Lexus LC Convertible Concept: A Closer Look

Know Your Role

The Lexus LC has filled a very specific role for many years now. Fitting very comfortably between a long distance cruiser, high-powered GT car, and sporty luxury coupe. Its a cruiser with athletic proportions and a V8 that doesn’t use any compressors to make over 450 horsepower. The powertrain provides enough power for anyone looking to cruise down the autobahn at 150 mph, while the chassis provides enough comfort for your significant other next to you to believe you haven't passed the triple-digit threshold. “Its okay dear, were only doing 85.”

Something's Missing

One couldn’t help but feel like something was missing from the Lexus line-up. They have a model for nearly every customer, except for someone looking to cruise with the top down. The last convertible Lexus offered was the IS 250C, before that, they had the SC430, hardly any competition to the Aston Martin DB11, which Lexus compares the LC 500 to. So what do we have to hop into to charge down the road with the wind in our hair and cooled seats under our butts? Now we have the Lexus LC Convertible….Concept.

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Why Not?

That’s right, still a concept. Why do you ask?  I wish I knew. Lexus is tight-lipped on the subject but even hints to it being built in the press release, averting to lead designer Tadao Mori stating “A production version of this concept would be exhilarating in many different ways.” Come on Lexus, just build the car! We all know you’re going to, and we all know we want one!

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Better Looking Than The Coupe

Hardly a “halo car” as Lexus claims in their press release, it's still a gorgeous vehicle that invoked actual emotion in me when I first saw it in person. The LC is a one-of-a-kind vehicle design, and its convertible counterpart takes it one step further. The roof is raked at a steeper angle than the coupe and the B pillar is cut higher than expected, giving it beefy shoulders over the wide rear haunches. The deck lid is smooth and sweeps back into a ducktail spoiler like on the coupe. One wonders what lurks below that deck lid, hard top, soft top, have they gotten that far yet?

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Interior

Looking into the drop top, the first thing that strikes you is the all-white leather. The seats are perforated leather with accents running down the center and gold stitching adorning the edges. The rest of the interior is based on the LC 500, which is nothing to turn a nose up at. White and black door panels continue into a sculpted dash with, of course, the standard Lexus analog clock.

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Powertrain

The powertrain is the same as in the coupe: A 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 producing an adequate 471 horsepower and 398 foot-pounds. The coupe does the 0-60 sprint in a brisk 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 168 mph, expect to see similar numbers from the convertible. Transmission is a 10-speed electronically controlled Direct-Shift transmission with magnesium paddle shifters. Curb weight of the coupe is 4,280 lb, average convertibles add 100-200 pounds to the car.

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Will This Actually Be Built?

I would absolutely expect for Lexus to build this car. Not doing so would be a wasted effort, showing the world what a production-ready convertible would look like if they just so happen to choose to build it. Lexus sold 855 LC 500’s in 2018. Sales figures would expect to be around 30% of that number, not taking into account the increased interest in the product for the first year or two. If sales figures stay constant, at a 30% sale rate Lexus is moving at least 256 LC Convertibles a year. Seems like enough incentive to me, considering an average LC is just over $100,000.

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

More to Come

Lexus is continuing to broaden their horizons and opening more doors to new customers. The LC is a fantastic platform with much more to offer. With the LC Convertible and the (hopefully) twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 LC F Sport on its way, we have a lot to look forward to from this chassis and the brand that stands behind it.

>>Join the conversation about the LC Convertible Concept right here in the ClubLexus forum.

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