The Lexus LC500 is one of the best cars, bar none, on sale right now. That’s a shame because damn near no one is buying them, with Lexus getting fewer than 2,000 out the door in 2018. But none of that matters because now there’s somehow a car even better than the Lexus LC500. It’s the Lexus LC500 Convertible, and you know it’s a convertible because it says it right in the name.
If you’ve never had the (extremely rare) joy of driving a Lexus LC, you’re missing out. It’s long and it’s low. It looks like an absolute spaceship. And despite the huge wheels, squat height, and impossibly thin tires, it’s shockingly comfortable. You look like a leisurely visitor from another galaxy, come to gawk at the “normal” humans in their Audis and Cadillacs. It’s brilliant.
So any other entry into the category of Lexus LCs has my full support. And the ‘vert version does not disappoint.
Am I sucker for blue and white interiors, reminding me of the yacht I do not own? Why yes, yes I am.
Will I praise this car and its color combination depicted here, gushingly and effusively? Why yes, yes I will.
It’s gorgeous. Every single middle class family in the United States should be able to afford one. Look at it. Look at the aesthetic pleasure it brings to the eye, the supple pleasures its leather would bring to your bottom.
Domestic happiness would rise. The level of civilization would rise. Advances would be made. Inspired by its other-worldly visage, interstellar spaceships would take flight. Its engineering, tales of which were originally told in a Lexus press release, would inspire all of us to ditch our unsprung weight and enhance our comfort:
Engineers aimed to retain similar handling dynamics to the LC 500 coupe while also improving chassis rigidity with the addition and relocation of various structural braces. The LC Convertible’s suspension is tuned specifically to complement the subtle changes in weight between the two platforms, as a reduction of un-sprung weight in the front suspension improves the overall stroke. In the rear, engineers were able to further enhance structural rigidity by reshaping and relocating the rear suspension brace tower. Weight was reduced in the rear of the vehicle by utilizing a lightweight die-cast aluminum suspension brace, while a performance dampener is employed to enhance ride comfort.
Sadly this blue version is limited to just 100 units, for scarcity is but a reminder of the scarcity we must endure in our own lives.
But once you are inside the Lexus LC convertible, you needn’t be worried by the discomforts around you. While open-topped cars have had vents around your neck for years now, the HVAC system in this one even ensures your hands on the steering wheel stay nice and toasty warm:
With the new LC Convertible, even if the weather cools down that doesn’t mean the top has to stay on. In fact, the HVAC system is designed to adjust temperature automatically regardless of whether the top is raised or lowered, and if the top is down neck heaters are designed to help keep the upper body warm. The Lexus Climate Concierge with Upper Body Heating automatically manages the air conditioner, seat heaters, neck heaters and steering-wheel heater to ensure the cabin is at the ideal temperature even if the outside weather is not. The HVAC system has also been optimized to send warm or cold air to the back of the driver’s hands when gripping the steering wheel.
But Lexus has made a note to point out that the pleasures are not merely restricted to the increasing, freezing cold entropy of the universe. It also wants to preserve the auditory experience, noting that while there is active noise cancellation throughout the car, there are no fake engine sounds to create a false simulacrum of the gorgeous, 471-horsepower 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated V-8.
No one will buy this car, and it is not a loss just for the Lexus Corporation™, but for all of us.
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