The Not so New Faces of Lincoln's Botoxed 2013 MKS and MKT on Film

If there's one luxury brand (or better put, one that aspires to be premium) that has failed to deliver anything remotely close to exciting, that would be Lincoln. In recent years, even Lexus and Acura at some point offered products that have managed to capture the attention of luxury car buyers.

And this is something and that is clearly reflected in Lincoln's weak sales numbers. In the first 10 months of the year, Lincoln sold 70,935 cars in the States (+1.2% from the same period in 2010), whereas GM's Cadillac delivered 124,985 vehicles (+5.6%), Buick 151,779 cars (+19.9%) and Lexus 153,739 units (-16.2%).

Aside from the MKZ sedan (+31.7%) and the MKX crossover (+5.3%), Lincoln's other models saw their numbers plummet this year, including the MKS sedan with 9,824 deliveries from January through October (-18.9%) and the MKT crossover with 4,126 sales in the same period (-33.5% from last year).

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2011 LA Auto Show: Lincoln Refreshes the MKT Crossover as well for the 2013MY

The flagship MKS sedan isn’t the only revamped Lincoln model on display at the 2011 LA Motor Show. The MKT crossover has also received a makeover to bring it in line with the rest of the brand’s offerings.

Like the MKS, the MKT now has an all-new split front grille with more densely placed vertical slats and reshaped bumper.

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LA Auto Show: 2013 Lincoln MKS Grows a…Bushier Mustache

For many years now, Ford has been trying to transform its Lincoln brand into a credible contender in the luxury car market, though unlike its Cadillac foe, it just can't seem to get it right.

Set to make its world premiere later today at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is the refreshed 2013 Lincoln MKS sedan. The first thing that you'll notice on the 2013MY is the reworked split front grille, though as Lincoln points out, every exterior surface from the A-pillar forward is new including the bumper, hood, headlamps and front fenders.

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So Long and Thanks for all the Fish: The Last of San Francisco’s U.S. Dealerships Closes its Doors for Good

Are you in the market for a new car in San Francisco and are considering a product built by America’s Big 2.5? If so, then I have some bad news: the last U.S. domestic automaker dealership has just shut up shop. San Francisco Ford Lincoln Mercury on Van Ness Avenue closed a few weeks ago, leaving some 50 employees out of a job.

Ford Lincoln Mercury presidente Mel Turner told the San Fransisco Chronicle: “We are proud to have served the San Francisco community and will be focusing over the coming weeks on helping employees through this transition and ensuring our current customer commitments are met.”

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2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Priced the Same as V6 at $35,180

Lincoln won't be subjecting buyers to a premium price for fuel-efficiency when its 2011 MKZ Hybrid hits showrooms this fall as the hybrid sedan will be offered at the same base price as its conventional V6 gasoline sibling, with an MSRP starting at $35,180 including destination and delivery.

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Lincoln Concept Models Including MK9 and Mark X Going up for Auction

If you're looking to add a Lincoln concept model to your collection, here's your chance as a total of five design studies from the past decade will be offered for sale by Ford Motor Company at the RM's Sports & Classics of Monterey auction on August 12th. The proceeds raised through the sale will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Children's Center, an organization that is based in Michigan, USA.

The five Lincoln concept models up for sale are the 2001 MK9 coupe; 2004 Aviator SUV; 2005 MKS sedan; 2003 Navicross coupe crossover and last but not least, the Mark X which was a hardtop-convertible proposal for Lincoln's version of the Ford Thunderbird.

Bear in mind that even though all cars except the Navicross have are drivable, none can be registered for highway use in the States. Follow the break for a short description (from RM) and pricing estimates for each concept model.

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2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid EPA Rated at 41mpg City and 36mpg Highway, Beats Lexus' HS 250h

The updated 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sedan has received an EPA-certified 41 mpg rating in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway making it, according to FoMoCo, the most fuel efficient "luxury sedan" in the U.S, topping the Lexus HS 250h that returns 35mpg in the city and 34mpg on the highway.

Not surprisingly, the MKZ Hybrid's fuel economy figures are identical to its sister-model, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which we assume is "America's most fuel-efficient mainstream sedan"[...].

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1966 Batmobile Replica Comes Under the Hammer at Auction

Yet another wannabe replica of the most iconic and distinctive film cars of all time, the 1960s era Batmobile, is going up for sale at the inaugural Historics at Brooklands auction in Surrey on June 2.

This particular example is based on a 1973 Lincoln Continental chassis and was completed in 1988, following input from well-known custom coachbuilder, Bill Chaplin.

But even though the 1966 Batmobile replica incorporates all the styling cues and Batman paraphernalia including an in-dashboard television, rear parachute pod, boot mounted exhaust pipes and Batphone, it's obvious that the car isn't a faithful replica of the original George Barris car that stared in the 1960s Batman and Robin TV series.

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