Most automakers tend to carry over a consistent front-end for a majority of their vehicles but Lincoln may keep the unique “winged” front grille design of the new MKZ for its luxury sedan.

Besides unveiling the production 2013 Lincoln MKZ, the first vehicle to result from the division’s new found “independence,” the New York Auto Show served as a venue for Ford to discuss it’s planned “Lincoln Experience.”

One of the biggest thrusts is really taking the idea of customer service to a new level, so initiatives such as the Lincoln Academy are underway, designed to fundamentally change the way in which Lincoln representatives work with clients. In order to do that, Lincoln is going outside traditional channels, tapping into resources like Les Clef’s D’Or (prounced clay dore or literally translated golden keys), to help train staff in new and unique ways when it comes to customer service.

Gas prices might not have hit the budget-busting $5/gallon yet, but drivers are already feeling the pinch. Consumer Reports has exposed a list of the top 10 most expensive vehicles to fill up. All prices are based on the average fuel price in the United States. 

At least that’s the news according to statistics released by the two American automakers. Chrysler said it sold 34 percent more vehicles this March, versus the same period last year, delivering some 161,381 cars and trucks, versus 121,730 in March 2011.

Days ahead of the New York Auto Show, Lincoln has drawn back the covers on its mid-size MKZ sedan. The first ground-up car under the design direction of former Cadillac stylist Max Wolff, the car stays true to its concept form and continues the brand’s whale-theme. Out back, the car gets some retro wrap-around taillights.

Ahead of its scheduled debut at the New York Auto Show, photos of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan leaked onto the internet today. 

The 2013  Lincoln MKZ concept debuted at the Detroit Auto Show and ahead of its official unveil next week at the New York Auto show, Lincoln has released a video that shows us the car’s panoramic glass roof in action for the first time. 

The idea is simple: to get the best of a convertible while retaining the convenience of a full roof. This is the first step in a series of improvements that Lincoln is undergoing to re-introduce the brand as a unique luxury marque.

When fully open the roof sports an opening that is two-feet deep and two and a half feet wide, offering the largest glass roof opening on the market today.

The roof is rated at SPF 100 to avoid passengers being sunburned, and reinforced with a aluminum and boron steel frame that is integrated into the car’s architecture to deal with rollovers and chassis contortion.

The roof will debut on the MKZ at the New York Auto Show next week, probably as an expensive option though likely cheaper than a proper convertible.

Watch the panoramic roof in action in the video below.

The 2013 Lincoln MKZ Concept originally debuted at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show sporting a panaromic glass roof. The production 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan is scheduled to make its official debut at the upcoming New York Auto Show, and it appears that Lincoln is hard at work on offering a fully-retractable glass roof on its new sedan.

Lyndon B. Johnson was America’s 36th president and was known for cruising around his Texas ranch with the top down and scotch and soda in hand. Now you have the chance to own a piece of American history as LBJ’s 1964 Lincoln Continental will go up for auction in Rosansky, Texas thanks to Dan Kruse classics.

How does 41 city mpg/36 highway sound for a midsize luxury sedan that offers a long list of interior bells and whistles?

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.

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.

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.

It seems as if the two domestic luxury brands are engaging in a game of tit for tat. Yesterday, Cadillac revealed its new BMW 3-Series fighter, the ATS. Today, rival Lincoln took the spotlight, taking the wraps of this, the 2013 MKZ Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

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.

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.

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:

The 1970s was definitely an interesting era, with good ‘ol disco all over America. And nothing was more luxurious and smooth back in the ’70s then a Lincoln Town Coupe.

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.

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.

Lincoln is brewing up some more interest for its upcoming LA Auto Show debuts. Recently we were teased with a single photo showcasing the new design of the 2013 MKS and MKT, and now the Ford luxury brand has released a couple more. This time it’s clearly showcasing the new MKS sedan’s LED taillights and a new dashboard featuring FoCoMo’s configurable instrument panel LCD screens.

It’s not much to go off of, but we’re used to teasers before any major auto show. This year, Lincoln will be showing off its new styling direction that promises to be “forward-looking and more elegantly crafted” than before and it appears that they have a new MKS and MKT set to debut at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Amid grand plans to turn the brand into a true Audi/BMW competitor Ford stated, that in addition to Lincoln being given greater autonomy, it had put in place plans to introduce a raft of new models, including a “premium” compact car, the MKC, designed to compete with the likes of the A3 and 1-Series.

As engineers of Lincoln quietly work to bring the brand back to relevance, an update to the current Lincoln MKS sedan and MKT crossover will be unveiled at the upcoming 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show as 2013 models.

What would it take to transform Lincoln from a luxury imitator to a genuine rival to the world’s finest premium marques? While there are numerous factors, one of the most important is a flagship sedan, with size, opulence and it must be rear-wheel drive.

This car is so pimp, it wouldn’t be afraid to slap Snoop Dog.

Meguiar’s is sending nine of the world’s top show cars from around the world to this year’s SEMA Show, holding its first ever Car Crazy International Vehicle Showcase. These nine cars along with their owners will be brought in from all over the globe and will be on display front and center right outside the Convention Hall, next to Meguiar’s Car Crazy TV Stage. All week long, both the vehicles and their owners will be a major attraction of this year’s SEMA Show.

Ford may begin building electric cars in China via joint ventures with Chinese auto makers, replicating the tactics of rivals like General Motors and Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz. China is looking to add 1 million EVs by 2015 as part of an effort to curb emissions and the dependence on fossil fuels.

Given the recent talk about Ford’s luxury division, namely an injection of cash, design independence and a raft of new models coming down the pike, the latest word on the street is that Lincoln plans to axe it’s trademark “waterfall” grille.

Just as industry analysts and veterans are convinced that the Lincoln brand will share a similar fate to Mercury, Lincoln is determined to prove the naysayers otherwise. According to global product chief of Ford, Derrick Kuzak, Ford promises no fewer than seven new or improved vehicles in the Lincoln lineup by 2014, a mere three years time.

Once a popular SUV that battled head on with the likes of the Cadillac Escalade, the Navigator has failed to win the affections of many buyers who in the luxury SUV segment.

We’ve heard about money being invested. We’ve heard about the division getting its own stand alone design operation, but will Ford stick to its guns and view Lincoln as a long-term investment?

With the current model, neé Zephyr, getting quite long in the tooth, Lincoln is getting ready to launch its successor, with a concept scheduled to be unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

Despite some sources claiming that Lincoln could perhaps be headed the same way as Mercury, due to having too many badge engineered vehicles, a recent announcement by Ford Motor Company could prove the naysayers wrong.

Pope Paul VI was the first pope to travel the world, visiting Asia, Africa, and the Americas extensively. When he came to the USA for the first time, he needed something fitting to represent the Catholic Church—and this Lincoln Continental served nicely.

Ford will introduce a new performance customization option to its vehicles in the near future, offering adjustable settings for things like the steering and suspension. Called MyFord Select Drive, it will likely allow for three different settings for the steering responsiveness and the firmness of the shock absorbers, as well as the transmission shift characteristics on automatic models.

A recall has been issued out for owners of 1997-2004 Ford F-150s, 1997-1999 F-250s and 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwoods to address a fuel tank strap that has become susceptible to corroding due to de-icing chemicals used on roads in cold weather. Owners of affected vehicles will receive a recall notice in mid-September and replacement straps will be installed on their vehicles. If the straps aren’t available when the recall repairs are done, an interim repair utilizing a cable support under the fuel-tank strap will be installed.

For 2012, Lincoln has lowered the price of its not-so-successful EcoBoost MKT three-row crossover by $3,000. There are no equipment of styling changes for this model year, but Lincoln is hoping the lower price will make the car more desirable to consumers. For 2012, the MKT will no longer have the all-wheel drive model with the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6. Instead, the AWD model with the 355-hp 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will cost $46,295 with the price reduction.

When Ford went through a slump in 2006, the company took its employees in groups to see many of its upcoming products to boost morale within the company. With Lincoln set for a rebirth, the company will do the same calling it the “Lincoln Experience”. The employees will be shown new styling and strategy direction for the brand to improve interest and excitement. The workshop will be held for two weeks in July.

In an effort to try and stimulate falling sales of it’s North American luxury brand, Ford Motor Company has announced it will be spending $1 billion in a last-chance revitalization effort.

The rejuvenation of Lincoln doesn’t just begin with Roger Sterling. Ford has ordered its Lincoln dealers to spend at least $1 million per dealer to keep up with contemporary luxury trends, or get the hell out of the way.

Despite recent rumors that Lincoln might be headed for the chopping block, not helped by GM CEO Dan Akerson’s outburst last week, Ford Motor Company has repeatedly said that it’s committed to the Lincoln brand. Not only that, but part of future product portfolios will included a Navigator SUV.

Lincoln sales have been slipping and so far are down 8 percent this year. The automaker has sped up redesign plans for the full-size MKS and three-row MKT as sales have dropped by 40 percent this year for the sedan, and 38 percent for the crossover. The redesigned MKS and MKT will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

Ford is cutting 150 jobs from its Buffalo Stamping Plant in upstate New York, as production of the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car comes to a close.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson discussed the future product line of his company in an interview and bashed the Lincoln brand while at it .

According to the latest barely substantiated rumors,  Lincoln the famous American luxury brand know for its large sedans and SUVs is about to get into performance coupes. Lincoln will hopefully join the fight in the performance luxury car sector up against some of the best including: Mercedes- Benz, Audi, BMW and Inifiniti. According to June’s issue of Road & Track, Lincoln may produce a lightweight, mid engined two-seater with either a supercharged V6 or a naturally aspirated V8.

Car owners are more satisfied with independent shops for maintenance, according to a latest Consumer Reports Annual Survey. The survey was based on more than 92,000 reports on service visits to independent mechanics and 230,000 service visits to new car dealerships.

Drum roll please! Making its way onto the prestigious Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award is the redesigned 2011 Lincoln MKX. This designation only applies 2011 MKX’s built after February 2011.

Lincoln may show an updated version of its Concept C small car at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, as automakers of all stripes begin rolling out their new smaller, fuel efficient cars that feature much of the same equipment as more upscale models.

Every true luxury marque has a performance sub-brand, usually indicated by one, or a group of letters. BMW has its M, Audi its RS and Mercedes its AMG. But what about Lincoln? Nothin’, nada, zilch.

While Audi is famous for their quattro all-wheel drive system, Lincoln is the only domestic luxury car brand to offer every single product with an AWD option, and buyers are leaning strongly towards having all 4 wheels powered on many of their products.

After a long period of neglect by parent company Ford, Lincoln is expected to launch three new products within the upcoming years to complement their current lineup, with a small crossover, compact car and a version of the Ford Explorer joining the ranks.

With Chevy set to reveal its new 2013 Malibu, Ford is readying its family car rival. Ditching the current platform in favor of an all new global chassis, the 2013 Fusion will be sold throughout the world, combining the features of the current Fusion with the car’s overseas mid-size sister, the Mondeo.

With its Lincoln luxury brand currently facing tumultuous times, parent company Ford has created a new internal division to help bring Lincoln back up to speed, after a period where the brand lacked resources needed to compete.

The Lincoln brand might have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to competing in the luxury segment, but perhaps they’re on to something with hybrids. According to some recent figures released by the Ford luxury arm, a total of 394 MKZ Hybrids were sold in February, over a fifth (22 percent to be exact), of total MKZ sales that totaled 1,774.

Ford is asking dealers to curtail orders of three shades of red paint, and one hue called “Tuxedo Black” due to difficulties sourcing metallic elements needed for the paint. The element, which is produced by a Japanese supplier, is unable to be produced to due damage resulting from the natural disasters that occurred in the country.

When the young parking attendant turned the car over to me, he said, “Boy, this Lincoln is a BIG car!” That provided a bit of a chuckle. Sure it’s a rather large vehicle by modern standards, but for those who grew up with the land yachts of the Lincoln brand’s past, it seems like a svelte speedboat. 

Lincoln received the top award for from J.D. Power and Associates in their annual durability study, narrowly beating out Lexus as well as all other brands sold in America.

The Lincoln Town Car is legendary for its ubiquity as a “black car”, a private limo for the well-to-do in New York City and other swanky locales. But with the Panther Platform vehicles (like the Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis) set to be killed off very shortly, Lincoln has been scrambling for an alternative.

The new MKT Town Car is a very different machine than the Town Car its replacing. The big sedan was a rear-drive, body-on-frame vehicle that was beloved for its robust nature, cheap repair costs and the ability to go for untold miles without needing anything more than routine maintenance. On the other hand, the MKT is based on a front-drive chassis (though all-wheel-drive is available) and uses a modern V6 engine.

Operators will likely be skeptical that the MKT can handle the rigors of endless commuter duty through the pot-hole ridden pavement of Manhattan, so Lincoln has beefed up the chassis, brakes and other components to handle this task – and to provide a re-enforcements should clients wish to stretch the MKT by 10 feet, a capability built in to the Town Car from the factory. Wi-fi capability, a SYNC system and special rear seat pockets are maps and newspapers are further concessions made for the livery car market.

The rear seats have been moved back by 1.5 inches to allow for more leg room with reclining rear seats and controls for the front passenger chair, should back seat riders desire more leg room. With 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space, the MKT also boasts more room for material objects than the Town Car, even if the old-money cachet of the outgoing vehicle isn’t quite the same.

Hit the jump for the official press release

Gallery: Lincoln MKT Town Car