1976 Lincoln Mark Iv Black Diamond on 2040-cars

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Ford to add Android Auto and CarPlay to 2016 SYNC 3 cars via update

Ford is updating a large number of 2016 model year cars equipped with SYNC 3 infotainment software, adding Android Auto and CarPlay to the vehicles with a free, over-the-air update via Wi-Fi, or using either USB or going through their dealer. The upgrade will be available for around 800,000 vehicles in total, giving a huge number of Ford car owners the chance to get big infotainment improvements without having to buy a newer model car. The OTA update option is also a big step for Ford – it's the company's first for software ever, and it's one of the major reasons that Ford recently hired around 400 new mobile smartphone engineers, the company tells me. For CarPlay, users will still also need to upgrade their vehicle's USB hub to make this work (which will also incur a dealer visit and a cost), but for those on Android, all that's required is a simple software installation. The USB install method is also faster, but the Wi-Fi update option is the start of the company's efforts to really increase its OTA update program, which will be used for security improvements as well as infotainment bumps. Even with a dealer visit and hardware upgrade for CarPlay, this sounds like a worthwhile thing for 2016 vehicle owners to do. CarPlay and Android Auto are huge upgrades vs. most in-car software, offering navigation and entertainment options that follow you from your phone to your car. Retroactively offering this kind of thing to car owners is a definite change in tone for carmakers, since they typically use these kinds of things as incentives to get people interested in vehicle model updates. But as data becomes increasingly important to automakers as a business, it makes sense to encourage greater in-car use of devices.Written by Darrell Etherington for TechCrunchRelated Video: Auto News Ford Lincoln Technology Infotainment android

Lincoln owners in San Diego, your chauffeur awaits

In an effort to make up lost market share, Lincoln is trying desperately to differentiate itself from other luxury automakers. The automaker is offering and expanding a number of services aimed at setting itself apart not only from Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Audi, but also the Fords that so often share showroom space. One such offering, the Lincoln Chauffeur, is expanding beyond its initial rollout in Miami, Florida, across the country to San Diego, California. The concept is simple. For $30/hour, a chauffeur will drive you around in your own vehicle, stopping at the store, the gas station, or even at school to pick up the kids. The chauffeur can do these things with or without you present, meaning the driver can drop you off at the airport and return the car home, allowing others to use the car rather than leaving it parked at the airport. The service is available to old and new Lincoln owners, though the former get eight free hours to try the service. San Diego was part of a planned expansion. If things continue to go well, look for further rollouts in cities across the country. Related Video: News Source: Lincoln via Automotive News Lincoln Ownership

Sell your own: 2002 Lincoln LS V8

Looking to sell your car? We make it easy and free. Quickly create listings with up to six photos and reach millions of buyers. Log in and create your free listings. Ford Motor Company has been a global concern almost as long as there has been a 'Motor Company'. And while it is omnipresent in most corners of the globe, few things spoke to that globalization more than Ford's purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover near the end of the last century. And with that purchase came shared platform opportunities, some of which didn't work (Jaguar's X-Type is the most notable, whose platform was shared with the Ford Mondeo), and some that did. We'll focus on one that did: Jaguar's S-Type, whose engineering was common to the Lincoln LS. Sales didn't set the world on fire for either model, but there is something ageless about both; the Jag embraced a neo-classic theme, while Lincoln's LS is almost timeless within its 3-box, slab-sided architecture. This for-sale example, located in Melbourne, Fla., looks to be in nice condition. If the mileage is accurate and the Carfax reasonably clean, it should provide miles and years of motoring pleasure, even if only driving to your rheumatologist. The LS borders on being a quiet collectible, with less obvious pleasure in the viewing, more obvious delight in the driving; that's especially true with this model's V8. And you can put the asking price on most credit cards! Lincoln Car Buying Used Car Buying Buying Guide Ownership Luxury Sedan