There are cars that are memorable. Others will never be more than a vague memory in my head — it's normal for that to be so, hundreds of automobiles pass through my hands every year. But the Lexus LC 500 Convertible definitely belongs to the first group.
It's a special car.
Those who will surely be remembered for a long time, maybe even forever.
What makes the Lexus LC 500 Convertible so special?
I feel like this is the last time I go to test a recent model, equipped with an atmospheric V8 engine and without any electrical help — read a hybrid system or something similar. You can count on the fingers of one hand — and it's still possible that there are fingers left — the automobiles that still offer mechanics like this.
That's why this “noble engine” V8 is, without a doubt, one of the reasons that make this Lexus LC 500 Convertible so special. It is one of the last testimonies of this architecture, and it is also a true summary of more than 120 years of automobile history.
From now on it will be all electric or partially electric. But the Lexus LC 500 Convertible still celebrates octane! Maybe it's a farewell party.
That's why despite being a recent model, I already look at it as a classic. A model that takes me back to other times. Buying a Lexus LC 500 is buying one of the last representatives of the automotive industry «pre-electrification» — and that will be a very strong argument in the classic market for a few years to come.
the value of freedom
At a time when we are all still “confined” — the effects of this sad pandemic are still being felt in our daily lives — the LC 500 Cabrio is a breath of freedom. Pulling the top down and feeling the wind in your face, for those who see us passing by, it's almost an act of rebellion. But I am a rebel.
Flip down, fate uncertain and that playlist on the radio. Simply superb! Many of the roads I crossed at the wheel of this LC 500 seemed reserved just for me, and for the glorious sound of the V8 engine. Its exhaust note is not dramatic, but it is full-bodied and energetic.
In terms of numbers, we are talking about an engine capable of developing a healthy 477 hp of power and 540 Nm of maximum torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is achieved in 4.7 seconds and top speed is limited to 270 km/h.
Firepower with elegance
Despite these values, the Lexus LC 500 is far from being a pure performance sports car. Firstly, it's a cabriolet — with everything that means in terms of loss of torsional rigidity and increased weight — and secondly, the suspension adjustment was designed for long runs in complete comfort.
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It's a real GT, ideal for a road-trip along the Portuguese coast, or perhaps even further, like the one Diogo Teixeira did. In a cabriolet not even the sky is the limit…
Naturally, we can invite the Lexus LC 500 to a mountain road, it will be an excellent company, but it is not a model designed to go with the “knife in the teeth”. The ideal is to go fast (very fast!), but in a fluid and natural way. Preferably with the top down. This is the element of the Lexus LC 500.