Lexus announced its intention to offer a convertible version of the LC, its range-topping coupe, by sending a camouflaged prototype to the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed taking place in England. The venue is certainly fitting: It’s a celebration of all things quick and extravagant. While the QR code-inspired camouflage mostly hides the drop-top’s overall lines, we can immediately tell it looks a lot like the LC Convertible concept unveiled during the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.
The topless LC hasn’t changed much in its transition from a design study to a close-to-production prototype. It’s as futuristically-styled as its hardtop sibling, it looks like a street-legal concept car, and losing its top hasn’t drastically altered its low-slung stance. The interior receives a digital, driver-configurable instrument cluster, and an infotainment system controlled via a touchpad mounted on the center console.
One of the details that remain under wraps is the LC’s top. Lexus could make the model with a power-retractable hard top, like the SC that went out of production in 2010, or with a power-retractable soft top, like the BMW 8 Series Convertible, one of its closest rivals. We’re betting Lexus took the cloth route due to weight, cost, and packaging reasons, but we won’t know for sure until the LC stops running around topless.
Similarly, Lexus hasn’t announced technical specifications yet. Because it’s based on the LC coupe, which Digital Trends called a GT car for rock stars, it’s reasonable to assume it will be offered with two very different powertrains. The 500 nameplate will denote a 5.0-liter V8 engine tuned to send 471 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. 500h-badged models will feature a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain made up of a 3.5-liter V6 and two electric motors. The system’s total output checks in at 472 hp.
The Lexus LC Convertible shown at Goodwood looks like it’s ready for production. We expect to see it without the flashy camouflage this fall during the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, and it will join the hardtop model in the firm’s American showrooms in time for the 2020 model year. Pricing information hasn’t been released yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it land with a base price in the vicinity of $100,000.
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