The 2018 Lexus LC 500 is a wolf in wolf鈥檚 clothing, a soul-stirring piece of machinery that sends shivers down a car-lover鈥檚 spine.
Lexus has until now been viewed as a premium car company, a maker of luxury cars. More often than not, the same opulent cars were derived from more humble roots, as the brand is a division of Toyota.
The Lexus brand, which debuted in 1989, initially concentrated on premium sedans and SUVs, which have been well received to this day.
In 2009, they dropped jaws by creating a supercar 鈥� the LFA. This high-end sports car has a V-10 engine and a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer body. Never seen one in real life? Probably because only 500 were ever built, with approximately a dozen finding their way to sa国际传媒.
Another reason why it wasn鈥檛 more common might have to do with its approximately $470,000 base price.
Production ended in December 2012, and the chapter closed.
Fast forward to 2017 and the introduction of the LC 500 and LC 500h, and a new chapter begins.
Instead of targeting Lamborghini, Ferrari and other exotica like its forebear, the LC is meant to appeal to a growing demand for high-end sports cars such as the Porsche 911, Audi R8 and Chevrolet Corvette.
The LC 500 has a starting price of $101,600, with a hybrid version available for an extra $17,150.
If you pull up a picture of the LFA and compare it with the LC, you can immediately see the family resemblance.
It is a look that turns heads and gets jaws working. If you are shy, this car will ensure you never have to start anther conversation in your life. Complete strangers will come up and spontaneously espouse their love of the car鈥檚 lines. Smartphones will be pointed at you (or the car at least) in traffic. Park anywhere, and more likely than not a crowd will be there when you return.
The reason Lexus was able to bring the price down from the LFA is because it uses a more conventional steel platform instead of a lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer body. It uses aluminum in suspension pieces and for the hood, fenders and door panels.
To reduce weight even more, my tester came with an optional Performance Package that included, among other items, a carbon-fibre roof.
But make no mistake, even with all these weight-saving strategies, the LC curb weight is still 1,935 kilograms.
To compensate, Lexus dropped a 5.0-litre V-8 under the hood. This engine sends 471 horsepower and 398 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheels and will propel you from zero to 96 kilometres per hour in roughly 4.5聽seconds.
A 10-speed automatic is the only transmission available.
You can choose between six different drive modes, but the hard-core enthusiasts (my hand is up) will want to select the Sport-plus setting every time.
The car seems to be a willing participant when road hooliganism is planned.
When lesser modes are selected (there is even an Eco mode, if you can believe it), the LC acts, sounds and feels like a true grand tourer, going about its business quietly and efficiently.
Sports-plus tells the car it鈥檚 time to let its hair down, and it obliges. As the revs go up, the engine begins to sing. Shift down approaching a corner, and the LC sometimes barks. Mash the throttle, the back end wiggles and the engine roars (thanks to valves that open to improve engine output).
If I owned an LC, I can see it eventually on the back of a flatbed tow truck, impounded for 30 days for a transgression by its over-exuberant driver.
My tester also came with four-wheel active steering as part of the Performance Package, and staggered 21-inch run-flat rubber (245 in the front and 275-mm in the rear).
Massive disc-brake rotors, with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, rub off speed effectively, with a pre-collision system with pedestrian protection to apply them automatically.
In case of a collision with a pedestrian, the hood has a series of pistons that elevates it. In doing so, the hood lessens personal injury.
I also has the opportunity to drive the LC 500h. While it shares the same name, with the addition of a discreet 鈥渉鈥�, it is not the same vehicle.
Think of the image of an angel and devil on your shoulder. The 500h is the angel. It gives purchasers the same good-looking car, but with a nod towards efficiency.
The powerplant is a 3.5-litre V-6 mated with a hybrid drive and electric motor, producing 295 hp and 257 lb.-ft. of torque. The 10-speed is replaced by what Lexus calls a multi-stage transmission 鈥� a four-speed automatic embedded inside a continuously variable transmission.
This engine totally changes the character of the LC. Gone is the bad-boy side. In its place is a sedate (and environmentally responsible) grand tourer with ample 鈥� but not sparkling 鈥� performance. Weight goes up 195 kg as well.
Fuel economy is much better, dropping from 14.7/9.2 l/100 km (city/highway) for the 500 to 8.9/7.0 for the 500h hybrid.
With a list price of more than $100,000, I suspect you won鈥檛 see many LC 500s on the road 鈥� but at least it will be many more than the LFA. While the latter was a dream car for the very rich, the LC 500 is at least comparable in price to what one would pay for an existing high-end sports car.
Hats off to Lexus for making a lust-worthy car, one that many of us enthusiasts can actually dream of owning.
the spec sheet
Type: Premium two-door coupe, front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: Naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V-8, 471 hp at 7,100 r.p.m., 398 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 r.p.m.
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Dimensions (mm): Length, 4,760; width, 1,920; height, 1,345; wheelbase, 2,870
Curb weight (kg): 1,935
Price (base/as tested): $101,600/ $117,245 (includes $2,045 freight and PDI and $100 AC tax)
Options: Performance Package $13,500
Tires: 245/40 R 21 front and 275/35 R21 rear run-flat tires on alloy wheels
Fuel type: Premium
Fuel economy (L/100km): 14.7 city/ 9.2 highway
Warranty: Four years/80,000 km new car, six years/110,000 km powertrain