2018 Lincoln Continental 3.0T AWD| LMT Cars
Channel: Infinite
Date: 09/08/2017

LMT Cars: 2018 Lincoln Continental 3.0T AWD
It was with some trepidation that we punched the start button on this Lincoln Continental road test. What if Lincoln revived its hallowed nameplate only because its own execs couldn’t keep straight the alphabet soup of three-letter badges beginning with MK? What if this new flagship turned out to be another lightly fluffed Ford? What if this Conti is no better than the Taurus-based edition sold 20 years ago or it’s a turkey like the Blackwood pickup that lasted exactly one model year? 
Lincoln fans, especially those still pining for the Town Car, perk up at any mention of the Continental. While few remember that Edsel Ford’s 1939 gift to automotive artistry ¬reinterpreted two classic design features—long-hood, short-deck proportions and the spare tire as a fashion accessory—some surely recall the magnificent Mark II coupes that followed in 1956 and the elegant Kennedy-era Continental four-door hardtops and convertibles. On those rare occasions when Lincoln got the Continental right, it was the day’s premier land yacht. 
Now Lincoln’s game is reprising fine design, premium interiors, and exemplary performance for prosperous customers beckoned by more than a dozen import and domestic makers. The U.S. is ground zero, with a few exports to China where the Lincoln brand still commands respect. After witnessing Audi, BMW, and ¬Mercedes-Benz bloody Cadillac in sales in the sports-sedan category, Lincoln is taking a pass on that fight for now. 
Establishing exterior dimensions that are a touch grander in every direction than a Mercedes E-class’s enabled Lincoln design chief David Woodhouse to sculpt the Continental with nicely flowing lines and voluptuous proportions. The new face of Lincoln is a Bentley-esque grille shared with the facelifted MKZ and slated to replace the bow-wave motif throughout the brand’s lineup. Another lapse in creativity is the racetrack taillamp theme long used by Dodge and seen on both past and freshened MKZs. 
At least there’s beauty in the details. Substantial body forms and gentle creases showcase the Continental’s wheels and tires. There are just enough badges and insignias to reveal this car’s identity. Our favorite feature is the side-window trim finished in a polished-silver hue that neatly integrates thin mirror pedestals and substantial door handles with the beltline. 
While skateboarders will surely be tempted to grab those inviting loops for a tow, their intended purpose is to elevate the entry experience. A light touch on their inside surface activates a microswitch that unlatches the door electrically. Spring pressure initiates the opening swing, and other mechanisms ease the final closing and latching effort. This ambitious reinvention of the door handle suggests that Lincoln may finally be serious about clearing the skepticism clouding this brand. 

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