By Otsile Kadiege

I recently attended the launch of one of the most aesthetically pleasing cars ever built – the posh and potent Lexus LC 500 Convertible.

Stunning exterior design

I get to drive a lot of beautiful cars but the Lexus LC 500 Convertible’s eye-catching design makes it extra special. A few highlights like its low and wide stance, bold front-end design with a unique spindle grille, clean body lines, large 21-inch wheels, a striking rear-end design and a beige fabric top, which takes approximately 15 seconds to operate, makes the LC 500 Convertible breathtakingly beautiful. 

To ensure the artful silhouette of the LC Coupe is retained, Lexus redesigned only three major panels, namely the forward pillar, rear guards and boot lid. The LC Convertible is available 11 exterior colour, interior trim and roof colour combinations.

These include 11 exterior colours – Blazing Carnelian (orange), Terrane Khaki Metal, White Nova, Sonic Titanium, Solar Storm Red, Naples Yellow, Opulent Blue, Dark Grey, Black, Graphite Black, and Sonic Silver. Customers can then select each exterior colour combos with either black trim and black roof, flare red trim and black roof, ochre trim and beige roof, or ochre trim and black roof.

Posh interior design 

There’s a sense of occasion when opening the doors of the LC 500 Convertible thanks to its flush door handles. Once inside, I was cocooned in a opulent cabin littered with high grade materials which further accentuated the impeccable craftsmanship the brand is known for. 

The LC 500 Convertible is equipped with an LFA styled digital instrument cluster and a 10.3-inch display operable via the track pad which I found to be a bit of a faff as it required a lot of my attention whilst the car was in motion. Its camera quality could be better too.

Driving the V8 powered drop top

The shortcomings of the LC 500 Convertible were forgotten once I dropped the top, engaged its sporty settings and put foot to metal. The naturally aspirated 5.0-litre powerplant churning 351 kW and 540 Nm makes the LC 500 Convertible ludicrously fast and has a goosebump inducing exhaust note to match, especially its spine tingling downshift sounds. Lexus claims the RWD drop top will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. 

Its 10-speed automatic transmission ensured smooth gear changes whilst putting the LC 500 through its paces on Nelspruit’s scenic twisties. It remained planted and the suspension did a good job at soaking up some pothole riddled roads. With the top up, the cabin is well insulated and I was able to jam to my favourite songs thanks to its 13-speaker, 918-watt Mark Levinson Sound System. 

Final thoughts

If you want a luxurious weekend toy with eye-catching looks and a thunderous V8 engine underneath the bonnet then the LC 500 Convertible is the one you should consider. The Lexus LC 500 Convertible is available in one model grade and it’s priced at R2,345,500.