Anthony Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) Info we already know pretty much. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1086581_lincoln-continental-to-be-built-at-fords-flat-rock-plant-in-michigan Lincoln is in the process of overhauling its lineup, as well as introducing some brand new additions, and the next model we’re likely to see is a flagship sedan that will revive the Continental nameplate and serve as a replacement for the aging MKS. The new Continental was previewed in concept form earlier this year, and prototypes have already been spotted in the wild. Now we know where the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] will build the car.Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Ford global manufacturing chief John Fleming said the Continental would be built at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan. The plant is currently responsible for the Mustang and Fusion, and adopting Continental production shouldn’t be a problem as the new sedan has been designed around a stretched version of the Fusion’s CD4 platform.The Continental built at Flat Rock is expected to look almost identical to the concept, which proved a hit at its 2015 New York Auto Show debut. A long-wheelbase version is also in development but this one will be sold exclusively in China. It’s likely to be built at the same plant in China where the Chinese-spec Ford Taurus is assembled.Lincoln hasn’t set a firm date for the launch of its new Continental, stating only that it arrives in 2016. Edited July 16, 2015 by Intrepidatious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 The Conti *might* be a big seller in China-- provided their economy isn't in the process of exploding, and provided that there's a lot of interest in what is, I believe, the first D/E (stretch) luxury sedan from a 'global' brand built in China. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 curious, what is Chinas fixation with long wheelbases....last I looked Americans were a substantially larger ethnicity 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 curious, what is Chinas fixation with long wheelbases....last I looked Americans were a substantially larger ethnicity Because they like to be driven, and sit in the back seat and want more legroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 A long-wheelbase version is also in development but this one will be sold exclusively in China. It’s likely to be built at the same plant in China where the Chinese-spec Ford Taurus is assembled. My guess is that if there is enough interest, the long wheel base version will be brought over partially constructed and finished at Flat Rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Town Car Continental! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 The Conti *might* be a big seller in China-- provided their economy isn't in the process of exploding, and provided that there's a lot of interest in what is, I believe, the first D/E (stretch) luxury sedan from a 'global' brand built in China. Not the first, thought for sure not the last either. 1st FAW Audi A6L 2nd BAIC Mercedes ExxxL 3rd Brilliance BMW 5xxLi and 530Le 4th Chang'an Volvo S80L 5th SAIC Cadillac SLS (LWB version of the defunct STS, and was since been replaced by the XTS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 My guess is that if there is enough interest, the long wheel base version will be brought over partially constructed and finished at Flat Rock. If there is enough interest, Ford will just build the car in Flat Rock. In fact, I'm going to guess LWB Conti will be part of US line up. Maybe not at first but surely at some point during the model run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 RMC...that would only apply to the wealthy correct?.....not everybody is Yao Ming..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) Not the first, thought for sure not the last either. 1st FAW Audi A6L 2nd BAIC Mercedes ExxxL 3rd Brilliance BMW 5xxLi and 530Le 4th Chang'an Volvo S80L 5th SAIC Cadillac SLS (LWB version of the defunct STS, and was since been replaced by the XTS) I think those are all pretty much midsizers (even w/the L extension) except the SLS, which should only count as a technicality Edit: It turns out that they're all over 5M long, and therefore qualify as E-sized based on the EU def. (which is not, for some reason or another, based on passenger volume). Edited July 16, 2015 by RichardJensen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 RMC...that would only apply to the wealthy correct?.....not everybody is Yao Ming..... That I do not know. And you don't have to be Yao Ming to want a spacious rear seat. Also, would you expect a LWB Continental to NOT appeal to the wealthy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I think those are all pretty much midsizers (even w/the L extension) except the SLS, which should only count as a technicality Edit: It turns out that they're all over 5M long, and therefore qualify as E-sized based on the EU def. (which is not, for some reason or another, based on passenger volume). Yea... all those are E-segment cars under the EU classification, which doesn't take into account the interior volume. But more to the point, Ford has said that Continental is intended to compete with those cars, and they all have LWB version in China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I'm not questioning the LWB decision. Let me rephrase my initial point: None of the other luxury manufacturers build their *largest* sedan in China, but it appears Lincoln will... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 RMC...that would only apply to the wealthy correct?.....not everybody is Yao Ming..... In a country with more than a billion people, China's middle class is probably bigger in number than the entire US population. And that's before we talk about the upper class wealthy that have done quite well under the communist regime... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzach Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Since the Continental will be built in Flat Rock along with the Mustang and Fusion what does that say about a U.S. version of the Taurus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Since the Continental will be built in Flat Rock along with the Mustang and Fusion what does that say about a U.S. version of the Taurus? That is the 1 million dollar question at this point. I'm sure we'll hear something come September after the UAW talks. But that is what the rumor has it going and the D3 Tauri soldiers on as the PI till the Explorer is replaced by the CD6 in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Since the Continental will be built in Flat Rock along with the Mustang and Fusion what does that say about a U.S. version of the Taurus? I'll say it again. There is no NEW CD4 Taurus for the U.S. for the next 3 years at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 (edited) A long-wheelbase version is also in development but this one will be sold exclusively in China. It’s likely to be built at the same plant in China where the Chinese-spec Ford Taurus is assembled. According to that article, the Chinese-spec Ford Taurus is shorter but with a longer wheel base then the current US Taurus. IMHO, Ford "missed the boat" several tears ago by NOT having a long wheelbase for the MKS and the PI Sedan. Edited July 17, 2015 by theoldwizard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 (edited) I'll say it again. There is no NEW CD4 Taurus for the U.S. for the next 3 years at least. At the rate the monthly sales are on the Taurus...they won't have to bother. Having a Taurus in China (only) would completely fly in the face of "One Ford" that they've been working on for the past 10 years. Its not some el-cheapo car that wouldn't sell in the US we are talking about here. Just makes you wonder how profitable a modified CD4 for the Continental is going to be without an additional 75-100K or so Taurus sales. I seriously doubt that the Continental will even come close to 40K units a year with Chinese sales and NA sales combined. Edited July 17, 2015 by silvrsvt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 IMHO, Ford "missed the boat" several tears ago by NOT having a long wheelbase for the MKS and the PI Sedan. If there really was a market for it, the MKT and Flex have a longer wheelbase. The problem is that the Taurus (and I'll assume the MKS also) are the largest (length wise) car product they build...the Taurus is longer then an Explorer and Flex! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 At the rate the monthly sales are on the Taurus...they won't have to bother. Having a Taurus in China (only) would completely fly in the face of "One Ford" that they've been working on for the past 10 years. They may not even sell a D class Ford sedan in the U.S. - it's a shrinking market. I could see replacing it with a LWB Fusion with a larger trunk. In NA I think it comes down to the other existing D3/D4 vehicles and manufacturing facilities. I think they're going to reshuffle the entire deck with CD6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I think they're going to reshuffle the entire deck with CD6. Could you expand on that - what do you think might happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Could you expand on that - what do you think might happen? This is just my guess here - no insider info. But I see CD6 replacing both CD4 and D3/D4. FWD/AWD for Fusion/Edge. RWD/AWD for Explorer and all Lincolns. That's assuming the platform is capable of both which has been reported by unnamed sources in the news. If not then CD4 stays FWD/AWD for Fusion/Edge and maybe MKZ and CD6 is RWD/AWD for Explorer and other Lincolns. Either way I think D3/D4 is a dead man walking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 They could also be consolidating CD6 production in the U.S. (including Fusion) while moving Focus and C-Max production to Mexico. Now you can spread CD6 production between MAP and CAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 They could also be consolidating CD6 production in the U.S. (including Fusion) while moving Focus and C-Max production to Mexico. Now you can spread CD6 production between MAP and CAP.Don't forget FRAP in there too. I have to imagine that Continental would eventually move to CD6 and they would keep building the Fusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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