Luxury carmakers, such as Lexus, want their customers to feel special when they drive their vehicles. The Edmonton International Airport in Alberta, Canada is helping the brand take that feeling to the next level.
There are more than 13,500 parking stalls at the airport. According to the Edmonton Journal, 30 “stalls in the airport’s parking garage’s second and third levels are painted ‘Preferred Parking,’ along with a logo of the luxury car brand.”
It’s part of an agreement with an outdoor advertising company that also includes a giant wrap over the terminal tower and a Lexus vehicle on display in the terminal. No handicapped spots were removed and the money generated by the airport’s parking helps keep costs for fliers and airlines down. The deal with the outdoor ad firm also pays for instantly updatable digital signs in the airport.
Speaking of payment, the cost of parking a non-Lexus vehicle in a Lexus spot is up to Lexus. The Edmonton International Airport will not be enforcing restrictions over those stalls.
We know what we’ll be doing, though: waiting to see Instagram pictures of Infinitis parked in these Lexus spots with the hashtag #rebel on them.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
