Lincoln is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the release of the L100, a concept car that harks back to the automaker’s legacy while also looking ahead to a future where pesky controls like steering wheels may no longer be necessary.
The L100 has all the hallmarks of a 21st century concept car: sleek, futuristic design; wing doors; a sparse interior intended to underline a generic autonomous capability; and a lot of glass. Obviously, the vehicle is not intended for production or sale, but is intended to indicate a possible design direction for Lincoln’s future lineup.
“Concept vehicles allow us to reimagine and illustrate how new experiences can come to life using advanced technologies and give our designers more creative freedom than ever before,” said Anthony Lo, chief design officer for Lincoln’s parent company, Ford, in a statement.
Lincoln said the L100 is meant to pay tribute to the automaker’s first luxury vehicle, the 1922 Model L. Of course, the concept hardly resembles its 100-year-old ancestor. The L100 is a sleek fastback with nearly 360 degrees of glass around the cockpit. Lincoln’s badge, which resembles the automaker’s Star concept announced earlier this year, appears as an illuminated display on the front of the vehicle.
The doors don’t do normal door things but instead open outwards in a reverse hinged style which, as far as I know, has yet to be tried in the auto industry. The glass roof also opens in the same direction, which I think would be helpful if you’re a very tall person who has trouble getting in and out.
Inside you have a luxurious lounge-like living space that is distinguished by the absence of traditional controls, such as a steering wheel or pedals. Instead of a steering wheel, it has a “jewel-inspired chess piece controller that captures light and depth by redefining the vehicle controls in the cabin.” So basically this is a concept car that runs on vibes.
Not really! The L100 is believed to be an electric car, although Lincoln declined to give any performance specs such as battery capacity or range – which makes sense as this is a concept car that looks nowhere near production-ready.
Lincoln plans to launch three new all-electric vehicles by 2025 and a fourth by 2026. The company had hoped to work with bustling EV startup Rivian on an electric SUV, but that plan was shelved by the pandemic.
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