Why The Lexus LC500 Isn’t Perfect

TopSpeed

By Mark McNabb

Published Feb 14, 2018

The misunderstood labeling that’s hurting the LC’s image

Read nearly any online review of the 2018 Lexus LC500 and you’ll be left thinking the car is too heavy, too underpowered, and too expensive. And in defense of my fellow automotive journalists out there, they mean well but miss the LC’s essence – its thesis statement. Compared to many 2+2 luxury coupes with V-8 power and rear-wheel drive, the LC simply falls short in the performance category. Unfortunately, this narrow-angle view entirely misses the point of the LC’s existence.

Continue reading for more on the 2018 Lexus LC500.

The Right Vantage Point

Compare the 2018 Lexus LC500 to vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic, the Jaguar F-Type, or even the BMW M6 Convertible, and you’ll be left wanting more. You’ll want more than 471 horsepower, less than 4,280 pounds of curb weight, and a price tag that doesn’t start at $92,000.

Yet, this isn’t the proper way to view the Lexus LC500. Rather, the car is designed to be a Grand Touring Coupe that’s more than capable of burning down back roads and humming along at triple-digit speeds on the German Autobahn.

In my view, at least, the LC500 was designed to be something akin to the “personal luxury coupes” of the 1960 and 1970s. A large, plush car with realistic room for only two, a big engine, striking looks, and a fat price tag that lets onlookers know that its driver is someone special. The LC500 does fill that role rather well.

Only it isn’t just a large, plush car with room for two. The LC500 also delivers more power and performance than most grand touring cars need. Even at 471 horsepower, the car feels peppier than it should. It sounds way more exciting than any Lexus short of the LFA has. It even looks the part of a proper sports coupe. But make no mistake, the LC500 is a grand touring coupe through and through.