Lexus LC 500 Convertible – open-top stunner debuts

The Lexus LC may be one of the most gorgeous cars in existence, but for many, the luxurious coupé would be made even better with unlimited sunshine and some wind in their hair. Well, Toyota’s premium division has listened to their pleas with the introduction of the LC 500 Convertible at the ongoing Los Angeles Auto Show.

As you’d expect, the stunning design has not been hampered one bit by the removal of the carbon fibre roof, remaining an intoxicating blend of sharp creases and smooth curves. The upswept beltline continues to give the impression of the body cocooning the cabin, behind which a tonneau cover – neatly integrated with the rest of the car and featuring two humps aft of the rear headrests – hides the soft-top when it is stowed.

The profile has also been subtly tweaked for an even more dramatic appearance, thanks to an integrated bootlid spoiler (replacing the active spoiler optional on the coupé) that is kicked up and made wider to accentuate the car’s wide, low stance. It’s also where the third brake light now sits.

The four-layer roof itself, available in black, blue or beige, has been designed to make the underlying frame invisible when it is up – in order to avoid ruining the silhouette. The fabric has been carefully selected and manufactured to ensure optimal tension, minimal wrinkling and improved sound insulation. The top can be dropped in just 15 seconds and raised in 16, and it can be operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Inside, it’s just as well-appointed as the coupé, with sweeping surfaces, a digital instrument display with a moving rev counter, a 10.3-inch centre display (unfortunately still linked to Lexus’ god-awful Remote Touch interface, albeit now with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity) and quilted and perforated leather pretty much everywhere you touch. The roof controls are hidden under a palm rest aft of the touchpad.

Lexus has gone to great pains to retain some of the coupé’s excellent refinement even with the roof down. There’s a transparent polycarbonate wind deflector to reduce buffeting, along with active noise cancellation to filter out unwanted and unpleasant noises. To keep the noise you do want, a sound pipe transmits the V8’s guttural induction roar into the cabin, while an active exhaust valve adds some bark at higher revs.

Elsewhere, the coupé’s Lexus Climate Concierge finds even greater use here, managing the air-conditioning and the steering wheel, seat and new neck heaters to maintain the ideal cabin temperature, no matter if the top is up or down. It even blows warm or cold air to the backs of your hands when you grip the wheel.

At this point, you’d probably have noticed that the droptop version is currently only available with pure V8 power, with the 500h hybrid variant nowhere to be seen. The sonorous 2UR-GSE 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated eight-cylinder mill continues to push out 470 hp at 7,100 rpm and 540 Nm at 4,800 rpm, sent to the rear wheels through a 10-speed Direct Shift torque converter automatic transmission.

To increase body rigidity and maintain the coupé’s handling characteristics, engineers have added and moved various structural braces. The suspension has also been tweaked to suit, with a reduction of unsprung weight at the front improving overall stroke. At the rear, the suspension brace has been reshaped and relocated to further increase rigidity, and it’s now die-cast from aluminium to reduce weight. A Yamaha Performance Damper are also fitted to the chassis to improve ride comfort.