The challenge with most vehicles is the change from an initial concept to a production model isn’t just a small change, once the bean counters get involved the differences can be astronomical. For this reason most of the time we see automaker parade out a car that’s supposed to be their production model and it’s been altered a great deal from the first production run to be something different from what we saw before. The Lexus LC500 doesn’t follow this same path. With this car it feels like Lexus has brought the same car out twice, once for concept and once for production, but no one is complaining at all.
The new Lexus LC500 is a car that comes to you in a sports luxury form that’s powered by a strong engine while having all the driving items you want to enjoy. This car is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 or a 3.5-liter V6 with a dual motor electric drive system. This gives you 471 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft. of torque for the bigger engine and 354 net horsepower in the hybrid version of the car. The transmissions used are a ten speed automatic for the V8 and an e-CVT with a four stage shifting device in the hybrid. With this pair of powertrains you’ll be able to reach sixty mph in 4.4 seconds with the larger engine and 4.7 seconds in the hybrid.
When you take a look at this impressive luxury sports car you’ll see a gorgeous spindle grill up front flanked by two impressive headlights. There are lines, folds, curves and arches everywhere on this vehicle and they all work together seamlessly to create a vehicle that looks and feels great on the road. The LC500 is a gorgeous car that offers you the best drive you could ever imagine and the feel that you want to enjoy.
With exceptional looks and a great engine you need to have the platform to ride on that makes it all work. This car is built with a focus on rigidity and a variety of multi-material construction to offer you the use of shapes to reduce the flex of the car and bring you a lower center of gravity to make this a road hugger you want to drive. You’ll feel the ride quality of the high strength steel construction and the lightweight carbon fiber integration to give you a car that performs perfectly wherever you want to go. The center of this car is only twenty inches off the ground making it the perfect spot for the weight distribution you want.
Of course, because this is a luxury sports car, you can’t just have a rigid platform without some comfort in the ride. The new suspension under the car offers you dynamic dampers all around and the double-joint wishbone multi-link suspension that makes the ride smoother and more compliant. For added control you have 13.3 inch brakes up front and 12.1 inch brakes in the back of the car.
When you consider all the performance parts of this car you might be surprised to know that Lexus built the LC500 to be a road car more than a track performer. Does that mean you can’t head to the track in this car and have an awesome ride? Not at all, the LC500 has the track performance items to give you a fantastic ride but is also compliant and easy to enjoy when you head back to the road and want this car to make the daily commute for you to and from your workplace.
Overall, this car is one of the most attractive new cars to come to the market and it will offer those looking for an exciting large sports coupe a way to have a huge smile on their face when they drive. This is a car that can challenge other luxury sport models and come out ahead in many categories. As you would expect, when compared to the rest of the luxury lineup in this class, the LC500 is a car that offers a better price while giving you the ride you want, the look you won’t be able to take your eyes off and the power you’ve been after.
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