2006 Lincoln Mark Series on 2040-cars

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2019 BMW X7 vs luxury SUV rivals: Comparing specs and photos

Today we get our first-ever look at the first-ever 2019 BMW X7 crossover. We've actually already had our first-ever drive in an X7 Prototype. And so, we thought it appropriate to follow that up today with the first-ever X7 comparison of specs between BMW's first-ever three-row crossover with legitimate room for seven and its many high-dollar competitors. On paper, the 2019 X7 definitely seems to most closely align with the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. Their similar dimensions, interior space, engine choices and price would certainly imply where BMW placed the target when developing X7. We used those same elements to determine three-row vehicles likely to be cross-shopped or that should be cross-shopped. These include the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and Lincoln Navigator. Yes, the latter is a truck-based SUV as opposed to a crossover, but tell that to all the people lining out the door at the local Lincoln emporium. They do not care, and neither shall we. We also included the 2019 BMW X5, which was completely redesigned for this year and therefore not the first-ever. That makes it less appealing? Either way, lining the new X5 up with the SUV that leapfrogs it atop BMW's SUV hierarchy should provide a good idea of just how much more you get by going up a model number. Engines and model lineup Again, the X7 aligns closest with the GLS, offering a base six-cylinder in its xDrive40i model and an upgrade turbo V8 in the xDrive50i. The Mercedes engines have greater output, but the GLS still accelerates slower than the BMW. As the 2019 X5 offers the exact same engines, we would also expect the X7's fuel economy to be superior to the GLS once its estimates are announced. It should be noted, though, that the GLS offers a high-powered AMG model whereas we anticipate the X7 to offer a plug-in hybrid model comparable to the X5 upcoming xDrive45e model. The other luxury SUVs diverge in their engine choices and model lineup. The Audi Q7 offers a base turbocharged four-cylinder, as does the Volvo XC90 in its T5 model, which we left out of the above chart entirely for space reasons. That the Q7 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 gets the same fuel economy estimates as the four-cylinder is proof positive that engine is purely around for its lower base price.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn leads this month's list of discounts

If you're one of the few readers of this site who is in the market for a $350,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn, well, first of all, good for you. And you should be prepared to keep some extra money in your pocket, too, as the drop-top Roller leads this month's list of the largest monetary discounts with an average of $14,733 taken off the machine's $359,250 sticker price. That means buyers are paying an average transaction price of $344,517 for the 2020 Rolls-Royce Dawn this month, according to data provided to Autoblog by TrueCar, which equals about 4.1% off the price on the sticker. An intriguing pair of supercars land in second and third positions this month. The 2019 Acura NSX is selling for an average of $145,174 this month, which represents a 9% discount, or $14,373. With an eerily similar 9% discount of $14,079 comes the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage, which has an average transaction price of $142,002 this month. The Maserati Quattroporte is up next with an average discount of $13,634. Another Rolls-Royce model lands in the fifth spot, but instead of the aging Dawn it's the brand-new Cullinan SUV. Although the luxury 'ute boasts a large discount of $12,427, its staggeringly high retail price of $332,750 means buyers are getting a little less than 4% off the sticker. More interesting to most buyers will be the 2019 Lincoln Navigator, which is one of our favorite full-size SUVs in America. Buyers of Lincoln's range-topping vehicle are getting average discounts of $11,761. That represents a 13.4% savings for a final price of $75,940. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video:

Lincoln Star Concept provides a glimpse of four upcoming EVs

The auto industry is in the midst of what has been called a once-in-a-century transformation as it shifts to zero-emissions propulsion. As it happens, this year also marks Lincoln’s 100th anniversary. There were actually Lincolns a few years earlier, but Lincoln counts Feb. 4, 1922, when Henry Ford purchased the company, as its birthday. Like many, Lincoln wants to electrify its lineup, and plans to introduce four new battery-electric vehicles by 2026. Today it unveiled the car that will inform that future, the Lincoln Star Concept. “ItÂ’s a clean-sheet of paper to help us get through the next four products,” chief exterior designer Earl Lucas told Autoblog at a preview. But when asked whether it's a crossover, LincolnÂ’s representatives resist dropping it into any existing categories. Global Design Director Kemal Curic describes it as a “new species.” It lacks the upright, two-box design of crossovers and SUVs dotting AmericaÂ’s roads. Instead it has a dramatically raked A-pillar and an even more acutely angled rear. The greenhouse area tapers towards the rear, and the main body has a distinct anti-wedge silhouette. To these eyes, it has almost wagon-like proportions. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The other hallmark of the Star is its use of lighting. Illuminated surfaces can be found throughout the car — on logos where badges would normally reside, on a thin band that outlines the roof, and on fingernails that trace the wheel arches. ThereÂ’s also an unmissable light bar that spans the leading edge of the nose before curving up over the fenders and to the A pillars. ItÂ’s reminiscent of the chrome strips on the blade-like fenders of the 1961 Continental, but the designers we talked to denied that resemblance. The Star is decidedly anti-chrome, and lighting takes the place of that brightwork. Throughout our walkaround, designers used phrases that evoked a jet age view of transit. “ItÂ’s the journey, not the destination,” said Lucas. Curic uses the term “in flight” when talking about driving modes. Chief interior designer Robert Gelardi called it “the romance of travel.” ItÂ’s as if the Star was channeling a time when Lincolns like the Continental Mark II, once the most expensive domestic car ever sold, bore the American standard around the world and went toe-to-toe against the likes of Rolls-Royce.