New LC 500 and LS 500 offer Lexus luxury at its finest

In typical Lexus style we got to experience its stunning LC 500 Convertible and LS 500 sedan on a fabulous five-star lifestyle trip during which we stayed at the Kruger Shalati – The Train on The Bridge. What a special place.

Located inside the Kruger Park, where around 100 years ago, trains would pass through here and stop overnight at the Selati Bridge, and now is a glass-walled train that is permanently stationed there over the Sabie river.

From your room, you can see the beauty and wilderness of Africa all around you, and should you venture out your room, in the middle of the bridge, high above the river, is a wooden deck with pool that allows you continue gazing at the wildlife while sipping a gin & tonic the Lexus way.

Okay, maybe it’s time to get back to the cars themselves, the LC 500 Convertible and LS 500, as this should be the main reason you are reading this right now. I think in my next life I want to be a good-looking, trust fund, lifestyle journalist instead of an old worn out, car driving, crash test dummy.

LC 500 Convertible

There is simply nothing on the market that you can buy that is as striking as this. Sure, it’s not the typical German type styling our country seems to adore, but if I was shopping in this league, and let’s be honest, when you shop above the R2-million mark, being different could count more than anything else.

The next highlight of the LC 500 Convertible is that sweet sounding 5.0-litre normally aspirated V8 petrol engine running through ten-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. It is like this powerplant was designed specifically for top-down driving. Producing 351 kW of power and 540 Nm of torque, it puts a smile on your face every time you punch the accelerator pedal.

The claimed performance numbers come in at a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 4.7 sec, a top speed of 270 km/h, and a fuel consumption that is said to be 12.7L/100 km. Impressive, but in saying this, the LC 500 Convertible is about more than raw data, it’s a special car that is about the experience.

Now while the LC 500 Convertible might offer a walk-in function with memory to easily access the rear seat, this car is very much a selfish type of purchase to be enjoyed by the owner and their significant other only, because no adult is getting into the back of this Lexus without being a contortionist.

Once inside as a driver or passenger though, and with or without the top up, the LC 500 Convertible offers a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature automatically.

Full specification includes can be viewed here.

The Lexus LC 500 Convertible comes in at R2 345 500, and the Coupe at R 2 158 200, and this includes no extra cost for the options you would need to tick when you shop elsewhere. The cars come standard with a best-in-class seven year / 105 000 km warranty and maintenance plan.

Lexus LS 500 & LS 500 F Sport

The business part of our drive was taken care of by the flagship sedan in the Lexus range, the LS 500 and LS 500 F Sport. And just like its Convertible sibling, there is absolutely nothing you could want in terms of options, as these two sedans come with everything fitted as standard.

The biggest change, besides having a roof and sharing the same ‘500’ designation, the LS 500 runs a 310kW/600Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that is punchy as you would ever need in a full-size sedan. Smoothness is the go-to word here, with the shared ten-speed auto doing its work seamlessly.

The claim is that you can get to 100 km/h in five seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Again, I am not sure that this would be what a new owner will care too much for. They will sit back and enjoy a top-notch drive, and probably in the back seat while trading their bitcoin on the way to the office.

The styling is not the only thing that separates them, the handling and dynamic feel of the F Sport model further sets them apart. For the executive who wants to spend more time behind the wheel of their car instead of making a fortune on the way to work, then the LS 500 F Sport will be for you. The LS 500 didn’t enjoy being thrown around the passes in and around Nelspruit nearly as much as the LS 500 F Sport did.

For the full specification, click here.

The Lexus LS 500 Luxury retails for R2 204 200, while the LS 500 F Sport has a price tag of R2 397 900. And just like the LC 500 Convertible, they offer a best-in-class seven year/105 000 km warranty and maintenance plan.