An everyday sports car
Not every sports car has to chase lap times. Building performance vehicles with the goal of ultimate performance can lead to rough rides, cramped seats, powerful drivetrains and loud cabins. Driving at the limit can be very rewarding, but they can also be tiring as a daily driver, so much so that you might not get behind the wheel… But you’ll always want to drive the 2025 Lexus LC 500 convertible.
The LC 500 droptop gives up some of that ultimate performance potential for a smooth ride and a relaxed overall character. It also focuses on some of the best parts of the sports car experience to make it one of the most enjoyable and rewarding cars to drive regularly.
It’s easy to fall in love with the LC at a glance. It sits low and wide, with wide hips and large brake cooling vents. The nose has an attractive wide-mouthed version of the Lexus spindle grille flanked by squinting LED headlights that dip down into the front air intakes. It looks good from both top and bottom, and the soft top is available in four complementary colors. The roof can be operated at speeds up to 50 km/h and it takes 16 seconds or less to raise or lower the roof.
My test car is especially attractive with its Iridium paint (a new color this year), blue top and white and blue semi-aniline leather interior that gives a distinctly nautical look. Both interior and exterior colors are available only in the LC’s Bespoke Build Package, which costs $5,500 and comes with a dark smoked chrome finish and black accents, and offers a choice of red or blue soft top colors and three-wheel designs.
If the styling doesn’t grab you, the purr of the V8 will. I jump into the LC, buckle up, press the starter button and the direct-injection 5.0-liter V8 comes to life with a low rumble. When I accelerate, the engine emits a sound somewhere between a NASCAR stocker and a refined luxury cruiser. It’s one of the best-sounding engines on the market, and is only enhanced by the active exhaust system that opens a computer-controlled valve at higher revs, and by the satisfying crackle that creeps out between the smooth shifts of the 10-speed automatic transmission.
The V8 is also not inferior in terms of power. It produces 471 horsepower at 7100 rpm and 398 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. Without the benefit of the low-end torque provided by today’s turbo engines, the power is strong, but it builds rather than arriving with a bang. It powers 4,500 kilos of Japanese luxury droptop from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, which is certainly fast, but not in the ballpark of the Porsche 911 or today’s high-performance electric cars. It reaches an electronically limited speed of 270 km/h.
While the power is inviting, the LC 500’s dynamic calling card is its ride quality. It rides on low-profile 21-inch wheels and tires, but the LC’s double-joint multilink front and multilink rear suspension, with adaptive dampers all around, absorbs bumps like a regular sedan. Most sports cars tend toward firm suspensions, which makes me want to use the softest setting on their adaptive dampers. Overall, I prefer the firmer damper setting in the LC 500 convertible, which never gets too firm.
For commuting, the basic suspension setting works well, but I want the Sport setting when driving on winding roads. The firmer damper tuning helps control some of the LC’s body roll, enhancing the car’s natural athletic character. To compensate for the loss of top end, Lexus adds underbody reinforcements, including a rear suspension tower and a V-bracket, all of which do a good job of limiting body shake over bumps.
After the initial lean angle, the Sport setting adds to the LC’s poise in corners, and it turns predictably. The Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 summer performance tires 245/35R21 front and 275/30R21 rear provide good grip, and the steering has welcome firmness and quick, controlled responses. An available limited-slip rear differential allows it to accelerate faster exiting the corner, but my car doesn’t have that.
The brakes are quite capable too. They’re sizable, with 15.7-inch front rotors clamped by six-piston calipers and 14.1-inch rear rotors clamped by four-piston calipers, and can withstand some serious abuse on any road. However, they can fade under the duress of rail traffic.
But mostly the LC 500 likes to remain understated, and the cabin helps with its relaxing nature. The top has three layers of fabric and a layer of silencer, and Lexus equips the LC with active noise cancellation as standard. A wind deflector also blocks noise when the roof is down. All of this makes converting possible with the roof down, and the cabin becomes downright quiet with the roof up.
Lexus calls the LC a four-seater, but only two are realistic, and the ‘rear seats’ are barely deep enough for a rollaboard suitcase, let alone a person. The front riders are wrapped in standard leather and the available softer semi-aniline leather upholstery, and they get eight-way power adjustments and standard heating and ventilation for the roomy and comfortable front buckets. However, the trunk is small with only 3.4 cubic feet of space.
The driver interacts with one of the most attractive, watch-like analogue instrument panels on the market, as well as a fast-acting 12.3-inch touchscreen. Also standard are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a satellite radio trial, and available connected services via a 4G network. Spending an extra $1,220 gets you an excellent 915-watt Mark Levinson audio system, and a head-up display is available for $900.
The LC also comes with a good range of safety features, including Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and cross-traffic mitigation, emergency steering assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition. Blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, a surround-view camera system, and front and rear parking sensors are also standard.
The 2025 Lexus LC 500 convertible starts at $107,800, including a $1,350 destination charge. That’s $7,500 more than the LC 500 coupe for the fun of top-down driving. The LC 500 convertible is an old-school sports car modeled on the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class: comfortable, relaxing and powerful. It is not a tracked machine, but tracked machines can be taxing to drive. Instead, the LC 500 invites you to drive it every day and enjoy every minute of it.
Images: Lexus
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