Lexus is following the pace of the car peoples with the Obsidian Edition versions of the LC and RX. The cars are very black above all else.
‘Obsidian’, or in Dutch obsidian, is a volcanic glass that according to Wikipedia is ‘usually dark green to deep black’. At Lexus, the emphasis is of course on the latter. The LC, LC Convertible and RX are available as Obsidian with exterior accents in black and ‘black-chrome’ instead of bright chrome. That goes quite far. On the LC, the grille is ‘dark chrome’ and the surrounds of the headlights and taillights are jet black. On the RX, the side window frame, mirror caps and bumper parts are finished in black.
The LC’s 21-inch wheels are unique to this version and true black. Those of the RX are slightly smaller at 20 inches and, thanks to a version in (again) dark chrome work, stand out a bit more against the background. That is even more important with the RX, because with this model the body is always black. With the LC and LC Convertible, the Obsidian versions can be chosen from several colors, which may create a nice contrast.
The Obsidian Edition of the LC Coupé appears to be based on the version with Touring Pack. That means the Torsen differential lock, folding rear spoiler and four-wheel steering are standard, as is a largely Alcantara-clad interior. That package is not available on the convertible and the Obsidian version does not change that. The hybrid LC500h costs €140.995 as Obsidian, compared to €130.995 for a regular copy. The version with V8 is also exactly 10 mille more expensive, for a total of €180,995. However, the Touring Pack costs €10,855 on its own, so it seems like a great deal. With the Convertible, the price difference is logically lower: here the Obsidian costs €204,995, or €3,000 more than usual.
The RX Obsidian Edition is based on the Executive Line, but adds black leather upholstery and a panoramic roof as extras. At €91,965, it is more than 2 grand more expensive than an RX450h without the package.
Lexus gets the originality award for the time being for the name in this genre, but certainly not for the idea. Special editions with black as the main theme have been flying around us for years. Black, Black Badge, Black Line, Black Collection or Black Edition, it all means the same thing.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl