Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ay Dios Mio! 2011 Lincoln Mark LT spotted south of the border]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/ay-dios-mio-2011-lincoln-mark-lt-spotted-south-of-the-border/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/ay-dios-mio-2011-lincoln-mark-lt-spotted-south-of-the-border/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/02/ay-dios-mio-2011-lincoln-mark-lt-spotted-south-of-the-border/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



The Lincoln Mark LT never really worked out according to plan. The thinking was that trucks and SUVs were so hot, all you had to do was rebadge 'em and then roll around in all the easy money. And while that worked wonders for Cadillac via the Las Vegas-a-riffic Escalade EXT, Lincolns with beds just never got any play. In fairness to the LT, the stage for failure was set by the Blackwood, a truck only intended to appeal to polo players (the bed was carpeted). The LT, on the other hand, was essentially a fully-dressed F-150 with Lincoln badges. Lincoln Mark LT production stopped in late 2008 and no one cared. Except, apparently, Mexicans.

Despite all that, last March brought us some spy shots of a 2011 Lincoln Mark LT running around the Detroit metro area. Huh? Well here's the thing: These trucks are headed down south -- way down south. Turns out that the Lincoln brand still has a certain cachet in Mexico, and our neighbors to the south see no problem in shelling out a little extra for the honor of the badge. Don't laugh, there are plenty Americans who routinely shell out around $50,000 for the same truck with a Ford badge (the Lincoln Mark LT is essentially the Ford F-150 Platinum).

Anyhow, here's a pre-production 2011 Lincoln Mark LT running wild somewhere in Mexico. We thought maybe we'd be able to tell from the license plate, but that's definitely a 2002-2007 Distrito Federal plate. Frankly, this truck could be anywhere. But seeing as how most of us don't know our Aguascalientes from our Hidalgo, what's it matter where? The larger point is that in a few years time if someone asks you to bring them the head of Alfredo Garcia Jr. and you want to do so in high style, has Lincoln got the lux-truck for you.

[Source: Auto Cosmos]

Ay Dios Mio! 2011 Lincoln Mark LT spotted south of the border originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cadillac EscaladeCadillac Escalade EXTCadillacEscaladeCadillacEscaladeExtEscalade EXTEscaladeExtF150FordFord F150Ford F150 PlatinumFordF150FordF150PlatinumLincolnLincoln BlackwoodLincoln LTLincolnBlackwoodLincolnLtSun, 02 Aug 2009 09:02:00 EST<![CDATA[<i>Motor Trend</i>: Next Escalade to go Lambda]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/i-motortrend-i-next-escalade-to-go-lambda/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/i-motortrend-i-next-escalade-to-go-lambda/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/i-motortrend-i-next-escalade-to-go-lambda/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MotorTrend reports that GM insiders are saying that the next-generation Cadillac Escalade will jump from its current GMT900 truck platform to the Lambda crossover architecture that underpins the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave, and Chevy Traverse. MT points to the Buick Enclave Super that didn't happen as evidence that an Escalambda would be able to handle an eight-cylinder engine, which would be a step up from the rest of El Generalissimo's increasingly-crowded crossover lineup. Edgier, CTS-like styling would likely be a given, too.

Frankly, this is a good idea. The packaging afforded by the Lambda platform is vastly superior to what the GMT900 trucks offer. Remember that in the latter, the 3rd row is bolted to the cargo floor, it doesn't fold flat, and it's generally uncomfortable. The Lambda solves that instantly, and is better suited for what's positioned as a luxury vehicle anyway. Ride quality would be much better, and if GM Design were to deliver an interior on par with what's now found in the CTS, a Lambda-based Escalade would probably represent a quantum leap forward in terms of styling and refinement over the current vehicle.

As for the Avalanche-based Escalade EXT, MT says that GM's mulling over the idea of moving to a unibody pickup, a la the Zeta-based GMC Denali XT concept, to replace both of those vehicles. Again, not a bad idea, especially for Cadillac. The downside is that owners of the current vehicles who use them to tow will likely need to look elsewhere to fill that need. Still, if Cadillac's gig is to sell legit luxury vehicles, moving to more car-like platforms makes all kinds of sense. It's going to be really interesting to see if any of this stuff actually pans out.

[Source: MotorTrend]

Motor Trend: Next Escalade to go Lambda originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cadillaccrossovercuvdenali xt conceptDenaliXtConceptescaladeescalade extEscaladeExtlambdaplatformzetaMon, 08 Sep 2008 12:56:00 EST