Official IS250-C pics
10-02-08, 07:59 AM
#32
Function superceded form.
The function of having a breezy top-down option superceded the form in terms of design and aesthetics.
4-seater hardtop convertibles will have compromises due to space limitations. The hardtop will take excessive amounts of space to store, and thus you also have to elongate or bulge the size of the trunk. The IS sedan has a sleek coupe-like profile, but the coupe/convertible has a discongruent C-pillar to the free-flowing form of the roofline. The rear overhang is quite disappointing, but necessary for that folding top.
Perhaps while the roof is up, you have better storage space and trunk access. That is another positive from the design.
I don't think Lexus could have done better, unless if they made a soft-top convertible. It could have been done, but it would have cheapened the model line-up. Also, it would be competitively disheartening, considering that the 3-Series and G37 have hardtops.
In other words, there is no happy compromise.
If you like it functionally, get it. If you don't like it aesthetically, don't.
The function of having a breezy top-down option superceded the form in terms of design and aesthetics.
4-seater hardtop convertibles will have compromises due to space limitations. The hardtop will take excessive amounts of space to store, and thus you also have to elongate or bulge the size of the trunk. The IS sedan has a sleek coupe-like profile, but the coupe/convertible has a discongruent C-pillar to the free-flowing form of the roofline. The rear overhang is quite disappointing, but necessary for that folding top.
Perhaps while the roof is up, you have better storage space and trunk access. That is another positive from the design.
I don't think Lexus could have done better, unless if they made a soft-top convertible. It could have been done, but it would have cheapened the model line-up. Also, it would be competitively disheartening, considering that the 3-Series and G37 have hardtops.
In other words, there is no happy compromise.
If you like it functionally, get it. If you don't like it aesthetically, don't.
10-02-08, 08:16 AM
#35
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10-02-08, 08:45 AM
#36
But Lexus has never officially said they were going to make it either.
Ultimately, I think that if the IS-c does not sell well, they won't make a coupe (non-convertible), nor will they use it on the IS-F.
10-02-08, 09:00 AM
#37
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FAIL!!! I was waiting for Lexus to do it and do it well. I understand why they would skip a coupe, assuming you designed a convertible to match the styling, but they did not!
10-02-08, 09:00 AM
#38
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There was a particular girl on my old college that me and my buds used to hear about. She was the younger sister of a beautiful older sister. For months, we heard about this fine, gorgous girl that would stop you dead in your tracks as well as sweet talk you.
For months, my expectations were high for this woman, they said she was a model of sorts like her older sister.
Well finally, after months of anticipation, I finally saw and met this girl. Instead of getting butterflies, I got goats in my stomach. It was nice to meet her, but she was merely "okay" and nice to know but nothing I wanted.....
Which leads me to this IS convertible. I will leave final judgement in person but after years of speculation and telling people "oh its coming" and seeing a pretty aggresive LF-C concept, this is a big bag (well little bag, its a little car) of " oh, well they did it". The front end is the usual IS nice, the rear end straight on is very well done. The sides and any angle seeing the sides from the front or rear are pretty damn bland and awful.
The IS sedan is one of the swoopiest, curvacous, well blended cars on the road. The IS-F came out slightly odd and this coupe reminds me of the C70 or G6.
Did a team of 15 year old girls design this with thier Fendi bags?
For months, my expectations were high for this woman, they said she was a model of sorts like her older sister.
Well finally, after months of anticipation, I finally saw and met this girl. Instead of getting butterflies, I got goats in my stomach. It was nice to meet her, but she was merely "okay" and nice to know but nothing I wanted.....
Which leads me to this IS convertible. I will leave final judgement in person but after years of speculation and telling people "oh its coming" and seeing a pretty aggresive LF-C concept, this is a big bag (well little bag, its a little car) of " oh, well they did it". The front end is the usual IS nice, the rear end straight on is very well done. The sides and any angle seeing the sides from the front or rear are pretty damn bland and awful.
The IS sedan is one of the swoopiest, curvacous, well blended cars on the road. The IS-F came out slightly odd and this coupe reminds me of the C70 or G6.
Did a team of 15 year old girls design this with thier Fendi bags?
10-02-08, 09:09 AM
#40
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10-02-08, 09:27 AM
#42
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It is very disappointing. Lexus blew a big opportunity to offer a sleek looking nice sporty coupe that could also be somewhat of a sportscar by going the G35/37 coupe route and making the coupe version very different from the sedan version and pretty much a totally different car that people would really want. The G coupes are more like 2+2 versions of the 350Z instead of just a 2 door G35 sedan and that is why they sold so well and highly boosted the image of Infiniti. This IS-c looks more of less just like an afterthought and they simply just chopped 2 doors off from the sedan and added a hard top conv which ruined its proportions, the sedan looks much better compared to the IS-c and that is not good when you are supposed to buy coupes based mainly on looks and emotion. It reminds me of the 2 door versions of the Camry and Accord of the late 80's and early 90's where they just chopped 2 doors off and they looked just like the sedans but with 2 doors and were more of an afterthought and not great looking, no reason to choose them over the sedan.
The new 3 series coupe looks sleek as a 2 door, it may not be as radical a difference between the sedan as a G35/37 but it is certainly different and a good deal better looking then the sedan. The Audi A5/S5 is a much nicer looking car and has much better powertrain options.
Lexus was certainly not going for the sleek sexy sports car/coupe with the IS-c and has more or less just gone for a boulevard cruiser chick car like the SC430. This car will not really appeal to men or enthusiast at all but I think it will sell pretty well to woman who would love a relatively affordable hardtop convertable Lexus that gets decent gas mileage. It kind of competes with the Saab 2 door convertible and Volvo convertible and really does not compete at all with the G37, 3 series, A5, coupes and convertibles as they are more different and better looking then their sedan counterparts and focus more on being sportier. If it is not too expensive and overpriced the IS-c I think will sell pretty well to female buyers like the RX and could be a hit if priced right and hits all the marks but it certainly will not sell on looks or performance or entice G37, S5, or 3 series coupe/conv male shoppers.
The new 3 series coupe looks sleek as a 2 door, it may not be as radical a difference between the sedan as a G35/37 but it is certainly different and a good deal better looking then the sedan. The Audi A5/S5 is a much nicer looking car and has much better powertrain options.
Lexus was certainly not going for the sleek sexy sports car/coupe with the IS-c and has more or less just gone for a boulevard cruiser chick car like the SC430. This car will not really appeal to men or enthusiast at all but I think it will sell pretty well to woman who would love a relatively affordable hardtop convertable Lexus that gets decent gas mileage. It kind of competes with the Saab 2 door convertible and Volvo convertible and really does not compete at all with the G37, 3 series, A5, coupes and convertibles as they are more different and better looking then their sedan counterparts and focus more on being sportier. If it is not too expensive and overpriced the IS-c I think will sell pretty well to female buyers like the RX and could be a hit if priced right and hits all the marks but it certainly will not sell on looks or performance or entice G37, S5, or 3 series coupe/conv male shoppers.
10-02-08, 09:34 AM
#43
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It's merely ... average. It looks better than the early shots that surfaced, but after several years of rumours and waiting, this is ultimately dissapointing. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look great either.
Also, shame on Lexus for using rims like that and the red exterior. That's a poor combination that just accentuates the awkward elements of the car's styling, and minimizes the good elements the car does have.
A nice surprise is the bigger-than-expected rear seat. A slap in the face to all those critics who said it would feature a useless back seat. Unfortunately, because of the back seat *and* the hard top the back end is obviously chunky. I'm sure Lexus also tried to have reasonable trunk space which further bloated the rear. The 3 hard-top is chunky too, but looks better because of the flat deck lid.
I think Lexus made a mistake in making the trunk lid so swoopy and curvy. That makes the rear end look more bloated than it really is.
Also having slightly more aggressive character lines along the sides would have helped styling.
The tail lights aren't helping either. I think they look too bland, and anonymous. They're not aggressive enough and they don't fit with the rest of the IS lineup in terms of tail lights.
Also, shame on Lexus for using rims like that and the red exterior. That's a poor combination that just accentuates the awkward elements of the car's styling, and minimizes the good elements the car does have.
A nice surprise is the bigger-than-expected rear seat. A slap in the face to all those critics who said it would feature a useless back seat. Unfortunately, because of the back seat *and* the hard top the back end is obviously chunky. I'm sure Lexus also tried to have reasonable trunk space which further bloated the rear. The 3 hard-top is chunky too, but looks better because of the flat deck lid.
I think Lexus made a mistake in making the trunk lid so swoopy and curvy. That makes the rear end look more bloated than it really is.
Also having slightly more aggressive character lines along the sides would have helped styling.
The tail lights aren't helping either. I think they look too bland, and anonymous. They're not aggressive enough and they don't fit with the rest of the IS lineup in terms of tail lights.
