2021 LC 500 takes Lexus style higher
If a better looking car than the Lexus LC 500 convertible goes on sale this year, I’m not sure mortal eyes will be able to withstand the sight.
Like those who stare too long at the sun, the convertible’s owners may be blinded, unable to acknowledge even the existence of average-looking vehicles.
It’s a fine flagship for a brand historically more associated with rational appeal – great dealers and reliability – than “gotta have it” passion.
The LC 500 isn’t a sports car, its swooping lines and rumbling exhaust notwithstanding. It wasn’t developed to run fast laps, but to wow the crowd when you arrive for dinner or a day on the lake.
The LC 500 is also a bit of a bargain, something you seldom hear said of cars with cramped back seats and six-figure MSRPs. Prices start at $101,000, but inside and out, it has the visual impact of costlier Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati and McLaren convertibles.
Toyota’s luxury brand is famous for being the smart choice, not the passionate one. Few people have ever regretted buying a Lexus, but not that many have burned to own one of its cars. The LC 500 is a lit match. a situation where a touch pad is the best way to manage functions in a moving vehicle.
The display for navigation, climate, audio and so on is a useful 10.3-inch screen.
The rear seat is cramped, more likely to see duty carrying grocery bags than people, but it’s a study in practicality compared to the trunk, which remarkably can’t accommodate a single golf bag, much less the rich-guy standard of two. That’s a significant fail for a luxury convertible.
The front seat is so comfortable it feels tailored, however, and the LC 500 is quiet and smooth on the highway. leisurely than Lexus’s stopwatch recorded. That’s certainly at least in part due to the convertible’s smooth, sumptuous ride, an achievement of insulation Detroit land yachts of yore would respect. Lexus claims an impressive electronically limited top speed of 168 mph.
The steering is light and not particularly communicative, and there’s a fair bit of body roll in enthusiastic runs on winding roads. Lexus’s engineering is unparalleled, so the LC 500 is probably faster around curves than it feels, but its relatively hefty curb weight – 4,540 pounds – and modest 471 hp and 398 pound-feet of torque define it as a grand tourer, not a sports car intended to run with the likes of V8 BMW 8-series or Mercedes SL, much less full-on sports cars and exotic convertibles like a Corvette, Porsche 911, Ferrari or Maserati Gran Turismo.
The LC’s 10-speed automatic transmission delivers virtually imperceptible shifts, in keeping with the car’s overall emphasis on buttery ride. Lexus engineers reinforced the convertible’s chassis to offset the absence of a roof and ensure it feels rock solid.
The EPA rates the LC at 15 mpg in the city, 25 on the highway and 18 combined. Unlike its hardtop sibling, the LC 500 coupe, there’s no hybrid version of the convertible.
All LCs come with 471-hp 5.0L V8, 10speed automatic transmission and rearwheel drive.
Prices start at $101,000. As you’d hope, that price gets you a lot of standard equipment, including: Adaptive dampers
Active sport exhaust
LED “arrowhead” DRLs and tripleprojector headlights
Apple CarPlay
Android Auto
Alexa integration Navigation with 10.3-inch display 10-way power front seats
Two USB ports Deodorizing and dust/pollen-removing air filter
Leather trimmed interior
iAdaptive cruise control Automatic high beams
Lane keeping alert and assist Blind spot and cross traffic alerts Front collision alert and pedestrian detection with automatic braking My test car had a few choice options: Aniline leather front seats 21-inch forged wheels
Mark Levinson audio “Climate concierge with upper body heating”
Heated leather steering wheel Head up display
Limited slip differential Special deep ruby red paint The LC 500 I tested stickered at $110,895. All prices exclude destination charges.