Is the Lexus LC 500 Convertible the most beautiful convertible in the world? Well that was the goal the Lexus team was tasked with. I will confidently say that they succeeded. It is not often that a convertible can look good with both the top both up and down. But gee whiz, this car is something to behold. It is quite literally breathtaking in the metal.
RAW MAGNETISM
I am not sure I can get away with saying something like “raw magnetism” but I didn’t include the word “sexual” so I think I can. I also hate using the word “sexy” when describing a car. This LC500 Convertible just draws you in though. I found myself constantly glancing at it, a bit like the creep who kept unashamedly staring at me while licking his lips at the airport (yuk!) but that is a story for another day.
KEEP STARING
The interior will have you as entranced. The attention to detail and build quality is next level. There is only one tiny issue that I have with most two-seaters, the centre console never has enough space to hold all my things. There are cupholders and there is a centre-bin but it always seems as if I am having to put stuff in the door and then it rolls around and drives me mad. Diva much?
The other thing that irks me, and this is not exclusive to this LC500, is the Lexus Remote Touch pad controller. Crisis! Who invented it? I want to have a talk with that person. It might just be my ridiculous hand-eye coordination, but I can never, and I mean never, click on the exact thing I want to click on. I now aim for something completely different and end up on the icon I originally wanted. Look, I had to find something to moan about otherwise this would have been a ridiculously positive review.
Speaking of ridiculous, the seats are really, quite ridiculously, comfortable. Which isn’t often said of sports car seats, mind you. The boot on the other hand, as is expected, is tiny! But we still managed to get our carry on luggage and two backpacks in there. Otherwise, the cabin feels quite spacious. I never felt like I was uncomfortably or awkwardly close to my driving partner…you know, being Covid times and all. Nah, I wasn’t worried about that, we had the earbud stuck up our noses just before the launch to ensure we were all virus-free. My wasabi eye afterwards though, well that was not a vibe.
IT’S A RARITY
At the heart of this beautiful vehicle is something we don’t often get to see (or hear) anymore. It is a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine. Can you hear the roar through this review? It produces 351 kW of power and 540 Nm of torque. It will get you to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. I wish I could say that I had it on a track and then on a closed mountain pass, but alas, I was contained to the public road that was filled with four million potholes. But what I can say is that it is certainly very poised, even when, at the very last minute, you gooi a massive swerve to the left and then to the right to avoid a crater. Not once did the LC 500 Convertible falter. Ever so the elegant master. When I was able to put my foot down, if only momentarily to overtake a truck, the butterflies in my tummy came out to play. Oh how I wish I could have driven this car on a long stretch of road with no such thing as traffic cops.
PRICING OF THE LC 500 CONVERTIBLE
It doesn’t come cheap, that is for sure. You will need to save R2 345 500 if you want this sitting pretty in your garage. But, remember, there are no options available, so it does come with everything you need and more. If I were a wealthy one, and didn’t really have my head screwed on all that well, I would own this car. I would still want a few others in the garage for practical reasons, but I think this is my favourite Lexus to date.
