LC 500 and LC 500H: Reviews Roundup
Kelley Blue Book and Wall Street Journal Give Auto Enthusiasts their Take on Lexus’ New LC 500 Sports Coupe, which Is Anything but Boring
Lexus has a new sports coupe called the LC 500, which you’ve likely already heard about, especially if you’re a Club Lexus regular. You probably know that the LC 500 has a 467-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and a new 10-speed transmission. Also, the LC 500h has a CVT transmission, a 4-speed rear differential and 354 hybrid-assisted horsepower from a 3.5-liter V6. Really, with those stats and those looks, this is possibly our favorite Lexus yet. This is the car that was built to take full advantage of Lexus’ aggressive corporate design, and it looks all the better for it.
In a recent video from Kelley Blue Book, the publication’s reporters traveled to Spain to get their hands on the steering wheel of a near-production LC prototype. KBB‘s Zach Vlusak calls the LC 500 “the most exciting and most beautiful thing to come out of Lexus since the LFA.”
High praise indeed. Vlusak does, however, indicate that the infotainment system is a bit clunky to navigate. Also, the laptop-style touchpad is a little on the finicky side. These seem like minor qualms. However, they could become quite annoying when you have to use this system on a daily basis. Everything else, it seems, checks out in the review. The power levels are appropriate, the technology employed is advanced and modern, and the interior is a comfortable place to spend your time.
In the video below, Dan Neil, automotive columnist for the Wall Street Journal, was also on hand to drive the same car. He has this to say about the styling: “Coming from a design culture that prizes sobriety and consensus, the LC’s willingness to antagonize represents a major shift in sensibility. It’s practically French.”
Neil also relayed a story in which Toyota learned that Americans thought of Lexus as boring back in 2011 and vowed that nobody would ever say they were boring ever again. It seems to have worked, as the LC 500 is anything but boring.
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