Do you remember The Dress that divided the Internet last year? Some swore it was white and gold, others were certain it was black and blue. The Lexus LC 500 is that dress. Some see the coolest, most fashionable car of the past decade; others see another ugly Lexus. People in both camps are adamant. Who is right?
The LC 500 is a new flagship coupe for Lexus, a mission statement, a vision-board for the brand’s future.
At its heart is a big 5.0-litre V-8 engine. No turbochargers, just old-fashioned cubic-inches breathing through a single throttle body. Yee haw! Such old-school technology is at odds with the car’s mission statement, but the result is entertaining. The V-8 rips a buzzsaw hole in the air as it shreds to more than 7,000 rpm. Speed comes in a crescendo, building until, in the final sweep of the digital rev needle, it’s all-encompassing. Sound – piped through a tube from the engine bay – fills the cabin. With the motor in the higher reaches of its range, it’s ray-of-light-from-the-heavens glorious. The throttle is linear, intuitive, making it easy to control all 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque even on an unfamiliar, soaking-wet race track. You will know when the rear tires are about to break free. You can exploit the car, rather than fear it.
The bad news? The twin-turbocharged motors of the LC 500’s rivals have much more torque. But turbocharged V-8s do not crescendo. They work like an on/off switch, providing neck-straining acceleration in anywhere, anytime.
But in real-world driving you’ll hardly get to experience the V-8s full range. An on-ramp is the only time you’ll be able to let it sing to the redline. In traffic and on highways, the low-end torque of its turbocharged rivals will make them feel more powerful, more GT-like.
Lexus says the LC “aims to transcend narrow numeric analysis of what a car should be.” That’s what you say when your car is slower than its older rivals. But there is a truth to its statement.
Designed in Japan, the LC 500 looks as though it was born of some alternate past. The interior is cool, a study in 1970s design splattered with modern technology. Mixing saddle-brown leather, suede and thick shag carpets, it’s a lovely place to be. Inside and out, it certainly doesn’t look like the BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches or Aston Martins with which it will compete. This is a good thing for Lexus, a brand just beginning to find a unique visual identity.
To complicate things, that wonderful V-8 motor is already available in the cheaper Lexus RC F coupe and GS F sedan. Sure, the LC 500 gets a fancy 10-speed automatic gearbox, but it’s hardly enough to justify what could be a $30,000 price difference over the smaller coupe. If the LC 500 is meant to be a flagship, it needs a flagship engine. The V-10 from the old LFA supercar, for example?
So, what is this car then? Beautiful or ugly? Forward-looking or old-school? The sharp handling and ride comfort make it a fun car to drive, and one you could live with day-to-day. But given the middling performance figures and the fact the engine is available in other models, the LC 500 is left as a kind of styling exercise. But you know what? That’s fine. As a styling exercise, it’s a tour de force. These big coupes are all about showing off. At that, the LC 500 is spectacular. It’ll turn more heads than anything from Germany when it arrives in Canada in spring of next year.
Lexus hasn’t announced a price yet for the LC 500. For $100,000 it is interesting. For $140,000? Not so much. However, if Lexus were to make an LC 600 or an LC F – which it won’t confirm or deny – this car would make more sense.
TECH SPECS
Base Price: $120,000 (estimate)
Engine: 5.0-litre V-8
Transmission/Drive: 10-speed automatic/Rear-wheel drive
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): TBD
Alternatives: Mercedes-Benz S 550 coupe, SL 550, BMW 650i coupe, M6, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Jaguar F-Type R
RATINGS
Looks: You have to have an opinion on it. The first time I saw it at an auto show, I thought it was hideous. But it’s been growing on me. Now, I think it’s kind of great. It’s so weird and unusual, but it works. You’ve got to admire the boldness of the design. On the road it looks sleek, sculptural.
Interior: This is probably the best part about the LC 500. The company claims everything you touch inside the cabin is unique to this car. What the seats lack in adjustment options, they make up for in comfort and style. The brown-on-brown-on-brown colour scheme of our test-car reminded a colleague of his 1970s Lotus Elite. Not what Lexus was going for, but it’s a cool design.
Performance: This is an all-new rear-wheel drive platform for Lexus. It’ll underpin the new LS sedan and other models. To keep weight down, it uses aluminium for suspension components and a type of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic for the interior door panels and trunk. It’s no lightweight though, with a curb weight just shy of 2,000 kilograms. Handling is precise, with direct steering that weights up predictably in corners. It’s a grand-tourer rather than sports car.
Technology: There is also a hybrid version dubbed LC 500h, but compared the V-8 it was underwhelming. Technically excellent, but too quiet, too mild. Tesla’s Ludicous Mode, this ain’t. A Performance Pack is optional on the V-8 model, and includes a carbon-fibre roof, pop-up rear wing, 21-inch wheels and limited-slip differential.
Cargo: The trunk and its opening are small-ish, but this is a 2+2 so extra luggage can go on the rear seats. You wouldn’t want to put people back there.
THE VERDICT
7
A wonderful styling statement, a tad short on outright speed.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.