lexus convertible

World’s ‘most beautiful’ coupe? Lexus reveals its new LC – you be the judge

Lexus has unveiled its new LC coupe, a striking model they believe may be the world’s most beautiful convertible. See the car here and judge for yourself.

lexus convertible

Brimming with confidence and excitement, Lexus South Africa has thrown the covers off its new LC 500 Convertible — a striking coupe the Japanese luxury automaker has positioned as the world’s most beautiful.

In a media release via MotorPress on 25 February and titled “Making it beautiful, making it work: Design insights from the  Lexus  LC Convertible’s chief engineer and chief designer”, Lexus posed the simple question — what does it take to make the world’s most beautiful convertible?

“For the team behind the new Lexus LC Convertible, achieving that dream called for much more than simply swapping the LC Coupe’s fixed roof with a soft-top,” was the collective answer from  chief designer Tadao Mori and chief engineer Yasushi Muto.

Image: Motorpress

“There are clearly strong family ties between the two amazing Lexus LC models, but it’s actually the details under the skin that count the most,” said the pair of the new model which will be officially launched  in South Africa by mid-year 2021.

High trunk line gets the boot

Describing the design process, the Mori revealed that: “Our biggest challenge was always how we would keep the trunk line low, while still allowing room for load space and stowing the roof.

 “With other car makers, you’ll often see a high rear line, but we wanted to make this the most beautiful convertible, keeping the best lines whether the roof is up or down. We’re really proud of how we have kept the top of the rear wings so low, keeping the feeling of a low centre of gravity,” added Mori.

Achieving this, according to Lexus, was no simple task as it meant the roof had to be folded into what seemed an impossibly small space behind the rear seats.

Overcoming compact complexities

“To make this possible, every bend in the roof had to be a different size, so we had to engineer a complex and unique mechanism,” Muto explained, adding that it is the first soft-top that Lexus has made.

This in turn resulted in a close collaboration with specialist supplier Magna in Austria to achieve the “perfect results”.

Image: Motorpress

Built-in quality time

In addition to the smart, compact roof design, Lexus’ famed quality is also evident in the way the LC Convertible’s roof opens and closes. “When you operate the roof, one will notice that there’s a pause at the beginning and end of the sequence, with faster movement in between,” said Muto.

“This is intentional, it’s a way of communicating elegance in moving parts that has been part of the Lexus DNA right from the start with the first-generation LS sedan.”

Blending function and form

“There is no value in a car that looks great but is impossible to live with, so beauty had to be balanced with practicality. The balance itself isn’t difficult to understand – we call it functional beauty – but achieving it was very difficult,” continued Muto.

 “For example, we had to add bracing to keep the body rigid, but also needed to keep space to stow the roof. So we developed a new rear suspension brace made of aluminum that gives good rigidity but is also compact. It’s design also helped us keep the car’s beautiful silhouette.”

Driven by the love of top-down driving

Lexus said both Mori and Muto profess a love of top-down driving (Mori drove a classic MG sports car for more than a decade) and they enthuse about the special sense of freedom it gives and a connection with the natural world around you.

Image: Motorpress

Asked about his favourite aspect of the new car, Muto responded: “When I’m on a winding road and I press the accelerator or the brake so the car downshifts, I love the sound of the engine – it’s direct and exciting and unique to a naturally aspirated V8. I also love the view from the rear of the car.  You can see just how the interior design merges with the exterior to make a very beautiful thing.”

For Mori, the joy is in the details:

“For example, the button to open and close the roof is hidden in a palm rest like a little gem. It’s not on show, it’s a special control that nobody else can see. The seats, too, are sports-level quality, covered in a leather with a special perforation that’s not just functional, but also creates a beautiful pattern and high-quality feel.”

Under the hood

The LC 500 Convertible sports a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 351kW and 540Nm of torque at 4800 rpm. Mated to the DirectShift-10 automatic transmission, this engine gives the LC linear, yet invigorating acceleration. Power output will be tuned according to driving style, with smooth acceleration character during normal commuting and aggression at the limit when the driver desires.

“Lexus is very excited to introduce the LC 500 Convertible during the course of this year to South Africa. It’s sure to turn heads thanks to its stylish and elegant design. Pricing and full specification will be shared at launch timing,” said Lexus SA.

And as to whether there will be more Lexus convertibles in the future? “If you want one, just tell us!” said Muto.