The Continental nameplate dated back to the pre-WW2 years at Lincoln and had been in continuous use from 1956 to the first years of the new millennium, when it was discontinued. That last generation shared Ford's FN9 platform with the Taurus and Mercury Sable but when annual sales dipped below the 30,000 unit mark and kept trending downward, the decision was made that the 2002 model year would be the last.
After a decade and a half's hiatus, though, there was once again a new Continental available at Lincoln dealers for 2017. This time around it was based on the corporate CD4 platform used by the MKZ and the Ford Fusion, with the wheelbase given a five and a half inch stretch to 117.9".
It came in three trim levels ranging from Premiere, through Select, to Reserve. All three were powered by a range of V6 engines.
There was the base 3.7L DOHC 24V Cyclone V-6, making 305 SAE net horsepower, with optional 2.7L and 3.0L twin-turbo V-6s putting out 335 and 400 ponies, respectively. (The latter two motors were based on the EcoBoost family, but Lincoln did not use that plebeian-sounding name.) Continentals could be had in either front- or all-wheel drive configurations. The 20" rims on the White Platinum Metallic one in the photo were optional on Select and Reserve trim levels.
When Car and Driver tested a 2017 Continental Reserve with the 3.0 turbo and AWD, it cracked off a respectable zero-to-sixty run of five seconds flat and blistered the quarter in 13.5 at 106mph. Top speed was governor-limited to 147 and it managed to circle the skidpad at 0.84g, which isn't great, but this is a 4,555 lb long wheelbase luxobarge, so... At any rate, the acceleration numbers would have been legit supercar territory in the Eighties or Nineties.
Price as tested was $66,535m which would come to just shy of $87k in 2025.
This one was snapped with an Olympus PEN E-P5 and M. Zuiko Digital 12-45mm f/4 PRO lens in April of 2025.
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