Skip to main content

Take a load off with the Lincoln Continental Concept’s amazing 30-way driver’s seat

A “new era of wellness and luxury” is upon us, and it’s coming by way of the new Lincoln Continental Concept.

The full-size luxury vehicle equips a stunningly plush driver’s seat, which features Alcantara inserts, 30-way adjustability, heating, cooling, and a rolling-pattern massage function. Over 50 patent disclosures have been filed for the seat alone, and another 100 or so more are under review. The result? A ridiculous amount of adjustment, including six modes for the track, two for reclining, four on the headrest, and four for lumbar support. The thigh supports can also be operated individually, as can the cushion extenders.

For reference, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class — a staple of opulence and comfort — features a 16-way power driver’s seat. Compared to this, it might as well be made of porcupines.

“The next frontier to serve the luxury automotive client is a seat that conforms to and supports the body — a seat that feels as if it were personally tailored for you each time,” said Johnathan Line, advanced seat innovation supervisor for Lincoln. “The new design of the Lincoln 30-way seats goes beyond the one-size-fits-all design seen in the past. It conforms to your body and supports it in ways not previously possible.”

The rear passenger seat can also fully recline, which speaks to the high-end executive clientele these types of cars appeal to. First introduced at the 2015 New York Auto Show, the Continental Concept equips a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, LED matrix headlamps, and 21-inch wheels.

Lincoln is expected to manufacture the production Continental at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant, and although many elements of concept cars don’t make the showroom floor, it’d be a real shame if this sumptuous throne didn’t make the cut. The car should be going on sale sometime in late 2016.

Andrew Hard
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?
Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Read more
EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says
ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Read more
Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says
Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.

Read more