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Lincoln Corsair reportedly getting a PHEV among three engine options

What's a Lincoln Corsair, again? That would be the forthcoming replacement for the current Lincoln MKC compact crossover, and we know little about it besides its name change and the fact it'll be related to the also-redesigned Ford Escape. However, The Truth About Cars says it saw paperwork Ford filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration detailing Corsair powertrain options. These VIN decoder documents reportedly indicate three available engines, including, most notably, a plug-in hybrid. TTAC, which didn't post the documents, indicates the hybrid's heart will be a 2.5-liter Duratec four-cylinder – such an engine currently power base models of the Ford Escape and Fusion. All-electric driving range is unknown, but the Fusion Energi can go 25 miles, and crossover competitors do anywhere from 22 to 26 miles on EV power. What we do know is that all PHEV Corsairs will come with AWD. This would be the first time we've seen mention of a Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid, but the idea isn't far fetched. The new Lincoln Aviator will offer a plug-in hybrid version, and we know there's a traditional hybrid version of the related Ford Escape crossover on the way. Spy shots of that vehicle from earlier this month didn't show the plug-in port where Ford likes to put it, on the left front fender. We expect a different powertrain in that model and we also wouldn't be surprised if there's an Escape PHEV as well. The other two powertrains will reportedly be the MKC's 2.0-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder as the base, with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost continuing to be an optional upgrade. TTAC also says the VIN document indicates that trim configurations have changed to simply offering standard and Signature trims (from the MKC's standard, Select, Reserve, and Black Label levels). This is hard to believe given that every other Lincoln offers a Black Label and is usually the model featured in promotions and official photography. There's still a lot to be learned about the Lincoln Corsair, including whether these VIN documents are accurate. We expect to know more later in the year. Given that the Lincoln Aviator was shown before its Ford Explorer sibling, we wouldn't be surprised if the Corsair made its official introduction first. Related Video:

Lincoln Aviator warning and alert sounds are played by an orchestra

Lincoln used members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to create alert chimes for its new Aviator SUV. Luxury manufacturers are always looking for more ways to increase the level of ambiance, and Lincoln went so far as to contract some of the best musicians in the world to create a more comfortable atmosphere. In total, the musicians created six different alert chimes for 25 different alerts the Aviator could provide. The alert chimes fall into three different categories Lincoln uses for warnings: non-critical, soft-warning chimes and hard-warning chimes. They are all made using a blend of percussion instruments, violin and viola. Lincoln plans to expand the instrumental sounds across its entire lineup eventually. These chimes will represent warnings for things like an open fuel door, unbuckled seat belt, the lowering of the power liftgate and plenty more. It's not a bad day when leaving your headlights on or door open lead to a pleasant musical sound coming from your speakers. All the sounds seem appropriate for their particular functions, and do sound more pleasing than the normal alerts. Lincoln says the musicians initially came up with 125 different sound options before they narrowed it down to just six. While it might feel a bit gimmicky at face value, a calming sound playing versus an annoying beep might reduce in-car aggravation. The Aviator with these warning sounds will be revealed at the LA Auto Show at the end of the month as well. It was originally shown as a close-to-production-looking concept car at the NY Auto Show earlier this year. All the official production details will be coming in LA. We'll be there in-person to tell you if these new musical chimes are a win. Lincoln Aviator warning chimes View 5 Photos Related video:

2017 Lincoln Continental reimagined as a coupe

If nothing else, the production version of the Lincoln Continental has provided ample water-cooler fodder around the office. There are a few camps: the "it took guts to build it" folks giving credit where due on a handsome design with an ambitious interior, and the "MKZ misstep" group haranguing the Motor Company for blowing fancy new styling cues on a lesser beast. And yet, unifying forces exist. We can all agree that these artist renders depicting a Continental sans a pair of doors present a captivating notion. Back in 1939, the original Continental was a two-door. Over time, four doors of various types, including convertibles, infiltrated the lineup. The last time the Continental was on sale, it was a four-door front-driver based on the platform shared with the Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus. Even though the new production Continental, like that penultimate one, is based on a front-drive platform, the execution is much different. As you probably already know, it features a so-far unique 400-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 and an advanced torque-vectoring AWD system, standard. Some neat concept car touches, like the fancy door handles and patented 30-way adjustable seats, made it in. What a two-door would bring to the table is mainly stylistic, emphasizing the long parallel character line in the door with brightwork running under the window that's echoed in the lower door sculpting and chrome strip. It accentuates the car's length, and calls attention to the trim taillights and their interconnecting bar element. A longer door makes for a more elegant transition into the C-pillar. It makes the production Continental, with its blacked-out but still obviously chunky B-pillar, look fussy. We don't expect Lincoln to build a coupe – that may be too wild for a company that doesn't seem completely comfortable with the notion of reinvention – but these renders were just too good not to share. Let us know what you think in the comments below. Related Video: