Lexus planning on 1,600 IS C sales per month

The all-new Lexus IS 250C hardtop convertible has yet to hit the U.S. market but the Japanese automaker is already expecting it to outsell its current convertible offering - the SC 450 - by a margin of nearly 15 to 1. The IS 250C will hit the Lexus show rooms next month.

According to Automotive News, Lexus expects to sell 1,600 IS 250Cs around the globe every month. North American will make up a large part of that market, with 70 percent of IS 250Cs heading our way. Lexus has only managed 310 U.S. sales of the SC 450 through the first four months of the year.

"This is meant to appeal as an entry-level Lexus," project manager Keiichi Nishiyama told Automotive News. "Its main target is overseas customers, especially in North America."

The IS C's entry-level pricing will likely give it the boost it needs to greatly outsell its SC counterpart. The base model IS 250C will list from $39,365, undercutting the SC 450's price tag of $67,680 by a wide margin. Even the upcoming up-level IS 350C seems like a relative bargain next to the SC 450 with a starting price of $44,815.

The IS C range also has youth on its side. The SC has been on the market virtually unchanged since 2001, with the IS C set to be the freshest face on the Lexus block.