Detroit News readers name Continental Best of Show

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/detroit-auto-show/2016/01/19/detroit-news-readers-choice/78996936/

 

The Lincoln Continental earned top honors as Ford Motor Co. picked up three awards for its new cars and trucks in The Detroit News annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Roughly 100 judges voted Lincoln’s new flagship sedan as Best of Show amongst all the reveals at the 2016 North American International Auto show. The Continental sports three engine options: a base, 3.7-liter V-6, 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6, and a powerful, 3.0-liter twin-turbo six with 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. It will be built at Ford Motor Co.’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant and will hit showrooms late this year.

As he presented the various honors on Tuesday, Detroit News Editor and Publisher Jonathan Wolman noted that the Readers’ Choice Awards are “the only honors bestowed by the people actually buying and driving the vehicles on display here.”

[Suaviloquent]

There were a lot of strong entries at the Show. But this time I feel it had the effect of dulling the show down.

 

It wasn't one of those whimsical Detroit shows which has tons and tons of concepts from all makes. It was a more of a nitty-gritty calculated move chess game autoshow. Anyways...what I thought.

 

Can't wait to see the Conti, Lacrosse and S90 in Toronto.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

People keep saying that, but I had a great time viewing the new Conti, MKZ, Raptor, Fusion, Super Duty, Escape, GT (in white), production RS all for the first time in person.  And that was just FoMoCo.  Lots to see, I thought. 

[ccap41]

I can only hope the new conti and raptor come to Stl..which a a very weak show. Of course along with a lot of others but knowing Stl they usually only have one maaaaybe two concepts so with both raptor and conti being production versions I'm hopeful.

[Suaviloquent]

The Continental was one of the few surprises though. I think they did pretty well in terms of keeping the concept look.

 

I also have to take back the inlaid hood and "luxury look" comment I made earlier. It was my only detractor to how the Conti looked - otherwise...

 

Gazing closely at the S90 and the CT6, they don't have inlaid hoods either. So again, I mean... every automaker put out the best styling they are capable of doing in reality, not in concept. So that was the dulling factor. 

 

Some photos from Auto Evolution. FWIW - I think the Continental hits the nail on the head of what its trying to do. I think of quiet luxury - and I don't think of Lexus or Buick anymore. I think of Lincoln. And it looks pretty good to me, I must say.

 

 

 

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

That red one was stunning to look at and the interior really impressed me.  

Can't wait for early reviews on it.

In terms of specs, I think it will weigh about the same as the MKS, maybe even slightly less.  MKS was heavy loaded up.  So with more power and 10 speeds, there can be no doubt it will easily outperform the MKS, which was no slouch with the 3.5L GTDI. 

 

I really love the 3 ride settings, for Comfort, Normal and Sport (forget what they are actually called).  Setting the steering, shift and power as well as ride feel accordingly, can dramatically bias the feel.  I suspect Comfort just makes everything dreamy, Sport amps up the fun, and Normal will nicely balance.

[Robert Hall]

Hopefully, Ford will have one at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale...I'm going this weekend. 

[Suaviloquent]

My favorite feature was actually one of those latent discoveries you make.

 

At first: Wow!!! The doors look so clean, they're not interrupted by door handles! How'd they do that?

 

And then it took about another day for me to figure out how people would actually open the doors.

 

As an aside. I don't understand why people have it in for the headlights that the Conti uses. They say it looks like Acura Jewel headlights. Well the new Escalade's headlights are also discrete diodes that you can easily tell apart - but they're stacked vertically instead of laid out horizontally in placement of the headlight module. Big difference.... I don't think so. 

 

And before Audi got their matrix LEDs going the A8 also had diodes that you could make out too. Or the ELR's total internal reflection diodes that Cadillac themselves alluded to in their press materials as "fine jewelry." 

 

What I'm saying is, is that I agree with Olds when he said some people all over the internet were just picking at the car just trying to conjure up faults out of thin air.

[Suaviloquent]

Comfort better feel like the road is paved out of butter and the car is a hot knife surfing on top of it.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

The car is a winner. The fact that customers can purchase something that looks so close to that stunning concept, might actually sell a few alone. 

And I loved the feel of the handles.  They felt like you could lift the car from them, they are that stout.  

 

And with all that AWD performance and luxury, I bet it will still get 25mpg.

[Suaviloquent]

The XTS was really close to the concept too, but that wasn't the reason why it sold well.

 

I had a checklist for the Conti from way back.

 

Concept car looks? As close as it could be I guess. Check!

 

Mercedes-Benz beating seats and audio? Check!

 

An interior that is not only worthy of a flagship, but one that you actually want to sit in? Check!

 

And the rest falls in place. The car doesn't have to be exceptionally lightweight. If it feels like a solid ingot of steel, the all the better it is for it. In my interpretation of it - quiet luxury is about the feeling of being dense, solid, just completely overbuilt.

 

Basically a tank that is legal for the road. 

[smk4565]

The car is a winner. The fact that customers can purchase something that looks so close to that stunning concept, might actually sell a few alone. 

And I loved the feel of the handles.  They felt like you could lift the car from them, they are that stout.  

 

And with all that AWD performance and luxury, I bet it will still get 25mpg.

I would hope they get 25 mpg.  An S550 4matic gets 26 mpg and has a V8 with a lot more power and it is a bigger car.  Audi A8L with a 450 hp V8 is 19/29 mpg.  If Audi can get 29 mpg with 450 hp, Lincoln better hope for 30 mpg out of the 400 hp V6.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

 

The car is a winner. The fact that customers can purchase something that looks so close to that stunning concept, might actually sell a few alone. 

And I loved the feel of the handles.  They felt like you could lift the car from them, they are that stout.  

 

And with all that AWD performance and luxury, I bet it will still get 25mpg.

I would hope they get 25 mpg.  An S550 4matic gets 26 mpg and has a V8 with a lot more power and it is a bigger car.  Audi A8L with a 450 hp V8 is 19/29 mpg.  If Audi can get 29 mpg with 450 hp, Lincoln better hope for 30 mpg out of the 400 hp V6.

 

 

More than 400hp and 400ftlbs and AWD?

 

Anyway, I guesssed conservatively.  

 

And pricing starts around $50K, according to what i recently heard.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Wings4Life

[Suaviloquent]

Talking about mpg when talking about luxury behemoth sedans.

 

I guess this means you're going to get a Tesla to replace your E when the time comes?

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Mileage matters. So does reduced emissions.  Nobody wants to be the only one driving a 12mpg pig any more.  It's not just about $$$ but in fact image (staying green, less consumption, etc.).

 

 

And reason #188 why this will sell....there is no Taurus selling down the street.

I think this could sell in larger numbers than the MKZ actually.  Perhaps about 3K per month.

[smk4565]

What happened to the Taurus?

[Robert Hall]

Unknown...a new Taurus was announced last year for China, but nothing new has been announced for NA.

[Suaviloquent]

Mileage matters. So does reduced emissions.  Nobody wants to be the only one driving a 12mpg pig any more.  It's not just about $$$ but in fact image (staying green, less consumption, etc.).

 

 

And reason #188 why this will sell....there is no Taurus selling down the street.

I think this could sell in larger numbers than the MKZ actually.  Perhaps about 3K per month.

 

Emissions do matter. But people shouldn't be trying to reduce it for economic reasons. The should give a damn about the planet and the garbage that is spewed out of tailpipes for every car that doesn't run on charged electrons.

 

This is what is called a negative externality, and because companies are allowed to not internalize its costs is the reason why we have stupid economic incentives trying to make radically more fuel-efficient viable. They don't work. It's like paying people to not chuck garbage out the windows instead of trying to charge people who produce more garbage than others. Cars will never have the thermal efficiency to match the efficiency of even the current power grid and eletric drivetrains. So all these talks over companies trying to one up each other in MPG is a fool's gambit. 

 

They need to get off gas and diesel and natural gas and ethanol and bio-diesel entirely. But that won't happen, because of stupid economic incentives instead of economic disincentives.

 

A revenue-neutral carbon tax would kill gas cars very quickly. EcoBoost or not, diesel or not, Ecotec, Skyactiv, Earth dreams or not... I don't know why people play up differences of mileage of one mpg or less when it just doesn't matter.

 

In that line of logic, this Continental will do fully 100% of the comfort part of what the S-Class does (of many things) will cost for easily 50% or less of the price of the S550 model S-Class. Chalk up the rest as fuel money or the wage you'd pay a driver. 

[FordCosworth]

The Continental was one of the few surprises though. I think they did pretty well in terms of keeping the concept look.

 

I also have to take back the inlaid hood and "luxury look" comment I made earlier. It was my only detractor to how the Conti looked - otherwise...

 

Gazing closely at the S90 and the CT6, they don't have inlaid hoods either. So again, I mean... every automaker put out the best styling they are capable of doing in reality, not in concept. So that was the dulling factor. 

 

Some photos from Auto Evolution. FWIW - I think the Continental hits the nail on the head of what its trying to do. I think of quiet luxury - and I don't think of Lexus or Buick anymore. I think of Lincoln. And it looks pretty good to me, I must say.

 

 

 

Such a clean and elegant design.

Theres a render of a Continental Coupe floating around too. Stunning to say the least.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/20/2017-lincoln-continental-coupe-render/

[ccap41]

Damn, that coupe looks fan-freakin-tastic. It definitely looks the part of the ultra luxury crowd.

[G. David Felt]

Coupe does look nice. Wonder if they will build it and when.

[FordCosworth]

Damn, that coupe looks fan-freakin-tastic. It definitely looks the part of the ultra luxury crowd.

And they could put the Coupe on a modified S550 Platform  

[ccap41]

 

Damn, that coupe looks fan-freakin-tastic. It definitely looks the part of the ultra luxury crowd.

And they could put the Coupe on a modified S550 Platform  

 

Great idea!

Although, I think that would COMPLETELY change WHAT the car is. I would be fine with it but if that were the case I think you'd have to drop the Continental name because it would be too different of a car at that point. Awesome car, just too different. 

 

BTW, does it annoy anybody else at least a little that the code name for the newest mustang chassis is S550? Like.. the Mercedes S550. I don't like that. 

[G. David Felt]

 

Damn, that coupe looks fan-freakin-tastic. It definitely looks the part of the ultra luxury crowd.

And they could put the Coupe on a modified S550 Platform  

 

But that would make it just as good or better than SMK's beloved MB product line.

[Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)]

Coupe does look good.  It would have to be on same platform.  I would prefer an AWD 400hp setup over just RWD anyway.  At least for a luxury coupe.

[Suaviloquent]

Or how Ferrari was going to call their LaFerrari the F150?

 

 

Internal product codes are what they are. Internal. They're not overly exposed in marketing communications. Either that or private settlement already took care of it.

[Stew]

This is growing on me, though I am certainly in he minority by not liking those door handles.  The coupe looks great.  really makes me think of the 93-96 Mark VIII.  That isn't a bad think as I still love those cars.