It looks exactly as everyone expected it to look – a shorter IS250 with a retractable hardtop. Simplicity is good and it looks like Lexus did a fine job of removing the roof and rear doors off one of their best selling models.

Not much else is new about this car besides the obvious changes (and some additional chassis bracing) – the press release still cited the motor as a “ultra-smooth” 2.5 Liter V6 engine combined with a 6 speed automatic transmission. Yes, this is the same drivetrain that also goes into its sedan brother. An interesting “feature” of this car is its backseats – if you’ve ever seen the backseats of other four seat convertibles such as the Lexus SC430 or a Porsche 911 up close, you will realize that they are really not intended for any human over the age of 5. However, this is simply not the case with the 250c – the rear seats look like they were actually designed with legs in mind.

It will be interesting to see how sales of this car will compare with its competitors such as the Audi A4 Cabriolet (starting at 40,000), the BMW 328 Convertible (which starts at 44,000), and the Mercedes CLK Cabriolet (starting at 56,000). While the IS250C’s German rivals will most likely outrun it on a nice set of twisty roads (actually… straight ones as well), a significantly lower MSRP combined with its (arguably) good looks and the famous Lexus ride quality will still make it a quality contender in the entry level luxury convertible market.

Looking at Lexus’ car lineup for 2009, I really feel that the thing they need is a big grand touring coupe, something like the Aston Martin DB9 or Bentley Continental. While there are a couple of luxury coupes on the market (BMW, Mercedes), there are none that have the same sporty shape as those cars – the sloping rear end with a long hood. Something like a Z4 COUPE but more luxurious perhaps…

However, I suppose if there was the slightest possibility of profit with a car like that – it would have already been made three times over!

Check out this WRTV gallery for more pics on the Lexus IS250C