Lincoln Continental Concept Revealed! (It is Already Headed for Production)

Take a Ford Taurus, rub it sparingly with the sad ham of luxury appliqué, and you get the Lincoln MKS. In reality, there may not have been a automobile more cynical in Ford’s repertoire given that post-Malaise downsizing of the 1980s. Finally, Lincoln has decided to erase this blight upon its name, and if the new Continental idea car is not the blocky, presidential pomp machine the fashionably tattooed were hoping for, it is undoubtedly a step away from the baleen-waterfall-stache visual grammar Lincoln has been selling of late.

Officially, the Continental is a notion. But you will see a production version next year. Our sources suggest that the new Conti will not ride on the MKS/Taurus platform, which is also shared with the Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex, but rather on an enlarged version of the CD4 platform, which underpins the Fusion and MKZ.

Ford is playing coy with regards to the concept’s powertrain specifics beyond the reality that it makes use of a 3.-liter EcoBoost V-6, a slightly enlarged variant of the 2.7 Nano. However, we hear that the 2.7 would be a base engine, at least here in the United States. China would likely get an even smaller sized 4-cylinder option. The thrilling bit is that the Continental is rumored to use the very same trick all-wheel-drive system employed in the new Ford Concentrate RS.

We presume the emphasis is on certain-footedness rather than out-and-out stoplight drags or gymkhana-fied acrobatics. Throughout the car’s unveiling at a preview in New York, FoMoCo honcho Mark Fields and Lincoln chief Kumar Galhotra repeated Lincoln’s “quiet luxury” mantra ad infinitum. So considerably so that we identified ourselves lulled into an alpha state by the sense memory of Matthew McConaughey’s laid-back twang. It is all just sounds, man. It is not even like . . . words.

One look at the back seat affirms this. Tap the underside of the chromed handle sticking out of the windowsill and the door pops open. It is a big honking door. It is a Maybach-ian, Chinese-energy-broker-grade door. The sunroof is electrochromatic—changing from opaque to clear at the press of a button—and Ford has taken out 50 patents on the seats in this point. The seats function 30-way adjustment, and a single of the joys is an outer side bolster that deflates to aid ingress and egress. Also, we want a girlfriend produced of the plush, plush carpet. Or at least a cat—a cat would almost certainly be a lot more acceptable. The complete interior therapy, resplendent in dark blue and chrome, suggests the glory of the jet age without having getting slavishly retro. We dare Lincoln not to dumb it down any much more than is necessary to pass crash standards for production, since it is as good as anything south of $ 200,000.

The exterior has its moments. In profile, it’s somewhat Mulsanne/Phantom-esque. From the rear, it’s aces. We specifically like the quad exhaust with asymmetrical outer guidelines. The front finish screams Jag-ura, with its RLX-style headlamps and XE/XJ-mimicking grille. Even though it’s a far better appear than the prior remedy, it is a lot more Euro-Japanese derivative than we’d like to see from an American brand. We do, even so, really like the peaked hood. The headlamps, by the way, are of the matrix-LED style that Audi can’t sell to us maybe an American organization futzing with the tech can lastly get it legalized.

All in all, the new Continental comes off as a slightly mixed bag. That is an improvement more than the MKS, which was not the sort of bag that James Brown would ever have been pleased to own brand-new. But this Continental? He may well just have liked this.

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Lincoln Continental Concept Revealed! (It is Already Headed for Production)

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It’s Already Here

At the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan suggested an idea at once futuristic and intuitive: Automotive components should be quickly and easily replaceable with the help of a 3D printer. The IDx NISMO concept featured removable fenders that could be hypothetically upgraded with the proper conceptual hardware. One obvious implication was that a tech-savvy track rat could print fattened fenders to fit thicker aftermarket rubber; long-term, it promised a world with everything from suspension components to wheels printed on demand. It sounded great. It also sounded like vaporware. Just how realistic is it?

From a production standpoint, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, has myriad advantages over pieces created by computer-numerical-control (CNC) machine work. The latter requires tremendous time and brain power to design the milling process. Most notably, material cost plummets when you’re not cutting shapes from excess material, as you do with any CNC setup. But plastic, the customary media for modern rapid prototyping, lacks the necessary strength-to-weight ratio for most automotive components. So the fiction-to-fact turning point for car parts is the advent of 3D-printable carbon fiber.

READ THIS: Get a crash course in 3D printing from Christian von Koenigsegg

Right now, that’s actually possible with the brand-new MarkForged Mark One printer, which can print parts from continuous carbon fibers. Previously, only short fibers could be used in 3D printing, which limits strength and stiffness. The Mark One means the 3D-printing process can now create finished parts, not just prototypes, that match the strength and durability of those molded or machined from high-performance composites.

The man behind MarkForged, MIT-educated aerospace engineer Greg Mark, comes from the racing world. His first company, Aeromotions, built carbon-fiber wings for motorsport the old way: laying up material by hand, with huge delays between engineering and manufacturing. And given that every wing was built specifically for each model, the material waste and long delivery time line ensured that even expensive wings barely turned a profit.

But once you can print carbon fiber, the cost model shifts. Manufacturing time evaporates, and iterating and troubleshooting become almost immediate. Schedule a track test, capture data, then build new ground-effects components or bodywork right at the track—just hit “print” and come back 4 hours later.

READ THIS: You can 3D print these free Honda concept car models at home

That potential has drawn the interest of several Formula 1 teams. “Imagine how quickly they could experiment with different downforce models between races,” Mark notes, without naming the interested parties. That nimbleness could also benefit automakers. “You could build an entire car frame in just a week or print suspension components to update a vehicle during its life cycle,” Mark says.

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Working parts are trickier, but the potential is huge because printed carbon allows for precise construction with a far higher carbon-to-resin ratio. And mass-production applications won’t have to make identical parts: With a set of fixed body dimensions and mounting points, manufacturers could build custom interiors while still using factory assembly, by printing bespoke parts right at the line.

For now, buying a replacement fender is still cheaper than printing your own. But 3 years ago, Mark didn’t know he could 3D-print carbon fiber. Who knows what will be possible in 2017.

READ THIS: Print yourself a 3D Porsche Cayman

This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It’s Already Here

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It is Already Here

At the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan recommended an thought at after futuristic and intuitive: Automotive elements must be quickly and easily replaceable with the support of a 3D printer. The IDx NISMO idea featured removable fenders that could be hypothetically upgraded with the suitable conceptual hardware. One apparent implication was that a tech-savvy track rat could print fattened fenders to match thicker aftermarket rubber lengthy-term, it promised a planet with every little thing from suspension components to wheels printed on demand. It sounded great. It also sounded like vaporware. Just how realistic is it?

From a production standpoint, 3D printing, also identified as additive manufacturing and fast prototyping, has myriad positive aspects over pieces designed by personal computer-numerical-handle (CNC) machine perform. The latter requires tremendous time and brain power to design the milling method. Most notably, material price plummets when you are not cutting shapes from excess material, as you do with any CNC setup. But plastic, the customary media for modern rapid prototyping, lacks the required strength-to-weight ratio for most automotive elements. So the fiction-to-fact turning point for automobile components is the advent of 3D-printable carbon fiber.

Read THIS: Get a crash course in 3D printing from Christian von Koenigsegg

Correct now, that’s actually attainable with the brand-new MarkForged Mark One particular printer, which can print components from continuous carbon fibers. Previously, only short fibers could be utilised in 3D printing, which limits strength and stiffness. The Mark 1 signifies the 3D-printing approach can now develop completed parts, not just prototypes, that match the strength and durability of those molded or machined from higher-efficiency composites.

The man behind MarkForged, MIT-educated aerospace engineer Greg Mark, comes from the racing planet. His 1st business, Aeromotions, constructed carbon-fiber wings for motorsport the old way: laying up material by hand, with large delays amongst engineering and manufacturing. And provided that each and every wing was built specifically for every single model, the material waste and long delivery time line ensured that even pricey wings barely turned a profit.

But when you can print carbon fiber, the price model shifts. Manufacturing time evaporates, and iterating and troubleshooting become nearly immediate. Schedule a track test, capture information, then construct new ground-effects elements or bodywork right at the track—just hit “print” and come back 4 hours later.

Read THIS: You can 3D print these free of charge Honda concept automobile models at home

That possible has drawn the interest of numerous Formula 1 teams. “Imagine how rapidly they could experiment with different downforce models in between races,” Mark notes, with no naming the interested parties. That nimbleness could also advantage automakers. “You could build an entire vehicle frame in just a week or print suspension elements to update a automobile throughout its life cycle,” Mark says.

---

---

Operating components are trickier, but the potential is enormous due to the fact printed carbon allows for precise construction with a far higher carbon-to-resin ratio. And mass-production applications will not have to make identical parts: With a set of fixed body dimensions and mounting points, producers could construct custom interiors whilst nevertheless employing factory assembly, by printing bespoke components appropriate at the line.

For now, getting a replacement fender is nevertheless cheaper than printing your personal. But 3 years ago, Mark didn’t know he could 3D-print carbon fiber. Who knows what will be achievable in 2017.

Study THIS: Print your self a 3D Porsche Cayman

This story initially appeared on roadandtrack.com

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It is Already Here