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Hennessey’s 600-hp Lincoln Navigator is here

The tuners at Hennessey have begun deliveries of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator HPE600, a full-size SUV that boosts the Navigator's normal 450-horsepower output to 600 hp, announcing its arrival with a video showing the performance 'ute riding a dynamometer. Hennessey said it was a natural decision to turn to the Navigator because it has mostly the same 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine as the F-150 Raptor, which it converted last year to the 602-hp 6x6 VelociRaptor. So it added engine management computer software upgrades, a stainless steel exhaust system, high-flow air induction and large front-mounted intercooler with blow-off valve. Dyno results in the video show the Navigator topping out at around 500 hp and 500 pound-feet of torque at around 3,800 rpm at the wheels; Hennessey says the 600 hp comes at 6000 rpm. The upgrades are good to take the nearly three-ton SUV from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, about 0.7 seconds quicker than the standard Navigator, and run the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 107 mph. The tuning package will set you back $19,950, including installation. Additional options include 22-inch forged monoblock wheels, lowered suspension and Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers and 15.1-inch brake rotors. There are also HPE600 badges on the front door jambs and tailgate, and embroidered headrests. It comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. Just 200 are planned for the 2018 model. You can order it now through Hennessey or any authorized Hennessey Lincoln dealer. Related Video: Image Credit: Hennessey Lincoln SUV Luxury Performance Hennessey tuner lincoln navigator tuning

Ford extends shutdown, Stellantis confirms layoffs due to chip shortage

Ford and Stellantis this week announced new production cuts due to the global semiconductor shortage, with popular models including the Ford F-150 and Jeep Grand Cherokee facing cuts. Stellantis plans to temporarily lay off workers at one facility as production is curtailed.  According to Automotive News, Ford is extending shutdowns at some of its North American facilities into May. The Blue Oval has been forced to reduce or idle production of both its redesigned F-150 pickup and the popular Explorer due to the chip shortage. The Mustang, Transit, Edge, Lincoln Nautilus and Aviator will also continue to be affected. Stellantis is planning to temporarily lay off workers at a Jeep plant in Detroit during April and May due to a shortage of semiconductor chips. The company will cut two work crews at its Jefferson North plant in Detroit for three weeks starting April 26, then call them back and lay off a third crew from May 17 through the week of May 31, according to a schedule obtained by Bloomberg News. The plant on Detroit’s east side normally operates two shifts with three work crews six days a week to keep it running 20 hours a day. “Stellantis continues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply chain issues facing our industry,” company spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in a statement. “Due to the unprecedented global microchip shortage, Jefferson North will adjust its production schedule through the end of May.” Jefferson North employs about 4,800 hourly workers and makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the top-selling Jeep model last year, and the Dodge Durango SUV. A redesigned version of the Grand Cherokee is scheduled to start production in August, according to researcher AutoForecast Solutions. This article contains reporting from Bloomberg. Plants/Manufacturing Ford Jeep Lincoln Technology chip shortage

Bentley designer calls Lincoln Continental concept a Flying Spur 'copy' [w/poll]

When you first laid eyes on the new Lincoln Continental concept, we'd wager you were likely impressed, because it's an impressive design. But if you also thought it looked familiar, you're in good company. According to Car Design News, design chief Luc Donckerwolke over at Bentley thinks the Lincoln concept bears more than a passing resemblance to another Continental: Bentley's own Flying Spur. "This behavior is not respectable. Building a copy like this is giving a bad name to the car design world," Donckerwolke told CDN, after posting some disparaging comments on Facebook and offering in jest to send over the tooling. "It is very disappointing, especially for an exclusive brand like Lincoln," added Sangyup Lee, his deputy for exterior design. The irony is further entrenched by the name, which Bentley only dropped from its Flying Spur in its latest iteration but still uses for the coupe and convertible models. Both automakers have a deeply routed history with the nameplate, but Lincoln's stretches back further, having first used the handle in 1939 before Bentley did in 1952. However it's not the nameplate that's the subject of controversy here, rather the design of the vehicle to which it's applied. So what do you think, did Lincoln borrow too heavily from its British counterpart? Related Video: