Ford knows it will take a lot of work to restore its Lincoln premium brand. Most recently, Ford created an elaborate booth with modern decor for Lincoln at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show only to see the MKZ concept go up in smoke. Furthermore, the Lincoln MKZ concept failed to garner the same level of attention as the parent company’s 2013 Ford Fusion, or its main rival’s new 2013 Cadillac ATS compact sedan.

Ford global sales chief Jim Farley admits, “It will take every ounce of our energy to execute Lincoln in North America.” Apparently, that is exactly what Ford plans to do. Over the next couple of years, Ford will introduce seven important new models for the Lincoln line-up. According to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, he expects the new Lincoln vehicles to be just as great as what Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and BMW have to offer. However, rather than developing a dedicated front-engine, rear-wheel-drive luxury platform, Lincoln will stick to platform sharing with mainstream Ford vehicles.

According to Jim Farley, Lincoln’s success is not only dependent on its products, but is dependent on the improvement of customer service as well. Farley said, “the secret sauce to Lexus was the personal touch.” Ideas and suggestions extended to Lincoln dealers include washing an owner’s Lincoln vehicle after servicing, or putting a rose on the seat when returning a car to its owner after repairs.

Ford admits that customers aren’t very keen on Lincoln and that it will be difficult to target young, financially successful men, which would have been obvious luxury targets. Jim Farley says that Lincoln will go after a different demographic that he calls “the magician.” Magicians are trend-setting early adopters that live along the coasts. These young individuals are more likely to try new, interesting products, regardless of what others think.

When Ford Motors dropped Mercury, the decision proved to be extremely beneficial to the American automaker as it allowed greater focus on Ford products, dialing in quality and image. Time will tell whether Ford can get Lincoln to return to its past glory or whether the once iconic luxury brand will join Mercury in the history books.

[Source: USA Today]

The Lincoln MKZ concept that debuted in Detroit earlier this month gave us an olfactory tingle in more than one place after the display started inexplicably smoking in front of us much to its presenter’s chagrin. Despite all that, the MKZ wasn’t the hottest Lincoln design to make the scene.

Instead, the car that’s still capturing imaginations is the 2025 Lincoln Continental EV concept, pictured above. It’s the brainchild of two undergraduate students from Lawrence Technological University in Michigan.  Colin Bonathan and Jeeho Cha are a part of the transportation design program at Lawrence Tech and started on the project last summer. According to the school, Ford liked the concept so much that they decided to get behind it.

Beyond the fact that the student’s concept got exposure at the NAIAS, there isn’t any word on the likelihood of it passing the imaginary phase, though Bonathan did base the exterior on concrete figures like a desired wheelbase length and other components.

GALLERY: 2025 Lincoln Continental Concept

[Source: Lawrence Tech]

Lincoln is desperate for one hot new model in its lineup, just not this hot. At the reveal of the new MKZ Concept at the Detroit Auto Show this week the car in question began to smoke. Embarrassed Lincoln reps ushered giggling journalists away with jokes aplenty. Reception of the new Lincoln wasn’t mixed, it was decidedly negative and the only more appropriate fate for the MKZ concept would have been if it had blown up. You know… because it bombed.

GALLERY: 2013 Lincoln MKZ Concept

Watch the video of the smoking hot Lincoln MKZ concept below:

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Part of “the biggest statement Lincoln has ever made at an auto show” is the MKZ sedan concept, which is set to debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show right around the corner.

Up until now, we haven’t even had a single idea on what the concept may look like, but Lincoln has released the first official teaser of the sedan ahead of the show. The photo reveals the return of the full-width taillight for Lincoln, but more importantly proves that a fully new redesigned vehicle for the brand is the right direction to help Ford reinvigorate sales of their luxury brand.

AutoGuide will have more on its official debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Until then, see the complete show preview here.

Ford is pulling out all the stops for the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, creating an exhibition floor featuring a series of interactive displays that will help attract visitors at the show and bolster the image of both Ford and Lincoln.

According to Ford’s president of the Americas Mark Fields, “A positive experience is a positive image for the brand.” The Ford exhibition will feature a circular stand where 12 people are strapped into a carnival-like elevator ride that will lift them into the “cloud,” presenting the riders with an IMAX-like video experience that celebrates Ford’s vision and the extent its products, people, and the environment intertwine. The ride will be called the “Cloud Journey.” Visitors can even share their experience with friends by posting a video of their “Cloud Journey” on Facebook.

In addition, the Ford exhibit will also provide simulator booths that will mimic the excitement of riding in a Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch or the mighty Mustang Shelby GT500. Best of all, the simulator can also demonstrate the incredible driving skills of racer Ken Block in a “Gymkhana” motorsports video.

Ford’s premium brand, Lincoln promises a unique experience that will allow visitors to see the brand in a new light.

Mark Fields called Ford’s upcoming Detroit exhibit, “the auto version of Disneyland.”

Mike Beracchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit Mercy, says, “Getting noticed is Job One at the auto show. Drawing attention to vehicles is what an auto show is all about. For attention you need an attraction.”

Last year, 97% of the 735,000 Detroit Auto Show attendees visited the Ford display and 88% rated the experience as positive.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

The past 20 years were pretty stable in the automotive industry. Mostly predictable releases with a steady rate for manufacturers to introduce new models that seemed like a consistant recipe for success.

Then, suddenly with the start of the current model year, things changed. In fact, it looks like this is just the start of a serious upswing in new releases. According to a story published on CNN Money, the auto industry replaced 16 percent of its fleet annually between 1991 and 2011.

That figure jumped to 23 percent with the 2012 model year, which started in October. Apparently keeping this fresh is the snake oil for successful car companies, because next year that number will grow to 32 percent, effectively doubling the rate new models hit the market. Given this manufacturer mayhem, we decided to round up the new cars you should expect to see soon.

Honda is an interesting case as they’ve recognized that their luxury brand, Acura, is simply being outdone by the competition at every turn. They decided to completely redesign their line to quell complaints that their cars are little more than rebadged Hondas. The first to look for: their new ILX compact sedan. As for Honda, they are already planning to release a new generation Civic after the media chastised them for an uninspired release.

Next up, Nissan. While they don’t hold a big market share in the U.S., Carlos Ghosn, their CEO is making plans to expand the 8.2 percent they have now to ten by 2015. In order to do that, they are revamping half of their entire line. Nissan is targeting the burgeoning EV market with their Leaf, which first became available last year. Look for updated Altimas, Sentras and Pathfinders in the near future.

Toyota suffered after the tsunami, but is coming back with a fury. The automaker is releasing a brand-new sports car, the FR-S, developed in partnership with Subaru and set to sell with a Scion badge. The RAV-4 and Lexus ES sedan will also get updates.

Chrysler will move toward smaller cars, something the brand has historically struggled with. The shrinkage can be attributed to Fiat, their new owners, and how their new 40 mpg Dodge Dart borrows heavily from the Italian engineers.

Ford and GM are trying to hang on to their chunky market shares, 17 and 19.7 percent respectively. Both companies are following the industry strategy: refreshing their popular sellers and releasing redesigned cars in their luxury brands. Look for a re-engineered Lincoln MKZ from Ford and Cadillac‘s new compact ATS and larger XTS sedans from GM.

Finally, there are some changes in the pipeline for German luxury cars. Audi just confirmed that their compact Q3 SUV will be sold in the U.S., along with the re-release of the compact A2 sedan. Mercedes-Benz is opting to offer their smaller B-Series and A-Series cars to remain competitive in the Yankee market.

[Source: CNN Money]

If you caught a glimpse of U2′s 360 Tour you might recognize the honeycomb-esque expanding and contracting screens at this year’s North American International Auto Show, albiet in smaller form.

They look more like something out of an alien invasion video game than modern art, but Lincoln hopes the miniature versions of Chuck Hoberman’s sci-fi style screens, along with some other art exhibits will help slingshot their brand back into the spotlight at this years Detroit auto show.

“This is the biggest statement Lincoln has ever made at an auto show,” Max Wolff, Lincoln’s director of design, said in a statement.”Our NAIAS display represents more than a vehicle debut. It represents the reinvention of Lincoln.”

If their plan works, people will be lured in to see their MKZ sedan concept for the first time. Art aside, the new design is what Ford‘s luxury brand is hoping will help reinvigorate their sales. Lincoln struggled last year while other brands in their segment surged thanks to continued demand in the U.S. and strong demand in China.

The concept being released represents Lincoln’s effort to offer a completely redesigned brand and will be the first of seven new or heavily modified cars in the future lineup. New means a lot coming from Lincoln, given their history of offering gussied-up Fords that in some cases are outshined by high-end versions of their less expensive ford counterparts (think back to the Aviator versus a similarly comfortable Eddie Bauer Edition Explorer about 10 years ago.)

Sadly, the grand tradition of putting a dress on a pig, but still having, well, a pig was alive and well as late as last year. The 2011 MKZ hybrid (pictured above) was just a prettier Fusion with little else to distinguish the car, which is why a fully re-designed car is big news for the brand.

The two-story, art-adorned display is 50 percent larger than last year’s Lincoln booth at the NAIAS, though it remains to be seen if their charm will churn out new sales.

GALLERY: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

So we won’t be the ones talking about how this funeral was probably staged and highly choreographed, but rather the irony that Kim Jong-il’s final ride was in an American car, a 1976 Lincoln Continental to be exact.

Despite freezing temperatures and plenty of snow out in Pyongyang, North Korea, tens of thousands of citizens were not only enlisted to help clear the snow from the 40-mile parade route, but also stood by to bid their leader farewell. The funeral procession involved several classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles, something Kim Jong-il had taken a liking to when he was alive.

But perhaps being transported atop an American Lincoln is a family tradition, as Kim Jong-il’s father, Kim il-Sung was also taken off in a Lincoln during his 1994 funeral.

Watch the news report below:

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Lincoln’s full-size crossover just got plenty of upgrades for 2013 including Continually Controlled Damping, Lincoln Drive Control, more standard horsepower along with a 1-mpg highway improvement, new interior styling, a new MyLincoln Touch system, upgraded exterior design and new safety and convenience features.

In its mission to make a full-size crossover ride smoothly and handle well, Lincoln integrated Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) in its new 2013 MKT. CCD is available on MKT models with the optional 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine. The adjustable suspension enables the MKT to offer a more confident driving experience regardless of road conditions. By utilizing 46 inputs to feed data to a control unit, the CCD module then calculates the optimal damping force every 2 milliseconds – that’s 500 times per second. On average, large damper force adjustments can occur in just 11 milliseconds.

The 2013 MKT also features three distinct driving modes: Sport, Normal and Comfort, are of which are easy selected using MKT’s new Lincoln Drive Control and shift lever.

Two engines will be offered in the 2013 MKT, a 3.7L V6 FWD with 300-hp and 275 lb-ft of torque or a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 AWD with 355-hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 3.7L V6 reports 17/25-mpg while the EcoBoost is a comparable 16/22-mpg. Both are mated to six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmissions with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, though each motor has different transmissions.

The new styling on the 2013 MKT highlights Lincoln’s progressive design with a new front grille, bumper and wheels. The 2013 Lincoln MKT is expected to arrive dealers this spring.

GALLERY: 2013 Lincoln MKT

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 LA Auto Show coverage here

Lincoln has revamped its MKS for 2013, sporting a whole new exterior appearance as part of a change in the brand’s design direction.  While different, it’s not exactly a departure from the previous model, although with this just a mid-cycle update any drastic changes will have to be saved for the next all-new model.

Debuting at the LA Auto Show, the new MKS will have two engine options, a 3.7L V6 with 300-hp and 275 lb-ft of torque (available in FWD or AWD) and a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 AWD with 355-hp and 350 lb-ft of torque.

There’s no way to ignore Lincoln’s desire to move forward with its new designs. The front bumper, fenders, hood, rear bumper are all redesigned along with the prominent front grille. HID headlights and LED taillights bring the Lincoln up to par with its competitors while the 19-wheels are surely made to grab attention. If that’s not enough for you, Lincoln will be offering a 20-inch option for the new MKS.

Lincoln also enhanced the braking performance on the new MKS, fitting 13.86-inch rotors in the front and 13.58-inch rotors in the rear. Lincoln’s Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) which is also found on their new MKT, can also be found on the MKS giving it a smooth ride without compromising its handling capabilities. Lincoln Drive Control also helps bring the MKS to life offering the driver the ability to easily change between Drive to Sport, automatically adjusting the handling performance, ride firmness, throttle response, shift feel, steering response and traction control of the vehicle.

Safety features on the new MKS include collision warning, new Lane Keeping Alert and new Lane Keeping Aid technologies – all of which help drivers avoid potentially dangerous situations. On the inside, the MKS has an all new instrument panel, MyLincoln Touch and plenty of new color schemes to choose from using new premium materials and genuine stitching.

GALLERY: 2013 Lincoln MKS

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 LA Auto Show coverage here