Build your own (digital) Lincoln at new showroom in Newport Beach
Seeking new customers in Southern California’s luxury car market, Lincoln Motor Co. has opened a new showroom at Newport Beach’s Fashion Island where potential buyers can sip free coffee and digitally create their own cars.
Dubbed the Lincoln Experience Center, the 5,200-square-foot space near Macy’s is the Michigan-based company’s first such facility in the United States. Managers say visitors will experience a “quiet luxury” personalized for them.
“This is all about the ‘Lincoln way,’ which is a warm, human, personally crafted brand,” Andrew Frick, Lincoln’s director of North American sales and service, said during a media tour Tuesday.
The center, which includes a cafe with free beverages and a sitting lounge, showcases new Lincoln vehicles and seeks to build on the company’s growth of the past four years, which includes four new models.
It also features a “story wall” that notes inspirations for recent car designs. Frick pointed to a concertina that inspired the entry steps on a recent Lincoln Navigator.
Nearby is a giant touch screen that digitally creates a customized car. Users can choose everything from the tires and body style to the interior colors and materials. Near the screen is a wall with the design materials magnetically attached so buyers can see them up close.
A separate room promotes Lincoln’s Black Label program, which offers additional customization. The room also demonstrates the Revel car stereo system.
When customers are ready to inquire about buying, the center can connect them to area dealerships and arrange test drives.
Frick said the Lincoln Experience Center has had soft openings in recent weeks, with an estimated 4,000 visitors so far.
The center also will host events that have nothing to do with cars, the first of which is July 28, about pairing wine and cheese.
The center is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
For more information, visit www.lincolnexperiencecenter.com or call (844) 236-3174.
