Smooth, buttery soft roads beneath your feet. Pedals that respond to a whisper of your touch. A spa-like massage gently working out the kinks in your back, and the silky smooth feel of leather cocoons you. The wind whips your face and the sun filters in through the sun/moon roof that seems to connect you directly with the sky. That’s just a glimpse of what it feels like to spend a moment in the Black Label Lincoln Continental with the ever so chic Chalet interior.
The name Lincoln has been synonymous with luxury for an entire century. They date back to the days when you hopped in the front seat with nowhere to go, just the urge to drive with the sun on your back and the radio blasting. Lincoln was founded with the concept that a vehicle can get you somewhere, but it could do more than just function as an automobile. There was a world of comfort and class waiting to be explored, and that philosophy still holds true today.
But it’s an ever changing landscape, and a crazy fast paced one at that. So five years ago, they look a good long look at themselves in the mirror and decided it was time for a makeover. There’s now a shift in the demographic—it’s no secret that Lincoln’s demo was a bit of an older clientele.
The new vehicles—developed to fit a variety of life stages for the client—are attracting younger, more affluent customers. The Continental’s power is there and effortless when you need it, be it merging onto a freeway or on a long stretch of road for a vacation or other destination.
Ford Motor Company, Lincoln’s parent brand, recognized the heritage of Lincoln but also saw the potential for a new kind of luxury customer that’s been emerging.
They took the bones of what makes the brand so iconic—luxury products built with the ultimate customer experience in mind—and brought that into the 21st century with intuitive designs, four-all-new-vehicles in four years, and an extra dedicated diligence to the owner experience (at the dealer, home, office, and via a 24/7 concierge).
The 21st century Lincoln driver is self-assured, confident in their affluence, while appreciating authenticity. It’s not flashy, nor aggressive. It’s a soft spoken luxury that really spoke to us in its elegant and experiential approach.
We decided to take one of those bright and shiny new set of wheels from their Black Label collection and see how it held up to our standards of performance and luxury. Gotta say, we were very pleasantly surprised. This car is for the discerning driver looking for the comfort and elegance we all want in a daily driver, but that can also keep up (or even outdrive) with the other high powered beasts when you hit the highway.
The marriage of performance and comfort was really the biggest plus for us—there was none of the sacrificing on horsepower or ease that you often find in today’s marketplace.
A Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter engine makes 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. That’s right, get those ponies going. As for the interior…oh my. It evokes the contrasting pleasures of the crisp air surrounding the ski slopes and the welcoming warmth that comforts you as you relax and unwind with après hot toddies.
Maybe that’s why we were so drawn to it. Chalet brings these distinctly different settings together with singular purpose – to awaken the senses to the invigorating luxuries of an alpine getaway. But don’t feel like this is only suited for Stowe or Jackson Hole—we felt just as much big mountain luxury while cruising through the Upper West Side and Times Square.
The icing on the cake here has got to be the 30-way position massage chairs in both the driver and passenger seats. That sounds excessive, right? It’s not. It’s intuitive and innovative, providing serious relaxation and rejuvenation. And with the simple adjustments on the side door panel as well as on the touch activated center screen, you don’t need to do the whole ‘Honey get out the book, how do I do it again?’ bit. That reference and guide takes time; the best experience you get from Lincoln technology goes beyond ‘Oh, that’s really cool.’ Within moments of hopping in we were attuned to the car, its abilities, needs, and demands. That’s pretty rare.
