Lexus LC 500 Convertible launched in Malaysia – 5.0L NA V8 with 470 hp, folding soft top; RM1.35 million

Almost exactly a year since the Lexus LC 500 Convertible made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the car has finally landed in Malaysia. This open-top stunner retains the gorgeous looks and sonorous V8 engine of the coupé, but with a folding fabric roof in place of carbon fibre.

As you’d expect, the Convertible commands a considerable RM100,000 premium over the coupé, priced at RM1.35 million on-the-road without insurance. Deliveries kick off in February, so this figure includes the full sales and service tax (SST) rate of six per cent, plus a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

The stunning design has not been hampered one bit by the removal of the hardtop, 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 boot lid 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 or beige, has been designed to make the underlying frame invisible when it is up 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 dual-zone climate control and the heated and ventilated seats 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.

Power continues to come from the melodious 2UR-GSE 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8, pushing out 470 hp at 7,100 rpm and 540 Nm at 4,800 rpm. All this is sent to the rear wheels through a 10-speed Direct Shift torque converter automatic transmission. So equipped, the Convertible gets from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds (half a second slower than the coupé) on its way to a top speed of 270 km/h.

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 that improves overall stroke. At the rear, the suspension brace has been reshaped and relocated to increase rigidity further, and it’s now die-cast from aluminium to reduce weight. A Yamaha Performance Damper is also fitted to the chassis to improve ride comfort.

The long list of standard equipment includes automatic triple-projector LED headlights, 3D-effect LED taillights, 21-inch forged two-tone alloy wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, carbon fibre side sill scuff plates, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar adjustment, a head-up display, a reverse camera and a 13-speaker, 918-watt Mark Levinson sound system.

Also fitted is the full Lexus Safety Sense+ suite of driver assistance systems. These include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic high beam and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert. Six airbags and stability control are fitted as standard.

The Convertible is available in a whopping 11 colours – Terrane Khaki Mica Metallic, Deep Blue Mica, Blazing Carnelian Contrast Layering, Radiant Red Contrast Layering, White Nova Glass Flake, Black, Graphite Black Glass Flake, Dark Grey Mica, Sonic Titanium, Sonic Silver and the Naples Yellow Contrast Layering you see here. The interior is upholstered in either black, red or beige leather, the latter with a matching roof.

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