World Debut for the Lexus LC Convertible at FOS

Festival-goers were able to see the Lexus LC Convertible in the metal for the first time, albeit wearing a camouflage wrap – three years after the LC itself made its dynamic debut here at Goodwood. It also took part in the supercar run up the Hill, driven by Lexus LC500 Super GT driver Nick Cassidy.

The LC Convertible prototype is the latest version of a car Lexus first revealed at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2019. It takes the existing LC500 2+2 coupe and reimagines it as a droptop – the first from Lexus since the SC430 which ended production in 2010.

Aside from the essential form of the car, Lexus hasn’t revealed any specific information about the car – even whether the roof is fabric or metal, or if the Convertible will carry over the rear seats from the coupe, although it certainly looks like it’ll be a 2+2 again from our photographs.

Engines are likely to carry over from the coupe model though. That means a choice of the 359PS, 3.5-litre V6 petrol hybrid or the 477PS 5.0-litre V8. We’d expect no change from the 10-speed automatic gearbox either as a result.

Lexus did confirm one very important detail though: the car will go into production in the near future. After its 2016 Goodwood appearance, Lexus put the coupe LC into the market by the following spring, so we’d anticipate the car appearing on the UK’s roads in the next 12 months or less.

After the LC Convertible leaves Goodwood, Lexus will take it to further, undisclosed venues as it continues an engineering evaluation of the car.

Photography by Joe Harding.