The IS250C is one of those cars whose attractiveness depends a lot on the viewing angle.
In the Lexus lexicon, the “IS” designation stands for Intelligent Sport.
The latest IS250C is indeed clever, especially its state-of-the-art retractable hard-top.
But sporty this newcomer is not.
And strangely enough, even though the IS250C is a “full-blown” convertible with all the attendant connotations of style and glamour, it is also not particularly sexy – to our eyes at least.
The vehicle is not bad looking, of course.
But you have to view it from specific angles (mostly from the front) to appreciate the work done by the design team to “chop the top” off the IS.
The least flattering angle is from the rear three-quarter, which would show up the slight awkwardness where the retractable roof pillars meet the boot lid.
IS250C interior is well built and well equipped, like other models in the growing Lexus range.
Lexus marketeers seem to think so, too – the car’s classy 18-page catalogue does not have a single clear static shot with the said angle.
Dropping the top immediately improves the look, but that ungainly “humpback” rear deck would still drive us to distraction.
Simply put, the handsome IS saloon did not translate well into a winsome convertible.
We cannot really fault Lexus designers for this poor translation.
After all, their experience in cabriolet design is limited to the SC430, hardly the last word in modern motoring chic.
But at least the SC is a dedicated convertible, so its designers enjoyed the proverbial clean sheet when shaping the thing.
The IS-C, on the other hand, is based closely on an existing machine, so its designers had to draw within certain tight constraints.
Like the IS250 saloon, you can preset the rev point to where the thing flashes.
Even so, they did what they could – changing every body panel other than the bonnet, installing striking new LED tail lamps and specifying bespoke alloy wheels.
They also obtained two special paint jobs from the paint shop: Cattleya Mica (a mental purple) and Exceed Blue (a spectacular sapphire) – the latter shared with the mighty V8 IS-F and also the colour of our test car.
The IS-C’s designers must have also cracked their heads figuring out how to accommodate that big top without the car suffering the “big butt” syndrome that afflicts some coupe-convertibles.
Their styling solution is clearly less sleek than that achieved by BMW for its windswept 3 Series, one of the most sellable convertibles in Singapore in recent years and also one of the prettiest.
So the new IS250C is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word, even though it is spawned from arguably the most attractive model in the Lexus line-up today.
But the IS250C is still desirable, judging by the keen interest from buyers.
More than 60 orders were placed and five cars delivered in the run-up to the local launch.
Easy entry and no seat belt flapping in the wind.
It looks like Lexusland is unaffected by the recession our island is said to be in.
A fair number of these early birds are said to be existing IS250 owners upgrading.
Is it a complete upgrade, though?
They get more wind in their hair, but also less wind in the sails, with the convertible significantly heavier than the saloon and consequently slower.
They enjoy more so-called personal motoring, but it is more impractical at the same time, with the back seat and boot a lot more cramped than the 4-door’s.
Last but not least, these eager beaver upgraders are actually downgrading the quality of their driving experience.
Admittedly, tooling around town with the roof down is an enjoyable experience that eludes most motorists (in more ways than one).
Roll-over protection is provided by these in the event of a bad accident.
It is like the difference between resting in your cabin on board a cruise liner and relaxing on the open deck with a nice sea breeze blowing, with even nicer bikini babes frolicking in the pool and the Beach Boys’ Kokomo playing. It is definitely more fun driving “topless”.
To the true enthusiast, however, convertibles are a compromise on the road.
Without exception, they score lower than their equivalent “unconvertibles” in performance, handling and steering.
Even extreme examples such as BMW’s M3 Convertible, Ferrari’s F430 Spider and Lamborghini’s Gallardo Spyder are ultimately less accomplished driving machines than their “closed” siblings.
The same goes for this Lexus. Compared to the IS250, already no ball of fire, the IS250C is a less dynamic drive.
The culprit is weight, an extra 170kg to be exact. Most of it comes from the three-piece, four-link retractable hard-top powered by 15 electric motors, which are managed by 37 separate sensors and possibly a smart elf or two.
Some of the extra weight comes from the additional braces and crossmembers used to mitigate the loss in body rigidity.
Acceleration has therefore been dampened, to the point where the IS250C is now the least accelerative car in the local Lexus range.
It would still be the fastest car in Borneo’s Toyota range, though.
It is not exactly slow, but you need a firm right foot and plenty of revs on the dial (at least 4000rpm) to “overtake” the initial lethargy.
The engine’s sweet, free-revving nature helps here. The performance is okay on the highway, but from one traffic junction to another in 50km/h zones, the IS250C feels a little lazy.
A similar indolence afflicts the handling.
It is generally tidy and harbours no surprises, but it prefers to potter round corners.
Rush the car and the suspension runs out of ideas, having already used most of them to handle the relatively bendy chassis and rear-heavy “balance”.
The steering is still well weighted like the IS250’s, but it is less precise now, with some shimmy coming into the picture over bumpy roads.
The brakes are beefy, all-round ventilated discs carried over from the saloon, but they take a bit more effort to bite off speed because there is now more mass to stop.
What the IS250C does well dynamically is cruise all day in comfort, or all night for that matter.
In coupe mode, the cabin is a leather-lined cocoon largely undisturbed by the “movement” of air, asphalt and automobiles respectively around, below and beside it.
In “converted” mode, the cabin is naturally exposed to the elements, but it continues to be a silky case on wheels wrapped around the occupants.
You can still feel the winter-cold air-con and hear the eight-speaker hi-fi (both systems adjust automatically to suit the top-down situation).
Your hair is washed by the wind, but not too wildly (the car’s “roofless” aerodynamics are clean, considering the lack of an integral windbreaker).
IS250C boot in roof down mode is only big enough for soft bags or a small set of golf clubs.
And the ride remains supple, sponging away most tarmac imperfections under the tyres.
Inside the vehicle, it is again a mix of highs and lows, like the ride and handling combo.
The quality of the interior materials and fittings is, appropriately enough, sky-high, while the cockpit equipment and ergonomics are pure Lexus in their pursuit of perfection.
The standard car is already well equipped, but the Luxury variant adds memory seats with built-in cooling (useful), grippy sports pedals (less useful) and illuminated Lexus logos on the scuff plates (useless).
Xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers and a wider choice of cabin trim complete the Luxury package, which costs a luxurious $15,000 more than the regular model.
Space-wise, it is more bearable than comfortable for the two rear passengers.
The seating position is upright, there is little leeway for feet under the front squabs, and headroom is tight with the roof deployed.
The one-touch, easy-entry electric front seats make rear ingress and egress less stressful, but you still need to be fairly agile to manoeuvre in and out without drama.
As for cargo capacity, the IS250C is actually more accommodating than the IS250, but only because of all that space “saved” for the elaborate roof.
Stow that top and the 583-litre boot becomes a giant 235-litre glovebox, big enough for lots of gloves or a 9-inch golf bag.
After you load/unload the woods or whatever goods, the trunk lid needs some elbow grease to shut, probably due to its complex cantilevers that “reverse” the boot’s opening as part of the roof operation.
Speaking of which, the dashboard switch to work the roof is more fingertip-friendly when pushing (to open) than pulling (to close).
The hard-top is otherwise hard to top, thanks to its speed (exactly 21 seconds to conceal or reveal), mechanical harmony (it is a heavy metal ballet) and safety (the rear bumper has sonar sensors that halt proceedings if they detect an obstacle that would contact the “reversing” boot cover).
So this latest topless peach is not perfect, but Lexus devotees do not seem to mind.
Having waited so long for a convertible that is fresher, more practical and more affordable than the venerable SC430, they must think that the IS250C is a godsend.
2009 LEXUS IS250C 2.5 (A)
ENGINE
Capacity 2500cc
Type V6, 24-valves
Bore x stroke 83mm x 77mm
Compression ratio 12:1
Max power 205bhp at 6400rpm
Max torque 252Nm at 4800rpm
Power to weight 118.5bhp per tonne
GEARBOX
Type 6-speed automatic with manual select
Driven wheels Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 9 seconds
Top speed 210km/h
Consumption 9.3km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front Double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
TYRES
Type Bridgestone Potenza RE050
Size 225/45 R17 (front), 245/45 R17 (rear)
SAFETY
Airbags 6
Traction aids ABS, VSC
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4635mm
Width 1800mm
Height 1415mm
Wheelbase 2730mm
Kerb weight 1730kg
Turning circle 10.2m
BUYING IT
Price incl. COE $208,000
Warranty 3 years/100,000km
+ Slick and quick power roof system, coupe-like comfort and refinement, high standards of quality throughout
– Awkward styling from some angles, obvious loss in rigidity and dynamics, costs close to BMW 325i Convertible
