Lincoln MKR concept

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 02 January 2007 11:49 Lincoln MKR Concept: the lowdown Lincoln will slide the wraps off its answer to the Mercedes CLS at the Detroit Motor Show next week: this luxurious and wedgy MKR concept. It’s the work of ex-Volvo British designer Peter Horbury, who now heads Ford’s Amercian design division, and hints at how Lincolns will look in the years ahead: the Viking-hat grille is straddled by pencil-thin LED headlights, while the flanks of the car are notably uncluttered. Don’t expect to see the 21-inch wheels and ‘Lincoln star’ patterns in the tyre treads on production cars any time soon, though.

BMW confirms 5-series hybrid for March arrival in the United States

When it comes to hybrids, BMW doesn't take the understated route, cranking up the power and loading eco technologies into some of its most decadent models. The 7-series, the X6--they will never be mistaken for a Toyota Prius. But now comes the mean and green version of the 5-series, called the ActiveHybrid 5, and the Bavarian luxury maker confirmed late Thursday that the car will arrive in U.S.

Japan automakers extend shutdowns as quake impact widens

Japan's seven big automakers are extending nationwide production shutdowns amid growing concern about supply chain interruptions, power shortages and export difficulties following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hammered northern Japan, killing thousands. Toyota Motor Corp., one of the few automakers with a major manufacturing presence in the quake zone, suspended all manufacturing--at both assembly and parts plants--on Monday and extended the shutdown through at least Wednesday as an added precaution. The company will lose output of roughly 40,000 vehicles over the three-day period, spokesman Dion Corbett said.