Lexus LC Convertible previewed ahead of Detroit debut

Lexus has confirmed it will reveal a Lexus LC Convertible later today at the Detroit motor show.

Posting full pictures of the flagship drop-top ahead of its official unveiling, the Lexus LC Convertible is claimed to be a 'concept' for now.

In reality, though, the Lexus LC Convertible will be close to production and is tipped to be on sale in Europe and Australia by early 2020.

Lexus has yet to confirm full details of the LC Convertible, hence why it's not yet known if the Lexus droptop will come with a fabric or a folding metal roof. It's likely the latter will be favoured.

Created to be yet another halo vehicle for the Toyota-owned premium brand, alongside the existing coupe, the convertible is expected to be joined later on by an 'F' performance version rumoured to produce more than 440kW.

Featuring huge 22-inch wheels, a luxurious interior and 2+2 seating, the new LC Convertible will go head-to-head with cars like the Mercedes S-Class convertible, Porsche's recently revealed 911 Cabriolet and more expensive rivals like the Ferrari Portofino.

Like the coupe, the LC Convertible is set to be offered with the LC coupe's 5.0-litre V8 petrol that produces 351kW and 540Nm of torque and the more efficient 264kW 3.5-litre V6 hybrid.

Weight will be the biggest enemy of the Lexus LC Convertible's performance.

Cleaving the roof off the coupe means engineers will have had to add in extra structural supports that will see about 150kg added to the kerb weight, taking to the total mass to more than 2000kg.

Expect it to hit 100km/h in around 5.0 seconds and have a top speed of 260km/h.

It's not yet known what price premium Lexus will add over the $190,000 it charges for the Lexus LC 500h but, in any case, it will still be significantly cheaper than the $366,518 for entry-level Mercedes S-Class Convertible.