2010 Lexus IS Convertible / IS250C / IS350C

The littlest Lexus turns on the ultraviolet.

BY AARON ROBINSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DEWHURST
July 2009

Sales charts spawned this baby. About a third of BMW 3-series sales are coupes and convertibles, and Lexus wants a seat at that buffet. Impulsive? Hardly. Introduced nine years ago and well into its second generation, the entry-level IS sedan finally gives birth to a convertible two-door kitten.

In dealerships now, the IS250C and IS350C feature an aluminum hardtop roof that, in 20 seconds, marshals 15 electric motors and 37 sensors to split it into two panels, which seamlessly belly-flop into the waiting trunk. Ultraviolet bliss ensues.

Weary eyes could reasonably mistake the IS C for a sedan that lost a debate with a hacksaw, yet every exterior panel and molding except the hood is unique to the convertible. The IS C is 2.2 inches longer than the four-door, and the rear decklid hunchbacks upward, so there’s room for four adults, plus space for flat luggage under the pancaked roof.
Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible

BASE PRICE: $39,365–$44,815

ENGINES: 24-valve 2.5-liter V-6, 204 hp, 185 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 306 hp, 277 lb-ft

TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.5 in Length: 182.5 in Width: 70.9 in Height: 55.7–55.9 in Curb weight: 3850–3900 lb

PERFORMANCE (MFR’S EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.8–8.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.1–16.5 sec
Top speed (governor limited): 131–141 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 18–21 mpg EPA highway driving: 25–29 mpg

The engine choices are identical to the IS sedan’s: a 204-hp, 2.5-liter V-6 and a 306-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. So are the transmission choices, which means a six-speed manual is only available in the IS250C, and a six-speed automatic is offered in both models.

Curb weight swells by roughly 400 pounds to about 3850 in the base IS250C because of structural reinforcements. Acceleration in the IS350C still feels manly, though the open-air exhaust note is just a humdrum hum; figure 5.8 seconds to 60 mph, says Lexus.

Top up, the cabin is quiet; top down, the body is fairly stiff for an easygoing ramble on good pavement, but even then, we could still feel some steering-column shudder. Softer springs, shocks, and bushings sponge up more bumps than in the sedan, though this weighty ship rolls and porpoises a bit more.

The base IS250C starts at $39,365 with various amenities standard, including leather, making it about $6000 less than the base BMW 328i convertible. The IS350C begins at $44,815. Judging from the tranquilized dynamics, the IS C wants to chase BMWs without becoming a BMW. That will likely not trouble any Lexus loyalists craving a tan.