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| © Motor Trend Staff Lexus LC convertible prototype 14 |
From Motor Trend
One of the hottest Lexuses ever designed is losing its top in Goodwood. Already teased in concept form earlier this year, a partially disguised Lexus LC
convertible prototype is making an appearance at the Goodwood Festival
of Speed, an event that attracts enthusiasts around the world to watch
(usually) vintage cars climb up a short hill course. The LC convertible
will join the LC coupe and risk-taking LS sedan at the top of Lexus' lineup as the automaker looks to further establish its tier-one luxury-brand credentials.
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| © Motor Trend Staff Lexus-LC-convertible-prototype-7.jpg |
Although we don't yet know when the LC convertible will officially
join the Lexus lineup, it should fit in perfectly alongside the LC
coupe, a car we called "one of the grandest grand touring coupes extant."
It was high praise for the intriguing coupe, which is offered with a
six-cylinder hybrid powertrain and a 471-hp V-8 that sounded "glorious"
through its multimode exhaust. Now just imagine hearing that naturally
aspirated V-8 in a drop-top version of the LC.
This isn't the first time Toyota has used the Goodwood Festival of Speed to spread awareness about an upcoming product. Before the Toyota Supra became a comparison-winning sports car, it was a highly anticipated new model with what felt like an endless rollout schedule. Part of that rollout included a hillclimb in prototype form at Goodwood.
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| © Motor Trend Staff Lexus-LC-convertible-prototype-13.jpg |
As for the Lexus LC convertible, the prototype will be driven by
professional racer Nick Cassidy before the car is taken on tour to
various events. Expect the LC convertible to continue where the coupe
left off, as an exquisite grand-tourer that isn't focused on stoplight
drag races. In fact, with the convertible's likely weight gain compared
to the coupe, that'll probably be even more the case once the production
version makes its debut. Our fingers are crossed that Lexus will update
its frustrating touchpad infotainment controller (as it did with the 2020 RX),
but we wouldn't count on it. Regardless, the countdown begins for Lexus
to reveal a fully production-ready LC convertible at an upcoming auto
show.
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| © Motor Trend Staff Lexus-LC-convertible-prototype-17.jpg |
