Monday, July 27, 2009 - 12:18 pm, by: Adam Peterson(President)
Awesome stuff:
Enter the new IS 250C (it launches locally at the end of July -- more on local prices and spec here), a belated drop-top derivative of the familiar IS sedan that's been a steady seller locally since its November 2005 debut.
Although visually similar to the existing four-door, the topless IS shares only its bonnet, headlights, door handles and door mirrors with the former. All other body panels have been redesigned to house the folding roof and minimise bouffant-bashing turbulence during open-top cruising. The metal hardhat is a three-panel affair, and it can deploy in 20 seconds, claimed to be the fastest erection time for this type of retractable lid.
Mechanically, the IS 250C is as per the sedan, which means its propulsion comes from a 2.5-litre V6 with 153kW and 252Nm, and these outputs are channeled to the rear wheels by a six-speed automatic transmission. Now, here's the thing, in the sedan this engine/transmission combo combines to deliver a respectable -- if not electrifying -- turn of speed, but the convertible's added girth (it tips the scales at a lardy 1735kg) saps performance appreciably.
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