Simply Stunning
Lexus’ gorgeous new drop-top proves to James Fossdyke that simple things are sometimes best
Back in the 1960s, before anyone had walked on the moon, flown through the sound barrier on a commercial jet or sent a tweet from a smartphone, the US Navy created an axiom that has survived the test of time. KISS, or ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ was a design principle that suggested things work better when you don’t over-complicate them. For reference, see the US electoral system, the British tax system and the offside rule.
It’s a principle car manufacturers would do well to remember as they strive to create needlessly over-engineered door handles, unhelpfully awkward seat folding mechanisms and climate control systems buried in the depths of fiendish touchscreen menus. But this month has been a reminder of how important simplicity can be.
Now, I know the Lexus LC Convertible doesn’t look simple. The gorgeous design, massive wheels and screens on the dashboard suggest it’s a sort of road-going Starship Enterprise, but this gorgeous, glorious open-top grand tourer is actually remarkably uncomplicated.
The recipe reads something like this. Get a massive American-style V8 petrol engine, then do absolutely nothing to it. No turbochargers to get more power, no stupid hybrid systems to reduce the fuel consumption – just a simple, reliable engine that makes some wonderfully gruff noises and a very substantial 457bhp. Then you send all that power to the back and leave the front wheels free to do the steering. Top it off with an almost obscenely beautiful body and you’re done.
There’s nothing revolutionary about that formula – it’s been in constant use for donkey’s years – but that’s because it’s a good one. It’s almost exactly the same recipe that underpins the Ford Mustang, and that’s one of the most iconic cars ever to grace the asphalt. The Mustang did that by being simple, reliable, fast and cheap – a combination that made it the perfect car to cross America, a country where ‘gas’ prices are low and the distances between towns are high.
The LC Convertible will never reach such iconic status, partly because it only ticks three of those four boxes (and no, there are no prizes for guessing which they are). But this car justifies its price tag by being more than just a muscle car. At risk of sounding like an M&S advert, it’s an unerringly beautiful, magnificently well-built and fabulously excessive muscle car.
Everything you would expect from a Bentley or an Aston Martin is right there, from the plush, diamond-quilted leather and solid, reassuring metalwork to the intricate folding roof and the raft of digital displays. It’s a true premium product that’s filled with class and quality wherever you look…but it’s still a rough-and-ready muscle car at heart.
As such, there are problems and they are quite significant. For one, the LC doesn’t drive as well as the looks or the engine note might suggest. With a 0-60mph time of about five seconds and a 168mph top speed it’s plenty quick enough, but it isn’t going to impress your Porsche-driving mates at the local pub. Their 911s will be quicker pulling away from the traffic lights or blasting down the motorway.
You will be more comfortable, though, because the Lexus has uncannily supple suspension that somehow soaks up almost everything our terrible road surfaces can throw at it. Only the most severe potholes will jolt you in your seat, and although we expect that from Japan’s most luxurious saloon cars, it’s a bit of a surprise in a low-slung convertible. But the catch with this soft, creamy ride is a slight lack of precision when it comes to cornering. I’m not saying the LC is bad through the bends, but the overly light steering doesn’t inspire much confidence and you can feel the body pitching and rolling as you corner. A Jaguar F-Type is much more fun.
But the LC isn’t really about that. This is the car that wafts down the flowing French countryside with the roof down and the wind in your hair, all with some tasteful tunes blaring from the 17 crystal clear speakers of the Mark Levinson sound system. Unfortunately, finding those tasteful tunes might not be easy – and that isn’t just because French radio stations are so awful.
No, the Achilles heel of this car is its multimedia system, which is awkward and clunky and clumsy all at once. It doesn’t look terrible, because the screen is clear and it’s nicely integrated into the dashboard, but you have to use a sort of laptop-style mousepad to navigate the unfathomable menus. When you’re on the move, that’s a bit like performing brain surgery in an open-cockpit biplane.
Let’s make no bones about it – the LC 500 Convertible is not a great sports car and it isn’t the most user-friendly thing on the road. If you want something fast and furious for a Sunday afternoon blast, buy a Porsche 911 or a Jaguar F-Type. Instead, this is a proper, old-school muscle car that just so happens to be incredibly luxurious. It’s a relaxing, sonorous, dazzling way of crossing continents in comfort and style. Perhaps it isn’t the luxury convertible on which I’d spend my hard-earned, but I’m enormously grateful it exists.
Lexus LC 500 Convertible
Price as tested: £96,625
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
0-62mph: 5.0 seconds
Top speed: 186mph
Power: 457bhp
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