Calla lilies, waterfalls, and manta rays may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of automobile design. Nevertheless, those natural elements inspired the reconception of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, according to Soo Kang, a chief designer for Lincoln. The designers sought to mimic the shape of a waterfall on the exterior and to extend the concept to the interior, creating a sense of quiet spaciousness and the “feeling of being in water,” according to Kang. As for the manta ray, it lent its shape to the instrument panel and upper sections, which Kang describes as “a beautiful surface with the edginess of the manta ray’s nature.”
Check out the 2013 Lincoln MKZ by taking one for a spin during Art Basel Miami Beach when The Wolfsonian and Lincoln team up to offer test drives from The Wolfsonian Annex’s parking lot, followed by an introduction to the Annex. The test drives take place 11am–6pm on December 7–9—simply show up at the Annex, 1538 Lenox Avenue, Miami Beach (east of Alton Road and south of Lincoln Road). The ten-minute test drives are followed by a brief survey; participants also receive an exclusive gift from Lincoln. Both conventional and hybrid models are available for test drives and drivers must be at least twenty-one and have a valid driver’s license.
Some of the most talked-about features of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ are the optional retractable panoramic roof that at 15.2 square feet floods the cabin with light, a reconfiguration of the gearshift as a series of buttons, and details such as textured grille bars, sculptural side mirrors, and LED headlamps that look as if they are floating. Additionally, the MKZ Hybrid is the only hybrid on the market priced the same as the conventional version.
Looking back, The Wolfsonian’s 2009–10 exhibition Styled for the Road: The Art of Automobile Design, 1908–1948 included a gouache and watercolor image of the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr, and the museum’s collection includes several 1930s advertisements for the model, which could perhaps be considered the great-grandparent of today’s 2013 Lincoln MKZ.