Right from the start, the Lexus LC 500 has been a great-looking car by most accounts. Not only that, but it’s currently the most expensive car Lexus currently makes, with the coupe starting at a substantial $92,950 before the $1,025 destination fee. Now, for 2021 the automaker has pulled the covers (and the roof) off this LC 500 Convertible, as well as announced official pricing. Available in the summer of 2020, the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible will set you back at least $101,000 — making it $7,025 more expensive to start than the coupe.
Convertibles are typically more expensive than their hardtop counterparts, though that price makes the LC 500 Convertible the only current Lexus to top six figures before options. The LC 500h, which is still just available as a coupe, starts at $97,510 for the 2021 model year. However, the convertible offers that coveted top-down driving experience, with a top that opens in about 15 seconds. Hit a small switch on the center stack which you can conceal by a leather-covered compartment door, and that engine is closer to your ears than you’d ever be able to experience in the coupe.
Like the Lexus LC 500 and the RC F coupe, the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible packs a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. That makes for 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, with a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. The top-speed is also electronically limited to 168 mph. We aren’t talking about supercar levels of performance here, but that is enough power on paper to make for a substantial grand tourer.
While Lexus announced pricing Tuesday, we cannot talk about our actual driving impressions — how it stacks up as a sports car or a GT car — until next Wednesday, July 29.
Pricing up the options
Of course, that $101,000 price tag for the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible is just the start. Once you start piling on options, you can easily spill over $110,000 or more. Individual options include:
- 21-inch forged wheels: $2,650
- 20-inch forged wheels (in Dark Graphite): $1,210
- Mark Levinson premium audio system: $1,220
- Head-Up Display: $900
- Carbon fiber scuff plate: $600
- Premium paint colors: $595
- Torsen limited slip differential: $460
- All-weather package: $250
Two packages are available for the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Covnertible. The $5,290 Touring Package adds semi-aniline leather seats with a “climate concierge” and upper body heating, a heated steering wheel, windshield de-icer, embossed headrests and the Mark Levinson surround sound system.
One of the unique and expensive packages available to the convertible is the Inspiration Series. For $18,800, you get unique Structural Blue paint with an Amalfi White leather interior, shown above. 21-inch forged alloy wheels and the Mark Levinson system are also included, as is everything else in the Touring Package. On the performance front, the Inspiration Series offers a Torsen limited-slip differential and Yamaha performance dampers. Finally, the package adds carbon fiber scuff plates, a “SmartAccess” card key and an aluminum two-piece luggage set.
