The IS convertibles from Lexus crept into the market without much fanfare, dropping into a natural hole in the Lexus lineup and settling in like they’d always been there.   Does it mean something that I forgot about the existence of this car until I saw one in a parking lot and wasn’t sure what it was?

As an avowed car spotter, it was somewhat embarrassing to see the Lexus IS 250C and not immediately recognize it.  A natural addition to the line of IS compact sport-luxury sedans, the retractable hardtop fills both the two-door coupe and convertible roles and gives the IS models a broader base from which to compete with the likes of the Audi A4 and A5 and the BMW 3-Series.  Those two vehicles are the gold standard of the compact sport-luxury market, though challengers like the Infiniti G37 and Cadillac CTS were certainly on Lexus’ mind when the IS 250C and IS 350C were penned. More >