We all love customizing things for ourselves and from makeup to luggage, you can just about customize anything. Customizing cars is nothing new, but this partnership Lexus is creating with 23andMe is redefining what it means to have a custom vehicle.
Finding the perfect vehicle was once a fantasy, but now it’s a reality. Through the partnership with 23andMe, Inc., the leading personal genetics company, Lexus will soon offer the ultimate answer to vehicle customization. Genetic Select is a new car buying experience that takes the only thing that matters into consideration when selecting a vehicle—the driver.
Genetic Select will be available starting April 1 at Lexus dealerships. Genetic Select’s patented DNA sequencing model-to-model technology pairs drivers to a Lexus vehicle that’s tailored to their every need. The innovation can accurately predict, based on the driver’s DNA, which vehicle is the right choice. For example, if the customer does not have a genetic variant for bald spots, the car will come equipped with a sun roof. Or those genetically prone to more freckles will receive custom window tinting.
In fact, 23andMe’s understanding of genetic variants is so precise, Genetic Select will enable Lexus to deliver the perfect color, trim, horsepower allotment, seating configuration, and radio presets, within a 99.99967 percent degree of accuracy.
“Lexus has always obsessed over crafting an individual experience for customers, both in selecting their vehicle, as well as in the ownership process,” said Cooper Ericksen, Lexus Vice President of Marketing. “Exceeding customers’ expectations is in the Lexus DNA. Now, we’re taking it to the next level by tapping into our customers’ DNA, too.”
The Genetic Select appointment takes about 10 minutes and doesn’t involve a signature or question. Instead, the service staff at Lexus’ will collect a saliva sample and send it off to 23andMe for sequence testing. Within 48 hours, the perfect vehicle will arrive in the customer’s driveway. The driver won’t even need a key to operate it as the revolutionary new saliva-powered start-system operates via a DNA ignition sensor on the steering wheel.
