New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs, Release Date, Price   – A brand-new 2026 Lexus RC 500 convertible was ready for its most boisterous, sportiest, and white-gauged environment on a peaceful, meandering country backroad with a partially cloudy sky and a comfortable temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. Perhaps predictably, the car’s top-of-the-line music system started blasting “I Got Mine” by The Black Keys.

No responsibilities, no traffic, no law enforcement, and no fear. It’s just me and one incredible automobile, and all we have to burn is time and gasoline. “This is it,” I told myself as I leaned on the gas and allowed the metallic V8 cry to echo off the trees and back into my eardrums, with only the clear, spring Saturday afternoon air to interfere.

Convertible Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

The RC is actually a pretty nice car to live with, despite its fabulously boisterous nature. Thanks to the previously mentioned wind deflector and an acoustic windshield, Lexus’s droptop GT is quiet on the road whether the top is up or down. In either normal or comfort mode, it doesn’t ride any rougher than, say, a mid-range sport sedan.

It is quite peaceful to cruise the highway top-down with all the windows open and that wind deflector. In addition to being incredibly supportive and soft, the front chairs provide neck warmers, heating, and cooling for top-down operation in cooler climates. Additionally, the steering wheel is heated.  New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs

New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Convertible Specs

There are no option packages available from Lexus that would increase the cost or, naturally, make production more difficult. Rather, a 10.3-inch touchpad information technology, dual-zone autonomous climate control, a head-up display, Lexus’s enduringly stylish digital gauge display that physically shifts to one side, and, of course, that retractable top are standard on all RC convertibles.

Engine and Performance

The RC’s voice may be even more pleasing to listen to than its appearance. Because the RC 500’s exhaust system differs from that of the company’s RC F coupe and muscular IS 500 sedan, the 5.0L V8 engine performs best here. It is both melodious and animal-like; at low revs, it is growly, and at high ones, it can scream like the coolest trumpet in the world. It makes the most deliciously annoying machine gun noises when you run it up against the rev limiter, almost as if it was made for that purpose. This is absurd given that this is a Toyota.  New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs

The RC sounds better than its RC F and IS 500 siblings, but it also sounds better than the more gravelly Jaguar F-Type, in my opinion. It sounds better than the Acura NSX Type S race car, the whiningly supercharged Dodge HelRCats, and—I might have to say this in a whisper—I honestly believe it sounds better than Lamborghini’s insane V10. It’s better that way. Not more aggressive or louder. Better.) The amazing focal point of the RC 500 is the engine sounds, which is enhanced in this open-air convertible variant.

The “active rear sport” differential and 10-speed automatic transmission perform admirably in terms of  transmitting power to the ground. That gearbox’s magnesium manual paddles feel expensive and sturdy in the hand, and the adjustments are made with precisely the appropriate degree of snappiness.

New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Convertible Fuel Economy

Fuel efficiency for the New 2026 RC 500 Convertible is 16.0 L/100 km in urban environments, 9.5 L/100 km on highways, and 13.0 L/100 km overall, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). However, when I drove it as intended, I discovered an incredible 16.8 L/100 km after precisely 484 test kilometers. It goes without saying that premium fuel must be used.    New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs

New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Convertible Safety Features

You may predict how well the RC 500’s all-speed range adaptive cruise control works since I refused to give any of the 500 kilometers that Lexus Canada requires for press loans to any kind of semi-autonomous driving technology. Additional onboard safety features include a pre-collision system, lane-departure alert with steering assistance, automatic high-beam headlamps, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, an active roll bar that prevents drivers’ heads from striking the ground in the case of a rollover, and more. All things considered, the RC Convertible is fairly simple to look out of, although the rear cross-traffic warning and blind-spot monitoring are very helpful.  New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs

New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Convertible Price and Release Date

However, considering what you receive and the other vehicles in this class, the Lexus RC isn’t really that expensive to purchase—as long as you can handle the gasoline costs. After adding $650 for the orange paint and $2,175 for delivery, the original price of $124,300, which Lexus charges, amounted to $127,095 before taxes. In all honesty, this seems totally acceptable given the excitement and joy I had. In contrast, a standard Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet without any upgrades won’t even cost $127,000. Get a BMW M850i cabriolet without any extras.    New 2026 Lexus RC 500 Specs