CAR and Driver - March 2017

LEXUS IS CONSISTENTLY one of the best-selling luxury brands

in the U.S., but its invisibility is as much a part of its identity as its

ubiquity. The legions of Lexus buyers may be quietly satisfied, but

by and large, they aren’t the type who buy the hat and join the own-

er’s club. Well, we’ve long subscribed to what Toyota president Akio

Toyoda said recently, which is that the long-term success of Toyota

and Lexus (and, really, any automotive brand) means making prod-

ucts that inspire passion, not just respect. W hich is why Toyoda is

willing to pour a ton of money into a car that won’t sell in high vol-

ume and is the antithesis of today’s SU V-every thing world. Indeed,

Toyoda-san makes it his personal mission to prevent the word

“boring” from appearing ever again in a sentence with “Lexus.”

Enter the LC, which stands simply yet ambitiously for Luxury

Coupe, available in V- 6 hybrid or V-8 forms. If the car is any indica-

tor of things to come, we’d say he’s well on his way to succeeding.

A few minutes’ drive of the LC500 on the sinuous and extremely

well-maintained back roads of southern Spain was all it took to

have this epiphany: There’s actual

road texture being transmitted

through the well-shaped and

expertly finished steering wheel.

This much-desired line of commu-

nication has all but disappeared in

the age of electrically assisted

power steering and a misguided

neutering billed as progress. In the

new Lexus, while the effort is on the light side at highway speeds,

the wheel imparts a natural confidence when hustling down wrig-

gling roads. The LC feels alive when pushed hard; the suspension

is tied down, there’s little body roll, and the coupe transitions from

corner to corner athletically.

In addition to the steering, Lexus nailed the thundering V-8

sound. Powered by the same 5.0 -liter V-8 that’s in the GS F and the

RC F, the LC500 is up a few horsepower, to 471. With the help of a

tube running between the intake manifold and the firewall, plus

flaps in the exhaust (but no electronically generated noise), the

cabin is positively filled with nigh-on-perfect V-8 frequencies, the

sound swelling appropriately with engine speed but stopping short

of being assaultive. The current march toward turbocharging is

working against memorable engine notes, making the LC500’s

naturally aspirated roar even more of a standout.

Playing along with this V-8 opus is a new rapid-fire Aisin

10 -speed automatic. It’s not as quick-shifting as a dual-clutch

For the Love

Lexus courts enthusiasts with an engaging flagship V-8 coupe and

a hybrid to match. _by Dave VanderWerp

082. CAR AND DRIVER. MAR/2017