2016 Lincoln Mkt Ecoboost Sport Utility 4-door on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Subaru clean up in IIHS 2018 safety ratings

Hyundai, its partner Kia and its Genesis division are the big winners in the latest vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, accounting for six of the 15 models that earned the Top Safety Pick+ awards for 2018. Subaru was right behind with four, Mercedes-Benz had two, and Toyota, BMW and Ford each had one. Another 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick designation, where Toyota had 10 vehicle models, with Hyundai recognized for nine models. All but one of the seven vehicles in Subaru's lineup, the BRZ, qualified for one of the awards. IIHS strengthened the criteria for the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2018 to require headlights to earn a "good" rating — an "acceptable" rating was previously enough to notch the "plus" award — and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in the small overlap front crash, which replicates a crash involving just the front corner of a vehicle. It also required vehicles to have acceptable or good headlights for the first time to earn a Top Safety Pick award. Most of winners for both awards qualified on the basis of optional upgrades. IIHS in October began evaluating the passenger side of vehicles in its small overlap front crash test after it said it became clear that automakers were neglecting that side of the vehicle as they focused on improving driver-side protections. IIHS first began conducting driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. It began measuring both how well low and high beams illuminated the road and the amount of glare they produce for oncoming vehicles as part of its ratings in 2016. The Top Safety Pick+ winners are listed below. The list doesn't include any minivans, pickups or minicars, which don't appear on either list of awardees. Small cars Kia Forte Kia Soul Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon) Subaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Toyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 series Genesis G80 Genesis G90 Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize luxury SUV Mercedes-Benz GLC The full list of Top Safety Pick winners is available here.Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS BMW Genesis Hyundai Kia Lincoln Subaru Toyota Safety Crossover SUV Wagon Sedan crash test

Junkyard Gem: 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII

Except for a pause during the 1960s, the Lincoln Mark Series of personal luxury cars stayed in production from the 1956 through 1998 model years. These were big, swanky machines loaded with the latest in gadgetry and — other than the handful of 1984-1985 Mark VIIs with BMW diesel linline-sixes — they cruised with great opulence on American highways courtesy of powerful V8 engines. The very last generation of the series, the Mark VIII, boasted a spaceship-style interior, slick body lines, and a sophisticated dual-overhead-cam version of Ford's Modular V8 engine. Here's a 1995 in Deep Jewel Green Metallic paint, photographed in a Colorado self-service yard. I've documented examples of the Lincoln Mark II through Mark VI while performing my car-graveyard studies, and the Mark VIII's distinctive wraparound cockpit makes most of its predecessors look cheap and stodgy by comparison.  The four-valves-per-cylinder version of Ford's rugged 4.6-liter Modular V8 made 280 horsepower in the Mark VIII, just two fewer horses than the V8 in BMW's 840Ci coupe that year. The Mercedes-Benz S500 coupe had a 315-hp V8 that year, while the Lexus SC 400's V8 made a mere 250 horsepower. The BMW cost $69,900, the Mercedes-Benz had a $91,900 price tag, and the SC 400 went for $47,500 — the Mark VIII could be purchased for just $38,800 that year. That's about $66,300 in 2019 dollars. Of course, the Cadillac Eldorado coupe was the real competition for the Mark VIII in 1995, and the unfortunately-named ETC (Eldorado Touring Coupe) came with a 300-horse DOHC Northstar V8 (admittedly, driving the front wheels) and a dignified wood-trimmed interior. At $41,535, though, the Cadillac had a higher base price than the Lincoln. I think this one was pretty clean, prior to getting banged up in the junkyard, and 140,905 miles seems low for a flagship Ford of the era. Perhaps it got too many unpaid parking tickets, or maybe that complex DOHC engine developed some expensive problem. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Tempted? Featured Gallery Junked 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII View 17 Photos Auto News Lincoln Automotive History

Lincoln announces its first EV will be built on Rivian platform

Confirming months of reports, Lincoln announced that its first fully electric vehicle will be based on the Rivian electric platform. That platform will underpin the Rivian R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV. Lincoln didn't specify whether this EV will be a car, truck or SUV, but all signs point to an SUV. The company highlighted its revamp of crossover and SUV models and how they've helped increase the brand's sales. Rivian's CEO R.J. Scaringe also said previously that it would build an SUV for Lincoln. In that same report, Scaringe noted that the Lincoln electric SUV would launch sometime in 2022, and it would be built at the factory in Illinois where it will also build the R1T and R1S. The R1T and R1S are expected to go into production at the end of 2020. Based on what we know about the Rivians, it could have a range from 230 to 400 miles and output as high as 800 horsepower from a quartet of motors. The production of the Lincoln electric SUV on the Rivian platform in the Rivian factory may also be a factor in Rivian lowering the prices of its vehicles. The base R1T was initially priced around $70,000 and the base R1S at around $72,000. But with the addition of the third Lincoln variant, now has more vehicles to recoup development costs. Related Video: