By Staff Reporter

SUVs are all over but large sedans and coupes are not going down without a fight. Lexus has fired a fresh salvo with the new V8-powered LC 500 Convertible, and it is a thing of beauty. Lexus spent considerable time ensuring that the car is as stunning to look at with the roof up, as it is with the roof down.

The roof was key to their goal, as chief designer Tadao Mori explained: “Few convertibles are stylish and elegant when the roof is open and when it is closed. We put maximum effort into realising the same beautiful roof line for the LC Convertible as for the coupe.”

Lexus says, the cover is set as low as possible, avoiding the familiar flat, platform look typical of many convertibles. The beltline kicks up behind the doors, creating an overall tight and clean profile. The folding roof boasts an extra fold in the soft top to fit in the space between the rear suspension towers, creating a character line running from the front to the back.

Whilst detailed information is yet to be revealed about the interior, Lexus did add, “as the cabin is more open to view, [we] used innovative colour co-ordination, enhancing the model’s special character and brave design.”

Two soft top colours will be made available: Beige and Black. Owners will also have the opportunity to choose their preferred interior colours with added colour options.

Powering the LC 500 Convertible is a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 351kW and 540Nm of torque that is paired with a DirectShift-10 automatic transmission.

Lexus will introduce the LC 500 Convertible in 2021 for the South African market. The LC 500 Coupe is already offered in South Africa.