Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw

Selling luxuries in a recession is like selling suntan lotion in winter. You’ve got to make people think they need it.

Convertibles are great fun, but hardly one of life’s essentials. But look more closely at the Lexus IS 250C and what was sexy and indulgent, suddenly seems sexy and practical. Cast iron Lexus reliability. Rear seats. And the fastest all-metal roof in the business. So you can drive it in changeable weather, without fear of being drenched.

We wrapped all this up in the 21-second test drive: a triumph of paper engineering. After all, why wait for the customer to come to the dealer when you can deliver the demonstration in the DM?

(Oh, and the suntan lotion? Research shows UV exposure in winter continues to age skin. So best our 93 buyers wear some whenever they’ve got the top down.)