IS250C

ninty9er

How did this get released under the radar. Not that it's going to set the world on fire, but it would satisfy a solid and still quite cash rich section of society.

coming it at between €61k and €78k fully loaded with pre crash, Mark Levinson Sound and uprated perforated leather, bi-xennons etc, it would appear to give the 3 Series Convertible a run for it's money (apart from the tax difference).

Lexus IS250C

Gumbo

nice, would like to see one in the flesh. wonder will it sway any of the 3 series coupe owners though or indeed if it even needs to?

i think i would pick one of these over an E92 at the moment.

YouTube Link

VolvoMan

I think it looks ghastly, like the SC430 did. Lexus just shouldn't do convertibles.

ninty9er

I don't think it looks any worse or better than a 3 series.

qz

I like it a lot, I'm trying to get my mum to upgrade from the 250! Looks the business in dark red/cream.

VolvoMan

ninty9er wrote: »

I don't think it looks any worse or better than a 3 series.

And I think that car looks awful too, as do most hard-top convertibles.

In fact, I'm really starting to have a strong dislike for BMW. Anything they release lately seems as if it was made deliberately to look as ugly and ill-proportioned as it can. I wish they'd ever cop on and stop trying to find stupid niches that nobody cares about!

Anyway, I think I've vented all of my anger for today. Lets get back on topic.:D

ninty9er

I think where the difference lies is that Lexus aren't proclaiming the IS250C to be a sports car...just a convertible luxury car. BMtroubleyou's marketing dept. have carved "sports car" into the brains of all those who never thought they wanted a sports car until they saw a BMW, which it inevitably wasn't in any case.

I don't think anything with a top speed of 210km/h could be considered a "sports car", and wouldn't like to see it marketed as such. There's family cars that can hit that speed.

Any so how the 3 Series sells in substantial numbers, so the only thing that can hold this back is the snobbery of "old money" vs "new money", not that there's any bloody difference.

The SC430 was designed to be a sports car, and **probably** made a good first stab at it, but it was a 4.3l 2 seater in Ireland....there's no market for anyone other than Merc on that front.

colm_mcm

The Lexus SC sold very well (under different names) in other markets, mostly the US. I drove one and it was impeccibly well built, very comfortable and luxurious and for a 2002 car had a very advanced folding roof. I don't Lexus ever claimed it was a track day car.

unkel

Looks cheap and nasty. An E92 looks pretty good from a distance, but I was very disappointed when I saw one up close. Too many gaps and lines because of the hard roof. Mercedes have traditionally the best looking convertables by far imo

colm_mcm wrote: »

The Lexus SC sold very well (under different names) in other markets, mostly the US.

There were loads out here as well the year after launch. They seem to have disappeared very quickly though?

JHMEG

Like most retractable hard tops that have been spun off saloon/coupe designs the proportions aren't right. I think the 206CC was the first to make bad proportions acceptable.

VolvoMan

I know I might appear biased in saying this, but I think the only successful attempt at a four seater hard-top convertible is the current Volvo C70.

Zonda999

A c70 is certainly a more elegant proposition anyway, IMO



Vs

ninty9er

Whatever about visuals, An IS250c would certainly be more desirable than a C70.

Zonda999

Fair aul price difference thought, if the IS250C will be starting from 61K€

The C70 starts at 47k€ and thats before some haggling. Not so sure, people would be too mad about the petrol engined lexus either, unless there is an IS220dC:rolleyes:. Most 3 series convertibles i see seem to be 320d