Lexus IS 250C is ready to roll

By Richard Yarrow

13th March 2009

The lid’s been lifted on a new Lexus drop-top. The firm has added a second four-seater convertible to its range, called the IS 250C. On sale from July, the model has a folding metal roof that opens or closes in 20 seconds – faster than any rival car.

Despite being based on the saloon, there are only a handful of common components: the bonnet, headlamps, door handles and mirrors. Everything else has been redesigned to accommodate the roof. The nose is 15mm longer to improve roof-down aerodynamics, while LED tail-lights appear at the rear.

The doors are 30cm longer than the saloon’s, and the front seats have a ‘one-touch walk-in’ button, which folds them and slides them forward. Extra comfort for top-down driving is provided by additional heating pads at shoulder height. The two individual rear seats are set 30mm further inboard than in the saloon to create more headroom.

A longer overhang at the rear and clever packaging of the folding roof means boot space is generous – Lexus claims that the IS 250C is the only car in its class than can fit a golf bag in when the top is down. Up front, the dash is identical to the standard IS, although the instruments have been revised so they’re visible in bright sunlight.

Also unchanged is the 2.5-litre 204bhp V6 and six-speed auto. It means a 0-62mph time of nine seconds and a top speed of 130mph. Pricing will be in line with rivals such as the BMW 3-Series Convertible, starting from around £30,000.

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