Lincoln Model L100 Is a Futuristic Concept With Nods to the Past
Concept cars are oftentimes thinly veiled looks at future production cars, but every once in a while, we get one that’s an absolutely stunning flight of fancy. Meet the Lincoln Model L100.
Making its debut Thursday during Monterey Car Week, the Model L100 is a wild glimpse into Lincoln’s ambitious future, but it also harkens back to the brand’s 100-year-old roots. The 1922 Model L was the first vehicle Ford built after purchasing Lincoln, and if you look through the concept’s transparent hood, you can see a crystal greyhound hood ornament — something chosen by Edsel Ford in the 1920s.
The rest of the L100 is all about what’s ahead, and Lincoln makes some bold claims about what lies beneath this concept. Lincoln says the Model L100 “uses next-generation battery cell and pack technologies, which will deliver game changing energy density and enable efficient, structural integration by treating the entire vehicle as a system.” Of course, the company doesn’t have any technical details to back up this statement, so use your imagination, I guess.
This is so freakin’ cool.
Lincoln
The concept’s overall shape is definitely influenced by aerodynamics above all, and it looks a lot like the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX — not that that’s a bad thing. But where the L100 absolutely steals the show is in how it opens up, with reverse-hinged doors and a glass roof that all lift to reveal the cabin.
It’s super cool. Lincoln says the L100’s cabin is totally vegan, and there are glimmers of amethyst inside the recycled suede fabric. The long center console has what Lincoln calls a “jewel-inspired chess piece controller,” which replaces the car’s traditional steering wheel.
That’s right, in addition to having fancy new battery technology, the L100 is also autonomous. Neat. The front seats can be turned to face the rear passengers, and the L100 has something called a “digital floor,” which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, with different themes that can present all sorts of designs while working with interior ambient lighting.
The whole thing is pretty gorgeous.
Following its unveiling on Thursday, the Model L100 concept will be on display at Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where Lincoln is the featured marque.
