MKC Concept is Lincoln’s Entry in the Compact Crossover Segment [Photos & Video]

Last year, Lincoln sales fell by 4 percent to 82,150 units in the U.S. despite the market posting a 13 percent increase compared to 2011. It’s obvious that Ford’s luxury car brand has a lot of work to do to catch up with its competitors.

The MKC Concept that will premiere at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is part of that offensive that includes four all-new models aimed at the most popular segments in the next four years.

The compact luxury crossover segment, which has grown by nearly 60 percent in 2012 and more than 200 percent in the last four years, is one of them and Lincoln will compete with the MKC.

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Lincoln Town Car Limo Driver Just Had to Use McDonald's Drive Through…[NSFW]

Of all the passenger cars that come to mind, a stretched Lincoln Town Car limousine must be one of the most inappropriate vehicles to be in at a McDonald's drive-through.

It's not hard to imagine why, nonetheless, someone insisted on riding his stretch limo to a local drive-through instead of simply parking it and walking a couple of feet into the store to order his meal…or at least he attempted to, as surprise, surprise, he experienced some problems.

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A Study for a New Lincoln Luxury Sports Coupe

For as long as we can remember, Lincoln has been trying to reinvent itself, admittedly, without much success.

The company's latest efforts include appointing Max Wolff of former Cadillac fame as its head designer, the opening of a dedicated 40,000 square foot styling studio and let's not forget, the roll out of the new MKZ mid-size sedan.

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Consumer Reports Tests Dodge Dart, Says Close Enough, But No Cigar; XTS, MKS & ES Also Rated

The Dodge Dart compact is the first completely new product to come out of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance and it has just been tested by Consumer Reports (CR). While buyers don’t necessarily adhere to what the motoring press has to say, CR’s tests still command enough heft in the U.S. market to make a carmaker dread its verdict.

So, how did the Dart do? The good news is that CR, which tested two versions of the Dart, the US$20,680 2.0-liter SXT and the US$24,490 1.4-liter Rallye, praised their quiet cabin, nimble handling and taut yet compliant ride. The bad news is that, neither of them scored high enough to earn the coveted “recommended” tag.

“The Dart is the first decent compact car from Dodge in decades,” said CR’s Auto Test Center director Jake Fisher. “It has some solid positives. But overall it can’t yet measure up to the best in class.”

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Ford and Its Dealers Offering $500 Cash Savings to New Cars Buyers Affected by Sandy

Only hours after Nissan and Infiniti announced that they are offering employee pricing and discounted financing to consumers impacted by the storm, Ford Motor Company came out with its own contribution. Read more »

Ford Comes in Second Last in Consumer Reports’ 2012 Auto Reliability Survey [w/Video]

Two years ago, Ford was included in the Top 10 of Consumer Reports’ (CR) annual reliability survey, with more than 90 percent of its range rated average or better.

In the 2012 survey, however, you’ll have to look a long way down to find the Blue Oval: it occupies the next-to-last place as it finished 27th out of 28 brands rated, and its Lincoln luxury division is just one place ahead.

"Ford's bumpy road can be seen in the numbers. Sixty percent of Ford-branded models and half of Lincolns were below average in predicted reliability and none placed above average," said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

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Watch How a Lincoln MKT Town Car is Turned Into a 10 Passenger Limousine

Over the years, we have shown you more stretch limos than we care to list (nevertheless, if you feel the need to, you can check them all out here), with some catching your attention more than others.

But what does it take to transform a regular passenger car into a gargantuan limousine long enough to entertain close to a dozen people? That is a question that Popular Mechanics tried to answer in the latest episode of its online series, "How'd They Do That".

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Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Certified at 45 MPG, 2MPG Less than Fusion Hybrid but 5MPG More than Lexus ES

Even though Lincoln had announced pricing and trim levels for its new 2013 MKZ Hybrid, the fuel economy ratings weren't available at the time as the carmaker was waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency’s official certification.

Today, the company announced that the US$35,925 MKZ Hybrid has been certified by the EPA at 45 mpg (5.2 lt/100 km) across the board, i.e. city, highway and combined consumption.

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Lincoln Sets Sail for China, Sales to Start in 2014

The Ford group is eying China's lucrative luxury car segment as it announced plans today to launch its Lincoln brand in the country in the second half of 2014.

The introduction of Lincoln in China is part of a broader expansion plan from the Ford Motor Company to increase its sales in the region.

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New 2013 Lincoln MKZ Sedan Priced from $35,925 to $49,260*

Lincoln has launched an online configurator and released pricing for its all-new MKZ midsize premium sedan that will be in dealerships in late fall.

The redesigned from the ground up MKZ starts at $35,925 for the base 2.0-liter EcoBoost and 2.0-liter Hybrid FWD models rising to $49,260 for the top-of-the-line 3.7-liter V6 AWD with the retractable panoramic roof option, with all prices excluding an $875 delivery and destination charge (*).

Choosing the hybrid powertrain doesn't come with a premium as Lincoln decided to keep the same price for all trim levels with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo models.

The MKZ is offered with three engines starting with the 240hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost unit that delivers an estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.

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Garage Find: 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII Wakes Up After 19 Years of Slumber

And the garage finds keep piling up. The car you see pictured here is a 1993 Lincoln Mark VIII coupe that woke up from a very, very long sleep – 19 years to be precise.

The story has it that the original owner was forced for an unspecified reason to quit driving, only three months and 3,415 miles (5,495 km) after he had purchased the car brand new from a Lincoln dealer. Instead of selling it, he choice to lock it up in his garage where it remained until earlier this year.

After its recent unearthing, the large Lincoln Coupe found its way on eBay, where it is currently listed for sale by a Bucyrus, Ohio-based dealer, who says the car is in pristine condition.

"The inside of this car looks as good as any new car on a show room floor and smells brand new. The under carriage of the car is dry and rust free," said the dealer.

"So as not to destroy the just discovered time capsule, we have chosen not to wash the dust of the last 19 years off, but leave the beautiful paint underneath to be discovered by its new owner."

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Lincoln MKF Concept Could Make a Compelling Rival Against the Mercedes CLS

It’s no secret that Lincoln has been struggling on many different levels over the past years - if not decades, with one of the more persisting problems being that the Blue Oval's sole luxury standard bearer has persistently failed to deliver in the design department.

The Ford group's answer to this problem was the appointment of former Cadillac exterior design Max Wolff as the head of Lincoln's design team last year and the creation of a new 40,000-square-foot dedicated studio in Dearborn, with the new MKZ being the first example of Lincoln's styling revitalization.

Moreover, Lincoln is also looking for young and emerging talents from colleges and universities by sponsoring projects. One of the more recent Lincoln backed concepts that caught our attention is the MKF from Brian Malczewski, an automotive design student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

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Lincoln Town Car Limo Crashes Into Exotic Car Shop in LA, Damages Ferrari and Rare TVR [Updated]

A livery service Lincoln Town Car that was used as a taxi smashed into a luxury car shop in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles on Wednesday morning leaving one person injured and causing damages to the building and at least two supercars, a Ferrari F430 Spider and a rare TVR Tuscan S.

According to authorities, the driver of the Lincoln taxi pulled out an injured female passenger from the rear seat and left her near the Specialty Car Craft shop in the 1800 block of South La Cienega Boulevard before he fled the scene on foot. The female passenger of the Lincoln was taken to the hospital.

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Lincoln Selectively Goes Back into the Future for New 2013 MKS Commercial

A new Lincoln commercial for the redesigned 2013 MKS sedan takes us for a very quick spin through the luxury brand's history.

The spot starts from 1922 when the Ford Motor Company purchased Lincoln after it was forced into bankruptcy and stops in the mid-1970s, skipping almost three decades of history (wonder why…) before it showcases the new MKS.

You can watch the 30-second ad in the video after the break.

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Ford Recalls Mustang, F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator Over Transmission Problem

A variety of Ford and Lincoln models are being recalled in the States to fix a potential issue with the automatic transmission.

In particular, the Blue Oval told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it is recalling 10,500 vehicles, including the 2012-2013 Ford Mustang sports car, 2011-2012 Ford F-150 pickup truck, 2012 Ford Expedition SUV and 2012 Lincoln Navigator SUV.

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2013 Lincoln MKZ's New Split Grille won't be Used as a Template for Future Models, Says J Mays

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan that received its world premiere at the New York Auto Show earlier this month, debuted a new and more contemporary design language for the Ford Group's luxury brand.

Among other key styling elements that stand out on the mid-size model is the sleeker interpretation of Lincoln's split grille that replaces the baleen-whale vertical bars with chrome horizontal slats that are supposed to evoke an eagle's spread wings.

One would think that, like other premium carmakers, Lincoln would apply the same grille treatment to all of its next generation or redesigned models, but according to Ford Group's top designer, J Mays, that won't be the case.

"We haven't made an announcement that every single car within the lineup is going to have the same grille bars," Mays told Automotive News. "We needed with the MKZ to signal a new generation of Lincolns. That's the first of the new cars to come with what I would call a more innovative face on it."

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2013 Lincoln MKZ Revealed in Production Trim, gets 2.0 Turbo and 3.7-liter V6 [Photos + VIdeos]

Once again, Ford is attempting to kick start its troubled Lincoln brand, this time with the presentation of the all-new 2013 MKZ sedan that will go on sale in North America in the fall following its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show later this week.

Lincoln promises that the 2013 MKZ is much more than a glorified Ford Fusion, despite the fact that the two cars share the same platform architecture, a similar engine lineup and various systems.

To differentiate the two models and help the MKZ compete against established models in the executive mid-size segment like the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4, Lincoln will offer its sedan model with a V6 engine as well (the Fusion is available only with four-cylinder engines) and exclusive technologies.

These include a standard Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) adjustable suspension with three modes (Sport/Normal/Comfort), an optional 15.2-square-foot panoramic roof that slides back and a Push Button automatic transmission.

The MKZ is the brand's first model to be created by a dedicated team at its new Lincoln Design Studio under the supervision of Max Wolff, who was hired from Cadillac.

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2013 Lincoln MKZ Sedan Pictures Leaked from the Other Side of the Atlantic

So much for the Ford group's attempts to tease the production version of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ before its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show as the usual suspect from Eastern Europe has spoiled the Detroit maker's plans by letting loose a trio of official images.

The production model doesn't seem to have changed much from the concept MKZ we saw at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show in January, as the only visible differences we spotted in these pictures are the bigger headlamps, the door handles, the larger exterior mirrors and of course, the smaller alloy wheels.

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Lincoln Previews Production Version of 2013 MKZ Sedan by Showing us its Mega Panoramic Roof

In a few days' time, we'll know exactly how much the Lincoln MKZ gained or lost in the transition from concept car to production model as the Ford group will lift the veils off its new premium mid-size model at the 2012 New York International Auto Show next Wednesday.

One feature of the car that Lincoln is willing to share with us before its grand premiere is the 2013 MKZ's huge glass roof that measures 15.2 square feet or 1.41 square meters, which if not the largest, is one of the largest of its kind in a production sedan.

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Ford Posts Biggest Profit Since 1998 but only Thanks to One-Time Gain, Gives $6,200 Bonus to Workers

Piggybacked by a one-time tax gain, Ford Motor Company has posted its highest annual profit since 1998 and the second biggest in the firm's 109-year long history. The Blue Oval's net income for 2011 was US$20.2 billion or US$4.94 per share, an increase of US$13.7 billion, or US$3.28 per share, from a year ago.

However, most of the profit came from a one-time, non-cash special item of US$12.4 billion from eliminating a valuation allowance against the company’s net deferred tax assets.

Ford said that full year pre-tax operating profit was US$8.8 billion, or $1.51 per share, an increase of US$463 million from 2010.

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