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Lincoln Zephyr for China puts brand back in the sedan game

Lincoln abandoned the sedan segment in the United States, but its Chinese division isn't ready to pivot toward a range made up exclusively of high-riding models. It has introduced a sedan named Zephyr at the Guangzhou Auto Show that was developed solely for China and will be manufactured locally. If the name sounds familiar, you're either well-versed in the history of American luxury cars or you've been keeping up with the news lately. Lincoln's original Zephyr was a stately, V12-powered model available in several different body styles and sold between 1936 and 1942. More recently, the nameplate appeared on a thinly-veiled concept introduced in Shanghai as a preview of the production-bound model. Unsurprisingly, the sedan has changed little in its transition from a design study to a series-produced car. It gained bigger and more realistic-looking headlights and a redesigned front end, and it grew a pair of conventional door mirrors (the concept was fitted with cameras). Out back, the bumper gets a new look and the lighting elements have changed, though the light bar is still oddly reminiscent of the Audi A7. What hasn't been tweaked are the Zephyr's proportions: It's sleek, fastback-like, and one of Lincoln's best-looking modern sedans. "Every detail from the inside out is crafted based on a deep understanding of our young Chinese clients," said Mao Jingbo, president of Lincoln's Chinese division. This is an interesting statement; Lincoln is targeting a clientele that, on our side of the Pacific, isn't typically found inside of one of its showrooms or seen behind the wheel of a sedan. To that end, the interior gains a tremendous amount of technology including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 27-inch touchscreen that takes up the entire dashboard. We know that the Zephyr offers Lincoln's largest puddle lights (which are referred to as a Welcome Mat), four Relaxing Modes, several "digital scents," and a 128-color ambient lighting system. What we don't know much about is what's under the hood: The only specifications released by the firm outlines a 2.0-liter engine, presumably a four-cylinder, that's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln will begin selling the Zephyr on the Chinese market in the first quarter of 2022. The sedan will be built in China as well, which is a first that the company is proud of. And nothing suggests it will be sold outside of its home market — let alone in the United States.

Ford F-150 could be affected by tornado-damaged supplier in S.C.

The disruption caused by a tornado that severely damaged a South Carolina auto-parts plant and killed a contract security guard last week could be felt by more automakers than just Ford and affect more than just its best-selling F-Series pickup, which is due for an update. And there’s still no estimate for when operations might resume at the plant. The Detroit Free Press reports that the BorgWarner plant in Seneca, near Greenville, makes transfer cases for F-150 and Super Duty pickups, the Ford Explorer and Expedition, Transit cargo vans, and Lincoln Navigator and Aviator SUVs. ItÂ’s also a supplier for the Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra trucks. Transfer cases shift power from the transmission to the front and rear axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. BorgWarner says it still has no update for when it might partially or fully resume operations. The tornado that ripped through the area in the western part of the state on April 13 tore the roof, walls and signage off the factory and killed a 77-year-old contract worker when the security building he was sheltering in collapsed. Only four or five others were inside the plant, which has been idled because of the coronavirus outbreak, when the tornado struck. In an SEC filing on Friday, Ford said it has sent employees to the site to help BorgWarner and assess the damage to FordÂ’s tooling. “Initial assessments indicate that the Ford tooling was not materially damaged in this incident,” Ford said in the filing. “We do not have sufficient information to estimate when the facility will be back on-line or whether or the extent to which this incident will impact our plans to resume production of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles.” A Fiat Chrysler spokeswoman also told the Freep the company was working with BorgWarner on recovery plans. A Toyota spokesman told Autoblog that "we are collaborating with BorgWarner to help restore production for transfer cases for Tundra assembly. We are confident that theyÂ’ll fully recover over time." Like other automakers, Ford shut down production at its U.S. plants last month as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic. But Ford hasnÂ’t yet said when it plans to reopen its factories. FCA is targeting May 4 to resume production. Models like the F-150 and Lincoln Navigator are major sources of profit for Ford, which estimated it lost $2 billion in the first quarter.

2017 Lincoln Continental: Was this mic-drop moment just a big flop?

The Lincoln Continental may have been our fifth-place pick for Best In Show at this year's Detroit Auto Show, but it's probably the one we argued about the most. In fact, we're still talking about it. And we'll no doubt be discussing it long after we finally get to drive the new sedan later this year. We do this with lots of cars, all the time. The Continental is an especially important, high-profile car right now. It has the task of being a torch-holder for the struggling-to-run Lincoln brand, and that's a tough job these days. But did Lincoln do right by its Continental name? Did its Detroit showcar stop us in our tracks, or were we left feeling cold? In an effort to show you our full discussion, we're trying something different. About a week after the Detroit Auto Show press days concluded, Autoblog's Jonathon Ramsey sent an email around to some editors about the Continental to open a discussion. It got heated, and fast. And while we considered summarizing it, we decided to instead post the whole, largely unedited (adjusted for typos and swear words) chain. From: Jonathon Ramsey To: Autoblog Team Does anyone else think it's a problem that the new Continental looks 85 percent like the MKZ? And another 10 percent of it looks like a Jaguar and a Bentley? Because I think Lincoln screwed the pooch. The German Three plus Porsche can make cars that look alike – they've earned the right, even if I'd rather they didn't. The MKZ looks like a car for regional sales reps. Lincoln broke the glass in case of emergency, grabbed the Continental name, then put it on a car that looks a lot like that sales-rep car, but one for regional VPs. Do we really think this can work? Because I don't. From: Steven Ewing To: Autoblog Team Personally, I'm pretty disappointed in the final execution of Continental. I'm glad Lincoln isn't obsessed with chasing the Germans, but at this point, it's not even chasing Cadillac. I think that introducing the new front end and TTV6 engine on the MKZ before the Continental was a huge mistake. And while I have high hopes for the Conti from a comfort/driving standpoint, my gut instinct is that it's going to be more "better than the MKS" than "best American luxury sedan." Introducing the new front end and TTV6 engine on the MKZ before the Continental was a huge mistake.