Lexus IS 250C - Design
The muscular stance of a sports coupe and the sophisticated and stylish lines of a convertible, the Lexus IS 250C, may encompass the IS saloon’s L-finesse styling range but it is very much its own car.
Only the bonnet, headlamps, door handles and mirrors of the Lexus IS 250C are shared with the IS saloon, all other body panels have been redesigned to ensure they remain in perfect harmony with the three-part folding roof.
A Lexus IS 250C's new fog lamp design is neatly integrated into the deep front air dam and, in side profile, inevitably the onlooker’s eyes are drawn towards the coupe/convertible’s dominant bodywork below a pronounced, rising belt line that kicks up towards the rear of the car.
The aerodynamics of the Lexus IS 250C are functional and aesthetic. In coupe form the cabin tapers to the rear to give a flowing line from the roof through the C pillar to the luggage compartment. At the rear there are new lamp clusters with LED illumination and a high-mounted LED stop light integrated in the boot lip spoiler.
With the hard top down, the Lexus IS 250C’s seamless and elegant profile remains, no roof mechanism elements remain in view or project above the car’s waistline. The roof is made entirely of lightweight aluminium which is operated by means of a dashboard button and features a unique “roof brake” mechanism, which slows the closing of the hard top as it approaches the top edge of the windscreen so that descends smoothly into place.
The Lexus IS 250C is both striking and sophisticated yet even more appealing in its simplicity – the essence of Lexus L-finesse design.