It’s no secret that Lexus has been wanting a large convertible since the demise of the SC convertible. The last production car to boast a standard tape cassette player brought open top luxury in a comfortable and roomy package that has been missed by some Lexus owners since it was axed. The LC coupe made a splash three years ago when it debuted at the North American International Auto Show, but its sleek and futuristic design seemed incomplete without a drop top conversion. Lexus has answered this calling by formally unveiling the LC convertible Concept ahead of its debut next week at the 2018 North American International Auto Show.
Lexus claims that the LC convertible is just a concept at the moment (we’ll see about that,) but it certainly looks production ready to casual observers, and it would help bring some vigor to LC sales, which tallied in at just under 2,000 units in 2018. “Long, low and mean, the LC convertible retains the athletic proportions of the LC coupe” the luxury brand said in an accompanying release. This is a welcome thing, considering that the coupe’s concept car-esque styling gives it a certain appeal, and also forms a key rallying point for some of our positive reviews on the car, which visited numerous Car-Revs-Daily outposts in 2018.
It’s currently unknown what is exactly powering the concept, but the production LC coupe is powered by a base 5.0 liter 471 horsepower V8 that is mated to a standard 10-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid variant is also available, but considering that Lexus built this particular example to be a rolling showpiece on the auto show circuit, we highly doubt that Lexus engineers would have bothered with the additional expense of fitting the hybrid’s green technologies to the car. Lexus was also silent on how much weight the convertible gains over the coupe, but considering that the LC is already a heavy offering to start with, we suspect that the extra few hundred pounds or so on the concept will largely be unnoticed by potential buyers. The rear seat in the concept looks too snug to be occupied by humans, but as in the coupe, look for this space to retain its role as a cargo shelf or impromptu quarters for small children. An S-Class Cabriolet competitor it isn’t, but look for the LC convertible to still be a viable choice for well heeled convertible buyers.
As mentioned the LC convertible is only a concept at the moment, but look for the production version (if it arrives) to appear in Lexus showrooms sometime this year, with the production version debuting sometime before that, possibly as early as the New York Auto Show in spring. In the meantime, stay tuned to Car-Revs-Daily for live images of the convertible under the gleaming lights of Cobo next week, and also check out this brief teaser video which can be seen below.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.