2012 Lincoln Mkz on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lincoln MKC prototype caught partially covered, reveals some changes

When Lincoln pulled the wraps off the MKC Concept at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, we said that the very attractive concept was going to closely mirror the production vehicle. With few exceptions, a clad prototype recently caught running on public roads seems to substantiate our statement.
From what the pictures reveal, the disguised Lincoln MKC production mule and show concept seem to share the same waistline with identical sculpting over the wheels. The midsection of the two also appear to match with the same flare and styling. The lower rockers have been cleaned up a bit, mainly to be more practical in the real world (the deep chisels on the show car would have collected mud and snow).
Taking a look at the exposed front bumper, we see a very similar lower fascia complete wtih the metal skid plate on the chin. The window profile also seems to match the concept, though we're still unclear exactly how that C- and D-pillar section is going to look. Of course, and it always seems to be the case when concepts evolve into production vehicles, the MKC gains four normal door handles, standard-sized mirrors and a slightly smaller wheel/tire package. We expect the production version of the Lincoln MKC to debut later this year.

Five cursed and haunted cars

Any kid lucky enough to grow up in Detroit is familiar with the Henry Ford Museum. It's huge, full of shiny things and a great place to take a child and let them burn off some energy. After several field trips and weekend outings however, the dusty concept vehicles and famous aircraft tend to lose their punch for youngsters. As a fifth grader, I was already gazing on the museum's many gems with glassy eyes. On yet another school trip, we made our way to John F. Kennedy's death car, a gleaming black Lincoln limo. The aging volunteer docent told our little group something I had never heard before. "You know, this car is haunted. Several employees have reported seeing a gray presence right here," he said, pointing to the back passenger side seat. I perked up. Now here was something I had never heard before. A haunted car? Sure, it happened in Goosebumps, but this was real life. It made sense, in a way. Cars can be violent, emotional places. That's certainly the case with JFK's limo, as well as the other four cars on this list. And maybe those gut-wrenching deaths can permanently doom a car. 5. Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Graf & Stift Death Limo World War I tends to be a forgotten war, despite being pretty terrible in its own right and setting the stage for the entire 20th Century. The French forces, for instance, lost more lives in the first month of WWI than the US did in the entire Civil War. Everyone who has been through a freshman world history course knows the conflict started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot by a Bosnian anarchist. The crazy thing is, Ferdinand had already avoided an attempt on his life that day, and was actually on his way to the hospital to comfort those who had been injured in the crossfire. One of the would-be assassins simply walked out of a cafe and saw his intended target sitting in front of him where the open-air limo had stalled. The archduke and his wife were shot through their heads and throats. Their deaths would not be the last caused by the limo. Throughout the war and into the 1920s, the limo was owned by fifteen different people and involved in six accidents and thirteen deaths, not counting the 17 million or so killed in the war triggered by the Archduke's assassination. The first person to own the car after the Archduke was an Austrian general named Potiorek, who went insane while riding in the car through Vienna.

Monochromatic Package spreads to Lincoln's Corsair, Nautilus, and Aviator

Lincoln is catering to buyers seeking a mostly chrome-free SUV by making the optional Monochromatic Package available on the Corsair, the Nautilus, and the Aviator. It was inaugurated by the Navigator in 2019. Inspired by current trends in fashion and interior design, the Monochromatic Package bundles a darker grille, tinted emblems, body-colored mirrors, and darkened trim pieces all around. It also includes black 20- or 22-inch alloy wheels, depending on the model. Lincoln made no mention of modifications in the cabin. 2021 Corsair and 2021 Aviator buyers who tick the Monochromatic Package box will be asked to choose from three colors named Pristine White, Infinite Black, and Asher Gray, respectively. The Monochromatic-equipped 2020 Nautilus will exclusively be offered in Infinite Black, while the 2020 Navigator carries on with Pristine White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black as its color options when buyers add the package. Lincoln hopes expanding the Monochromatic Package's availability will allow its SUVs to keep building momentum, but pricing information hasn't been announced yet. For context, the chrome-free look costs $3,495 on the 2020 Navigator, and it's exclusively offered on the mid-range Reserve model priced at $83,665. Like parent company Ford, Lincoln is increasingly reliant on its crossovers and SUVs. It confirmed its last two sedans, the MKZ and the Continental, will retire without a replacement in sight after the 2020 model year.