ILLUSTRATION BY PETE SUCHESKI
0852018 LEXUS
LC500/500h
VEHICLE TYPE: front-
engine, rear-wheel-drive,
4-passenger, 2-door
coupe
BASE PRICE: $95,000–
$100,000 (est)
ENGINES: DOHC
24-valve 3.5-liter
Atkinson-capable V-6,
295 hp, 257 lb-ft + 2
permanent-magnet
synchronous AC electric
motors, 177 hp, 221
lb-ft; combined system,
354 hp; DOHC 32-valve
5.0-liter Atkinson-
capable V-8, 471 hp,
398 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS:
10-speed automatic with
manual shifting mode,
continuously variable +
4-speed automatic with
manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE: 113.0 in
LENGTH: 1 8 7. 4 i n
WIDTH: 75.6 in
HEIGHT: 53.0 in
PASSENGER VOLUME:
80–81 cu ft
TRUNK VOLUME: 5 cu ft
CURB WEIGHT:
4300–4450 lb
PERFORMANCE
(C/D EST)
ZERO TO 60 MPH:
4.4–4.7 sec
ZERO TO 100 MPH:
10.1–10.7 sec
1/4-MILE: 1 2.9–1 3.8 sec
TOP SPEED:
155 –16 8 mph
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA COMBINED/CITY/
HWY: 21–27/18–25/27–
35 mpg (C/D est)throttle often causing the engine to fire.
Unfortunately, the LC loses all its lovely
sound when it goes hybrid. Unlike the V-8
model, the wired-up LC employs electronic
enhancement, and its artificial moaning is
further amplified in sport S-plus mode. The
hybrid is also down 117 horsepower com-
pared with the V-8. Does anyone looking to spend six figures on a
two-door fashion statement care about the LC500h’s potential 50
percent fuel-economy benefit if it means sacrificing the V-8’s
sound and performance? Lexus claims that the new hybrid power-
train makes the LC500h only a few tenths of a second slower to 60
mph, but at higher speeds, the performance gap widens dramati-
cally. Plus, the hybrid’s pseudo 10-speed
slurs its shifts, making them far less satis-
fying than those of the V-8’s automatic.
Both dimensionally and psychologically,
the LC is a bit of a tweener among the lim-
ited luxury-coupe offerings. Its wheelbase
roughly splits that of the Mercedes-Benz
C- and S-class coupes, with an overall
length more than 10 inches shorter than the
S, which helps to explain the LC’s paltry
trunk and back-seat space. So it’s a more
dynamic grand-touring alternative to the
S-class or 6-series coupes, but the LC isn’t
nearly as dynamically gifted as a Porsche
911, which is roughly 1000 pounds lighter.
The styling certainly isn’t as classically
beautiful as that of the S-class coupe. Even
so, the aggressively creased design language
that seems hopelessly overdone on the
Lexus RX crossover works here, thanksto the coupe’s excellent proportions.
The interior design is also adventurous
in a good way, with flowing sweeps over the
door panels and through the center console
and a high level of detail execution through-
out. The base seats are heavily bolstered,
and the sportier buckets in optional micro-
suede trim on upgraded versions are even
more so. But we wonder if both might fit a
little too tightly for the luxury-coupe clien-
tele. They have surprisingly few adjust-
ments; there’s no bolster or thigh-control
adjustment and only two-way lumbar.
The mission to build exciting cars
should help court enthusiasts going for-
ward. It also portends good things for the
new LS sedan [see Reveal of the Month,
page 017], which will ride on a larger version
of the LC’s all-new front-engine, rear-drive
architecture, dubbed GA-L (for Global
Architecture-Luxury). And the company
promises an increased focus on dynamics
across the lineup going forward, although
that doesn’t necessarily mean it is aiming
to be the most athletic in every segment.
LC chief engineer Koji Sato is a former
chassis engineer, so perhaps the high prior-
ity he places on steering isn’t all that sur-
prising. He was utterly flabbergasted when
we mentioned that other automakers such
as BMW tell us that their car’s steering
feedback is deliberately diminished
because that’s what some customers want.
Yeah, we don’t really believe it, either.
Of the 4800 expected annual LC sales
in the U.S., Lexus says it’s anticipating only
a 20 percent take-rate for the hybrid. That
may be aiming high. You’ll likely start
noticing LCs—most certainly V-8 mod-
els—at car shows near you shortly after
they go on sale in the spring. The owners
may even be wearing Lexus hats.Top: In the ’70s we had
a pair of corduroy
trousers exactly the
color of this LC’s
upholstery. The Lexus
wears it slightly better.
But only slightly.tech highlightTO INFINITY AND BEYOND
The LC’s taillights harness the infinitely reflective effect
of two mirrors facing each other to create the illusion
that the lamp is much deeper than its actual three-inch
thickness. Each lamp uses 80 LEDs positioned deep in
the assembly to paint a long-tailed L shape. The outer
reflective plate of the lens allows half the light to pass
through it, while the remainder of the light bounces
back to the inner mirror. The inner surface then reflects
the full intensity back to the partially
reflective outer plate. This back-and-
forth ricochet means the glow of
each repeating L-shaped image is, to
the outside observer, roughly half as
bright as the one below it as they
seem to recede into a deep abyss.
Lexus says it’s been tinkering with
the concept for more than a decade,
and it comes to life for the first time
with the help of lighting supplier
Koito Manufacturing Co. Separate
lighting elements handle braking
and turn-signal duties.