Not your average golf buggy
Until now, the ideal vehicle for those who enjoy 18 holes plus a cocktail or two at the 19th would surely be made by Volkswagen and be a handy five-door hatchback. No longer. Lexus have boldly entered the fray and teed up this one-off GX 500 in collaboration with golf and culture enthusiasts Malbon. In keeping with golf’s reputation for - ahem - a bold look, you won’t miss your Lexus GX 550 Malbon Edition when you’re walking off the links.
First things first. That’s a GX 550 underneath all of the golf signifiers, popular in its prime market of the United States, available in limited numbers elsewhere. It’s a squarely handsome SUV, with a potent turbocharged V6 engine and permanent four-wheel drive, which should be handy when you’re hunting for your ball in the rough and the golf buggy’s battery has expired. Since every Lexus is made by Toyota, it’s not allowed to break down. But let’s get on to the more unusual parts of this collaboration.
GX 550 Malbon Edition: A unique design
Malbon pride themselves on a highly individual approach to golfwear, or as co-founder Stephen Malbon put at the launch of the Lexus collaboration: “We’re focused on building a community that shares a collective vision while keeping things fresh and unexpected.” The GX 550 has been wrapped in a green colourway no-one in your local golf club car park would expect, representing the topography of a typical fairway, with contours outlined as on an Ordinance Survey map, finished with a contrasting white roof, matching Malbon white wheel covers on hefty 22-inch alloys and a bold “Malbon” logo to the front.
Inside there’s more innovation, with seating for just four people - the second row in super-comfortable captain's chairs - and the GX 500’s usual third row replaced by a custom storage box, big enough for four golf bags along with golf balls, shoes, towels and what Lexus tell us are "any other golf necessities”. We’ll put in our cocktail shaker, thanks. Neat stainless steel Lexus Malbon door sills point out to your passengers that this is one special Lexus.
Just in case
Up top you’ll have noticed a roof rack, by specialists Prinsu, carrying a pair of super-tough BX140R cargo cases by Pelican for golf clubs that won’t fit into the interior storage box, possibly due to the cocktail paraphernalia. Best of all - in our view - is the custom-built Yakima SlimShady awning, ready to open and provide ideal shade for those enjoying a chilled vodka martini.
The Lexus GX 550 Malbon Edition is on a tour of upscale American golf courses if you’re keen to see it. As we’ve said this is a one-off so no pricing available, but in the US, basic GX 550 starts at a shade under £50,000 and you’d have to ask Malbon what they’d charge to uprate your Lexus SUV for it to become the envy of the 19th hole. We’ll be right there under the awning, cheering you on.
Next up: The top ten luxury car brands in 2024.