RE: Lincoln Continental - New York 2015
Discussion
Spot on, looks more like an XJ, I really don't see where the Bentley comparison came in other than the name. Some people need specsavers.
I was wondering why I was the first to mention it, the detail on the front wing to door doesn't help either:
ZesPak said:
xRIEx said:
ZesPak said:
That body - length shoulder and to a lesser extent the front grille make it much more a jaguar xj to me.
Better looking than any current Bentley imho.
I agree, my first thought was the similarity between the faces of the Continental and the XJ.Better looking than any current Bentley imho.
nasty. they really just do not understand making a car from tyre to roof. a ton of clear coat and a 'smaller' engine, some bad taste design theft, and an underneath made of cheese. just shocking, and it won't go in a straight line either. the inside feels like an 80's amstrad stereo. i think they really do get impressed by 'better quality plastic'. you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter
Burwood said:
A 3 litre will never have the refinement needed to be class leading. The interior is a chromed disgrace. The exterior is a blatant copy of a Bentley. It does not have enough power for what is a flagship (should be 500+) But it will appeal perfectly to the tasteless Chinese market. Poor mans RR/Bentley
lasvegas1966 said:
nasty. they really just do not understand making a car from tyre to roof. a ton of clear coat and a 'smaller' engine, some bad taste design theft, and an underneath made of cheese. just shocking, and it won't go in a straight line either. the inside feels like an 80's amstrad stereo. i think they really do get impressed by 'better quality plastic'. you can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter
You might look differently upon the 3.0-litre engine in this Lincoln if you understood how China imposes stiff taxes on cars with engines greater than that. A 3.0-litre luxury car is penalized much more than, say, a 1.5-litre hatchback. Oh, and the tax is recurring: you must pay it each year.
This is why Lincoln does not use the 3.5- and 3.7-litre V6 engines that power other Lincoln and Ford vehicles. It would be less costly for Lincoln / Ford to repurpose an existing engine, but this would result in a poor business case for Lincoln in China.
This is also why the new Cadillac CT6, the marque's flagship, was launched this week with a 3.0-litre V6. By the way, the Cadillac V6 produces 400hp -- equivalent to the LS2 V8 that powered the previous Corvette.
(IIRC, Lincoln have not yet announced the output for their 3.0-litre)
The back seat of the Lincoln is fitted with what looks like two business-class airplane seats, and that's how the majority of Chinese buyers intend to travel.
Outside of China (ie: primarily the US and Canada), expect a more traditional back seat, one or two additional engine options as well as different interior trims. There may even be alterations to the exterior.
It's understandable if you, personally, decide that you wouldn't buy this new Lincoln. But it's a bit of a moot point: This car won't actually be offered to you!
It's very unlikely that the team at Lincoln have misunderstood the priorities in today's global marketplace and/or neglected to consult with consumers in their most urgent growth market.
Oh, and this article is correct to point out that the Lincoln Continental was once a far more advanced car than the Bentleys of its time (i.e. the mid 1960s). It was probably the most sophisticated car of its era - along with the Mercedes 600 "Grosser". Electro-hydraulic everything, even the rear window blinds. There was a brief feature in Classic & Sports Car a few years ago about an example owned by a guy in Cornwall. They're ugly but very clever.
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