The Lexus LC 500h is two cylinders off the greatest grand tourer you can buy.
it was a magnet for stares and questions. One observer even yelled down from a balcony to ask about it. Not the car in general, the interior color in particular.Lexus calls the color Manhattanhenge and, unfortunately, I think it's a must. The total interior treatment is part of a Lexus Bespoke Build, a more exclusive configuration program that's even hosted on a different part of the website than the standard LC configurator.
Yes, the long-serving 2UR-GSE Lexus V-8 is not in this car. Given that it's a particularly good engine, a 5.0-liter naturaly-aspirated thing with variable valve timing, it's already a pretty substantial loss before you get to the difference in horsepower. While the hybrid starts at a base price $6000 higher, the combined output of the gas and electric systems of 354 hp is actually substantially lower than the 477 hp the base car boasts.
Does the hybrid system add something the V-8 LC is missing? Unless fuel mileage is a major concern, no. The car gets unsurprisingly exceptional mileage with the hybrid in comparison to the naturally aspirated V-8, an advantaged of 10 MPG in the combined cycle. The hybrid wins that one, 29-19. Here, it meant an entire first day of spirited driving without stopping at a gas station once.
While neither car is particularly fast compared to some of the absurd performance bargains at this price point, the V-8 LC is substantially more competitive in-segment. Both are excellent cars to drive, however, and neither is slow enough to hold you back from enjoying yourself.There is something to be said about the sheer novelty of a truly great performance car that happens to be a Lexus hybrid.
In a world where Lexus does not make a V-8 LC, we would view the V-6 hybrid LC as a triumph. This is still an exceptional GT car and still a lovely place to spend a whole day, all while capturing what Toyota does best in a new and novel way. Unfortunately for the LC 500h, Lexus will sell you this exact car with my ideal engine for this segment, for less money up front, and you can get it as a convertible.
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