WHO says you can’t mix business with pleasure? It’s certainly not a problem for the well-heeled when it comes to moving from one important meeting to another.
And those in need of a spell of relaxation between appointments certainly get it in the Lexus LM, back on sale in the UK by popular demand.
That’s demand from those with just shy of £118,000 to spend on their mode of transport, and who have a chauffeur to drive it.
It offers something a bit different from other VIP luxury shuttles and is far more than the chromed up converted van you might label it as on first viewing.
Luxury and Lexus tend to go hand in hand, so sit back and read the spec list of the LM 350h Takumi four-seat model, which takes on-board luxury to new heights with an experience that’s like being in your own private jet, albeit with four wheels and not two wings:
* Power-adjustable seats that can be fully horizontally reclined and have seven different massage programmes
* Pillow-like head rests supporting the top of the back rather than the neck
* Individual airline-style folding tables
* Individual charging stations with USB ports and wireless charging trays housed in the side panels
* A dimmable partition between the front and rear cabin housing a 48-inch widescreen monitor with three viewing modes: full screen, cinema and separate left and right screens
* A refrigerator box that can hold two bottles of champagne, should you need a quick gargle between meetings
* Bespoke Mark Levinson 3D Surround Sound audio system with 23 speakers
* Highest-quality L-aniline leather upholstery
* Audio system, climate control settings, seat functions, interior lighting and window blinds all controlled by a smartphone-like device
Large sliding side doors and a high roof allow you to step aboard just like into a black cab, and there you find those two airline-style reclining lounge chairs – and a handy brolly in case it’s raining when you disembark.
Visibility is good for those in the back thanks to large side windows and glazed skylights which both have electric blinds.
The end result really does feel like a luxurious, first-class travel experience
This obviously isn’t an owner-driver type of luxury car – it’s designed to be chauffeur driven. Space is a bit tighter up front and you feel much more perched up and in closer contact with the controls than you would in a saloon or SUV, but the LM’s cabin quality is consistent with what is in the back.
And if you get the keys it’s easy to drive and quiet at urban speeds, and faultlessly smooth.
Lexus LM 350h AWD
Price: £117,595
Engine: 2.5 litre, four cylinder, petrol + electric motor
Power: 187bhp engine/178 electric
Torque: 176lb/ft engine/199lb/ft electric
Transmission: e CVT
Top speed: 118mph
0-62mph: 8.7 seconds
Economy: 39.2mpg
CO2 emissions: 163g/km
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