus is makes sense to develop a One Ford Large F/AWD sedan that can be sold in the two largest markets for sedans in the world. I could also see the next-gen Taurus being sold in Russia.

I'm trying to not get my hopes up...but this rumor/info could be accurate. The only technological piece ( that I'm aware of ) that could hold back the MKC introduction is the 2.9V6...which is probably more than a year away. However, if the MKC was always meant to have two engines ( the 2.0EB and the 2.9EB ) then the car could launch with just the turbo 4. Here is hoping to a New York Auto Show reveal.