Lexus prices LC Convertible from $214,000

LEXUS Australia has revealed pricing and specification of its new LC500 convertible which has started to arrive in local showrooms.

Priced from $214,000 plus on-road costs, the Convertible carries a substantial $19,253 premium over its Coupe counterpart while the super-exclusive ‘Limited Edition’ version checks in from a cool $234,000.

As previously reported by GoAuto, the Limited Edition will be the first examples entering showrooms even though just 10 have been allocated to Australia.

To justify their $20,000 price premiums, all of the Limited Editions are adorned in a unique ‘Structural Blue’ colour scheme with a matching blue fabric roof and boast an exclusive ‘nautical white-and-blue semi-aniline leather-accented interior’.

As for the regular versions, the reason for the hardly unnoticeable price jump – $19,253 – over the coupe, according to Lexus, comes down to the fact the convertibles are free of any options list, meaning they come fully equipped with every possible option available on the coupe, in addition to the extra engineering work that goes on under the skin.

As such, 21-inch forged-alloy wheels, triple-stack LED headlights with cornering lights and washers, dusk-sensing function and automatic high-beam, keyless smart entry and retractable door handles with illumination all come as standard.

Inside, the spec is even more generous with an LFA-style 8.0-inch digital instrumentation with slide-out meter ring, colour head-up display, a 10.3-inch multimedia screen, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, satellite navigation with speed limit display, voice control, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson DVD audio system, rain-sensing wipers, self-dimming interior mirror, dual-zone climate control with Lexus climate concierge, semi-aniline leather-accented front seats with heating and ventilation, 10-way power-operated front seats with driver memory settings, front seat neck heaters, power steering column adjust, heated steering wheel, touch-sensitive interior lights, sports pedals, stainless-steel scuff plates and active noise control all coming as standard.

Under the bonnet of all Lexus LC Convertibles resides the same 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine as in the LC500 Coupe, good for 351Nm of power at 7100rpm and 540Nm of torque at a peaky 4800rpm.

Drive is sent exclusively to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission, with a mechanical limited-slip differential aiding handling.

Combined fuel economy for the convertible is rated at 12.7L/100km while the roof is able to be operated at up to 50km/h and can be raised or lowered in 15 seconds.

On the subject of the roof, designers were careful to try and maintain the flowing silhouette of the Coupe when the roof is raised and lost just 11mm of headroom in the process.

The roof itself is a three-panel design which not only maintains the familiar coupe shape, but also minimises cargo space intrusion with the Convertible sacrificing just 48 litres of boot space compared to the hardtop.

As a result of the extra body stiffening and roof mechanism, the Convertible does weigh more than the coupe but simultaneously boasts a lower centre of gravity.

“Lexus targeted uncompromising engineering goals for the LC Convertible to harness the best of the dynamic LC Coupe,” the brand said in a statement.

Lexus sold 17 new LCs through the first eight months of 2020, accounting for 0.7 per cent of the $80,000-plus sportscar segment as opposed to the 18 shifted during the same period last year.

2020 Lexus LC pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs