Future Shock: Lexus LC 500 Technical Review
The LC 500 looks great, but it’s got some amazing technical features on and under that pretty surface, too.
There are glowing reviews aplenty surrounding the all-new Lexus LC 500. But most of them focus on things like comfort, driving dynamics, and styling. And while we admit that the LC 500 is one of the best looking cars on the road today, there’s much more to the grand tourer than that. Namely, a whole bunch of exciting technical features.
All of which get covered in this video by Ben Wayne. And he begins with the all-new rear wheel drive architecture that’s currently only in use in the LC 500. As we already know, that tech will soon trickle down to other cars in the Lexus model lineup.
Of course, that pretty exterior isn’t all show. The doors, for example, use a carbon fiber reinforced composite inner panel and 6,000 series aluminum outer skin to weigh 47% less than a comparable steel door. The use of high and extra high strength tensile steel in the body help make the LC 500 the stiffest Lexus to date. Up front, Wayne notes that “the triple beam LED headlamps are currently the thinnest in the industry.”
The suspension makes use of exotic materials and features as well. The double joint, multi-link setup uses die cast aluminum shock towers weighing nearly half as much as steel units while providing twice as much rigidity. Other aluminum bits, like the upper and lower control arms, help keep unsprung mass as low as possible. And there’s a whopping 650 different suspension variations between all the driving modes.
And those are but a few of the amazing technical specs surrounding the LC 500. So while everybody else simply marvels at the new halo coupe, rest assured that it’s not just a pretty face. This thing packs a serious, groundbreaking technical punch.
