A few years back, Lexus designed a car that was not only not soporific, but downright gorgeous in the form of the LC coupe—no insignificant feat from a brand not exactly known for dropping jaws. The LC went on to earn rave reviews, including our own All-Stars award. Now Lexus has unveiled the logical extension of that gorgeous 2+2, the Lexus LC convertible concept.
Okay, while Lexus insists on calling it a concept, it’s really one only in name, as even the side mirrors look production-ready. And that’s a great thing, as the LC convertible is another beautiful machine, the removal of the coupe’s graceful fixed roof having done nothing to diminish the visual impact of the rest of the car’s flowing lines.
The rear decklid/tonneau hides the convertible top cleanly, and the metalwork manipulations transitioning from fender to deck are a pleasing combination of crisp folds and sculpted concavities. In fact, it’s one of the better coupe-to-convertible progressions we’ve seen of late—though full praise for the look may need to be held until we’ve seen the car with the top up. The LC wouldn’t be the first convertible to lose its elegance as soon as it raised the lid. Top down, however, we could stare at it for days.
The stunning interior is even more on display here than in the LC coupe, with the convertible taking the design, materials, and feel of the cabin up a notch visually with crisp white leather and yellow accent stitching. The wheels are 22-inchers, an inch larger than the biggest available for the fixed-roof car. It’s not clear if Lexus has plans to add the 22-inch option for production, or if this is the one allowance made for the car’s “concept” status. Either way, expect a 20-inch base wheel if—ahem, when—the convertible does arrive in dealerships.
While there are no details on the powertrain for the convertible, that very absence implies the assumption that the droptop will share the naturally aspirated V-8 of the LC500 and the combination V-6/electric-motor hybrid system of the LC500h. The LC500h has left us a bit disappointed in terms of emotional appeal, but the V-8 of the LC500 never fails to please, with eager acceleration and a healthy growl. The grin factor from that sweet-sounding V-8 should only increase with the removal of the top, something the LC convertible’s chief designer, Tadao Mori, also noted.
“A production version of this concept would be exhilarating in many different ways. You would see its dynamic lines as you approach, hear its engine when you started it up, and feel everything around you once on the road. It would engage the senses in a way that is unique and exciting every time you get behind the wheel,” said Mori-san. Sounds fantastic to us, and fortunately, we don’t think we’ll end up waiting too long to have that experience ourselves.
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