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Auto Show Notebook: Legendary Continental name inspired Lincoln's designers

What's in a name? A lot for the Continental concept, and it gave Lincoln designers a sense of purpose as they styled the brand's upcoming flagship sedan. "The moment that we told them, it was amazing," Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra said. "They totally got it." "It" is cutting-edge technology wrapped in stately, large-sedan design. It's a nod to Lincoln's storied past, but a signpost for where the brand is heading. Though the Continental name dates to the late 1930s, Lincoln designers avoided making the concept overtly retro. "You can't let it pull yourself back too far in history, but you've got to design a car that lives up to the name," Galhotra said. Speaking to Autoblog on the floor of the New York Auto Show where the Continental formally debuted Wednesday, the Lincoln president reiterated that the car is on track to launch in 2016. It will compete against the Audi A6, Lexus GS, BMW 5 Series and other large luxury sedans. After its debut, the concept in New York will fly to China – another critical market for Lincoln – for display there. It will be replaced in New York by a prototype without an interior. The Continental is the latest high profile play by Lincoln to raise its image with consumers, who have either ignored or forgotten about it amid steep competition in the luxury sector from German and Japanese brands and a potentially resilient Cadillac. Lincoln sales are essentially flat compared with 2014 through the first quarter of this year, with total volume of 21,478 units. The middling start to 2015 comes on the heels of nearly 16-percent sales growth last year spurred by the launch of the MKC and the prominent signing of Matthew McConaughey to star in Lincoln advertisements. Other News, Notes & Quotes Speaking of names, Chevrolet did its homework before deciding to proceed with "Malibu" for its new generation of midsize cars. "We went out and researched it," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America. "People actually like the name 'Malibu,'" he said. Admittedly, the current Malibu has struggled in the marketplace against entrenched competitors, Batey said, but he's optimistic its awareness and historical value are assets to the dramatically redesigned sedan."The name's strong," he said. Meanwhile, in other Chevy news, the brand kicked off a new marketing campaign, "Real People, Not Actors" Wednesday. It will show consumers interacting with Chevys and their spontaneous reactions to the vehicles.

Fernando Alonso sputters in his Indy test

INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves and Fernando Alonso kept waiting around Wednesday. Now both international stars have some unfinished business to take care before qualifying for this year's Indianapolis 500. After enduring a rain delay of more than four hours then watching IndyCar regulars turn laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for two more hours, Castroneves and Alonso finally made it onto the track — but couldn't quite complete their refresher course. "Happy to be back here because this place is great," Alonso said after posting a fast lap of 218.690 mph — the slowest of the nine-driver evening session. "We were slow because the weather and some of the decisions people made on running time and things like that." He faced a bevy of problems in his first trip back to Indy since an impressive rookie performance in 2017. The rain delay forced organizers into rescheduling the one-day test, moving the rookie and refresher driver time from midday to the evening, cutting a significant amount of practice time for Alonso and the others. And when the green flag finally waved, Alonso's No. 66 car stalled in the warmup lane forcing the two-time Formula One champion from Spain to be towed back to pit lane where his crew worked feverishly to fix an electrical problem while sat in the cockpit. Eventually, he did get out and passed the first of two refresher phases. He'll have to wait until opening practice of the 500 on May 14 to pass the second. "It was frustrating for everyone because it was a brand new chassis and a brand new car, so we expected to run a lot," said Alonso, who drives for McLaren Racing. "If we could have had this at midday, you could work on your issues in the afternoon and then go out again." To put his day in perspective, Takuma Sato, the 2017 Indy winner from Japan, posted the fastest lap of the day at 226.993 mph and Colton Herta was the fastest rookie at 226.108. Castroneves, as usual, was good right from the start and posted a fast lap of 225.565. The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner looked smooth and fast on his favorite track and wasted no time passing the first phase. That much should have been expected from the popular Brazilian, who has recorded seven top-three finishes in 18 Indy starts and will make his season debut May 11 in the IndyCar Grand Prix. The weather and yellow flags prevented four of the five veterans — Castroneves, Alonso, Oriol Servia and JR Hildebrand — from passing phase two. Only Indy native Conor Daly made it.

Chevy reveals Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition

Chevrolet wants to make sure that if people are in the market for a midsize pickup, then there is a Colorado available to fit their desires. For businesses, there's the recently unveiled box delete package and for those looking for a customized look, there's the GearOn Edition. For the latest Z71 Trail Boss version, the automaker is going for folks planning to go off-road. As the name suggests, all Trail Boss versions of the Colorado start with the already off-road-inlined Z71 trim level, including its 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 and six-speed automatic, and the package can be added to practically any body variant: extended or crew cab, long or short bed and rear- or four-wheel drive. To set things apart, there's a locking rear differential, front tow hooks, darkened 17-inch wheels that are shod with Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires and on the four-wheel drive models, a transfer case shield. For some extra style, the Colorado Trail Boss wears black parts for the fender flares, side steps and Bowtie badges. The bed also gets a spray-on liner and a few parts from the GearOn accessory catalog, including the tie-down rings, load bar and cargo divider. The Trail Boss goes on sale in the spring, and to add all of this equipment to a Colorado, it costs $3,320 in addition to the price of any Z71 trim model. Related Video: Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition: On Point, Off Road When adventure calls, the Trail Boss has your back 2015-03-06 CLEVELAND – For those who want to blaze their own trails, Chevrolet introduces the 2015 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss edition today at the Cleveland Auto Show. The Trail Boss combines the capability of Chevrolet's Z71 off-road truck suspension package with more aggressive tires and additional appearance enhancements. It is offered in extended and crew cab configurations, with a choice of a long or short cargo bed and available 4WD. The Trail Boss goes on sale this spring with a starting price of $28,505 plus the package price of $3,320. "The Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Trail Boss Edition is equally at home blazing an urban trail or following one to a favorite remote campground," said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager.