The 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Is An Instant Classic

Lexus has a knack for catching everyone off guard every once in a while. Whatever the segment, we get used to a certain status quo and then Lexus comes out of nowhere, produces a mold-shattering car and then goes relatively again. In the ‘90s, the LS 400 gave new Mercedes S-Class owners instant buyer’s remorse, then in 2010, the LFA was rightly mentioned in the same breath as the Ferrari 599. Today, the Lexus LC 500 is giving the other $100,000 GT coupes and convertibles a run for their money.

Similar to the LFA, the LC 500 debuted with radical concept-car-like styling, causing double takes at every auto show it rolled through. Both have incredible interiors rich in detail and both come powered by engines that elicit nostalgia for bygone eras. The LC 500, on the other hand, comes in a convertible flavor and is better-suited on a diet of highway miles and canyon roads than track days. And you know what? That’s okay. Not every sleek new sports car needs to set a lap record at the Nürburgring to be worthwhile. 

New for 2021, the LC 500 convertible starts around the $120,000 mark and packs the same  471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 as the coupe. On paper, that’s enough for the Lexus to have the BMW 8-Series and Mercedes-Benz SL550 as direct competitors but in practice, the LC 500 convertible finds a formidable opponent in Aston Martin DB11 V8 Volante. Granted, the Aston Martin is near twice the price at $223,000, but that should speak volumes for what you get in the LC 500.

The Aston boasts more power (503 hp) from the Mercedes-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and is 170-ish pounds lighter than the Lexus, and therefore quicker from 0-60 mph. The Aston also feels more nimble in the corners than the LC 500. However, big GT convertibles are at their best on more relaxed drives, where you’re less focused on getting your turn-in and apex just right so you can soak up the experience of the car itself. Back off from the limit and the Lexus starts to feel like a bargain compared to the Aston. 

Inside the LC 500, you’ll find one of the most gorgeous interiors on the market today. Soft and supple leather and suede are in abundance, but it’s all laid out in a dramatic and pleasing-to-the-eye design. Lexus interiors tend to be a bit sterile, clinical even, but the LC 500 manages to be warm, welcoming, and genuinely pleasant, aside from the infotainment interface.

The trackpad and convoluted multi-layered menu system is clunky, outdated, and feel out of place in the LC500 convertible. The LC500 Coupe had the same problem. It’s 2021, touch screens should be universal at this point, especially in the luxury segment and in cars priced north of $100,000. But, as awful as the Lexus UX is, the rest of the car does its best to make up for the glaring fault.

While the infotainment system is old-school in all the wrong ways, the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 under the hood feels like a vintage V8, circa the early-2000s: visceral, unfiltered and free-breathing. Lexus would never have put a six-speed manual in the LC 500, but this is one engine that would have paired nicely with a classic manual transmission. The engine sits in complete contrast to the rest of the car. It’s a unique combination that makes the LC 500 more special than any other convertible in its class. 

Turbos, hybrids and full-electrification are the go-to power methods in 2021 and will be, increasingly so, in the future. You can’t fault manufacturers for leaning on those methods. They all reliably produce power but not at the cost of efficiency and lower emissions. So when Lexus released the ultra-modern-looking LC500 and fitted it with a classic-style V8, there’s a sense this is the last time we’ll see a car of this caliber. It’s as if the only reason Lexus gave the LC 500 a 5.0-liter V8 is that this was the last chance it could. What you’re looking at is an instant classic, bound to be a headlining at car auctions in the not-too-distant future.

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