gorgeous – All about car

2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Im already on record as saying that Lexuss LC 500 is the sexiest sports coupe of the last five years. Yes, even with that grille. Looking like a refugee from a Maserati design studio rather than anything Japanese, the fact that said flowing lines and wonderful proportions come from the usually awkward Lexus just makes the LC that much more stunning.It turns out it wasnt a fluke, the ragtop version of the big LC possibly even more alluring. More impressive perhaps for this is a rarity amongst drop tops is that the new LC Convertible looks equally enticing with toite in situ or retracted. The thing is so bloody sexy that one forgives the grille, which looks even more needlessly aggressive in a decapotable. Nonetheless, were going to have to get used to the fact that Lexus can pen tempting shapes. We already know they can build great cars, the company once again reigning in the reliability surveys, earning top honours in J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study and recapturing its spot as Consumer Reports’ most reliable brand this year. Whats more interesting is how committed they are to traditional sports car technology. Parent company Toyota, for instance, is leading the charge in keeping manual transmissions in their product mix. Lexus, meanwhile, steadfastly refuses to turbocharge its performance motors, the LC powered by a good old-fashioned naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8. Now the sacrifice here is that the LCs 471 peak horsepower cant compete with the 590 horses that Audi now ekes out of its twin-turbocharged V8. On the other hand, goose the big Lexus and the sound from its twin tailpipes is something no turbocharged engine can hope to emulate. With even Ferrari succumbing to turbo-friendly legislative pressures, its nice to see at least one manufacturer fighting the good fight. Bravo, Lexus.In converting from hard to soft top, Lexus did the usual frame bracing, with under-chassis structural enhancements and suspension tower bracing (this last in die-cast aluminum, says Lexus, to save weight). The company also reduced the Convertibles unsprung mass basically the tires and wheels and rejigged dampers to retain what Lexus claims is similar handling dynamics to the LC coupe. Part of that handling equation is sticking to a soft top rather than going with a heavier retractable hardtop. Nonetheless, to create hardtop-like flowing lines without visible frame supports, Lexus choses a semi-rigid four-layer material for its roof. One novelty for the topless version of the LC is the Lexus Climate Concierge, which adjusts HVAC system to provide upper body heat even when the top is down. The system automatically manages the air conditioner, seat heaters, neck heaters and even steering-wheel heater keep driver and passenger as cozy on a fall top-down ride as they would be in the middle of summer. Other interior upgrades are a full suite of Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Lexus+Alexa infotainment apps. Lexus says Alexa even syncs to the navigation system to provide on-the-go recommendations.And finally, Lexus plans to auction off one of its limited edition Inspiration LC 500s Structural Blue paint, semi-aniline leather and custom 21-inch wheels at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January, all proceeds, of course, going to
Origin: Lexus chops top off LC, still looks gorgeous

Porsche won a lot of hearts when it came out with a GT2 RS with a late 1970s 935-style body for rich people to go racing in. But the company’s not stopping there, and now it’s gone and made us even more jealous with these awesome retro liveries. Seven of Porsche’s classic liveries are available, with some of the biggest players making an appearance. The red-and-yellow Momo/Penthouse car was originally driven to victory by Momo wheels founder Gianpiero Moretti, while the black-and-gold car is a tribute to the Skye Sands car driven to victory multiple times in the ’70s and ’80s by Aussie driver Rusty French. The other black livery with the orange, red and pink stripe originally appeared on Interscope racing cars, flying the famous ’00’ number. In stark contrast to the subtle blue-on-white colours of the Sachs racing livery, Kremer also drove a psychedelic teal-coloured 935 with a yellow, red and purple stripe by Vaillant. Kremer was famous for evolving its race cars when Porsche refused to, building a K1, K2, K3 and even a K4 variant with almost 800 horsepower. Although most of them are pretty great, the standout winner here is obviously the Martini, for being one of the most authentic implementations of a classic livery on a new vehicle ever, and following the theme of the true Moby Dick Le Mans car. We’re going to have to disqualify the blue-and-orange Gulf livery as well as the red-and-white Salzburg livery, because they never originally appeared on a real Porsche 935 race car, only the 917 of 1970. Sorry, Porsche, those are the rules; next time include the Apple Computers and Jaegermeister liveries
Origin: Porsche unveils retro race-inspired liveries for its gorgeous GT2RS