I have asked my local dealer if they can get me USB w/toasted caramel interior, dynamic handling pkg, HUD and ML. I have not seen many pictures or post on CL with this color combo, I hope I like it as my dealer put in the request to Lexus and if I decide to not get it they’ll be stuck with it as they mentioned not many customers request this color combo and option pkg.

Thoughts?

 

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

 

I don't see any Ultrasonic Blue LC coupes on the allocation sheet right now, but they're building roughly 8 convertibles for every 1 coupe. For the convertibles, 10 out of 321 currently on the allocation sheet are Ultrasonic Blue. Of those, 3 have caramel interiors ( VINs: JTHMPAAY8RA108315, JTHMPAAY6RA108121 and JTHMPAAYXRA109546).

What your dealer means when they say "they'll be stuck with it" is that they probably won't dealer trade for this car then give you a discount, they'll want you to pay MSRP. If you're paying MSRP, my advice would be to do a "bespoke build" LC for the 2025 model year and do all the extras to make the car truly unique.

Here's the convertible version of your car, I ordered it bespoke with the black wheels and black trim:

 

Just one more point I wanted to add on this note specifically. Three years ago I sold a gen1 NSX on BringATrailer, nearly tripling my money in ~4 years of ownership. It was the 7th highest NSX to sell at that time (last time I counted it's now in the #17 slot) and it set the record at the time for non-Zanardi pre-facelifted cars ('97-'01). Why did it sell for so much? Because it was the first blue NSX (there are 3 blue colors for gen 1 NSXs) to sell on BringATrailer in 4 years. Shortly after that there were a number of other blue NSXs listed for sale, I personally like to think that my unusually high sale price prompted those other blue cars to be listed.

I personally find most of the Lexus vehicle colors to be boring. Cadmium Orange and Infrared are pretty good, I've never been a yellow car guy so Flare Yellow doesn't do it for me. I'm considering a new GX550 -- I help run a Toyota-based offroading club and large event in Colorado -- but the colors are all pretty tame. The most interesting one is Nori Green, which doesn't look nearly as good as my 2011 Army Green FJ Cruiser did.

The Structural Blue color offered on the 2018 Inspiration Coupe and 2021 Inspiration Convertible is, I think (but am not sure), the only Inspiration Edition color that was not also a generally available color. But other than that, most of the LC500 colors have been available for most of the 7 model years that the car has been for sale.

Since Ultrasonic Blue is new for 2024, and sales have been declining since the first year that the convertibles came out (2021), in the long run I suspect that Ultrasonic Blue will be the 2nd most rare LC500 color after Structural Blue. Cadmium Orange or Flare Yellow will probably be the next two most rare, but those colors are polarizing -- some people love them, some hate them. I don't think I've ever found anybody that hated a blue car. The 2nd most rare gen1 NSX color is an orange, and they don't sell as well as the blue cars do.

Coupe vs Convertible long term, it's hard to know how long term values will work out. My main car market experience is with Toyota FJ Cruisers (I wrote the buy/sell guide) and I find LC coupes to be like manual transmission FJs: less desirable to most people, highly desirable to a small number of people. So I would say that the bigger issue of the spec car you're trying to find is that it's a coupe rather than a convertible.

Your Lexus dealer has probably sat on some boring gray or black or white LC500 in their showroom for months waiting for the right buyer to come along. The idea that it'll be harder for them to sell one of the most rare, but also most desirable, colors on an LC500 is laughable. They're saying that to you because they want MSRP for the car.

I picked my car up from the dealer 4 hours after it arrived. In that 4 hours, 3 other people walking through the dealership asked them about buying it.

 

I think it's a winning color combination, which is why I just ordered one as well! I'm getting mine in a hybrid, though, and with the Touring Package rather than Dynamic Handling. Good luck with yours!

 

Funny thing is I see a lot of people on the forums saying they're going to order blue/caramel yet there's barely any being built. I'm not giving Lexus the benefit of the doubt that they're actually aligning cars built with cars ordered as one would presume. Otherwise, we would not see so many LCs built in boring colors.

 

they were worried if I don’t buy the LC I requested it may sit in the showroom for sometime. But I could be wrong and someone may buy it as its unique color combo.

Only reason I didn’t go with bespoke build is that I want rear steering so I need to get dynamic handling package for me to get that option.

 

So in addition to the color combo, with dynamic handling and rear steering that's a very highly optioned LC. Does bespoke for the coupes not allow for rear steering? The bespoke process could definitely be better, for example my HUD option got missed somehow.

Rear steer is nice to have but not essential I'd say. If anything, it's extra steering parts to maintain / align that I'd almost rather not have. But rear steering isn't an option on the convertible (my #1 requirement) so I never had to make that trade-off decision.

 

They had a 2024 hybrid at a dealership in FL recently with that color combo. It sold in two or three weeks.

I agree that too many LCs (and cars in general) are built with boring colors. I think a lot of people would prefer having an option of an interesting color rather than the standards of black, white, and grey. There's nothing wrong with those colors, or course, but I prefer a little more flair in my car!

 

We also are waiting/looking at the new GX550, question; what is your opinion of the Overtrail version vs Luxury?

We had a GX460 and the wife loved it so she "thinks" she wants the new one (nothing to see or test drive at dealership since they are sold before arrival). We also had a Nori Green/Caramel RXL and it's a fantastic color.

 

I help run a large offroading club here in Colorado that focuses on Toyota's, I'm also one of the original founders of the Rocky Mountain Toyota RoundUp offroading event each year in Ouray, Colorado. I moved to Colorado in 2011 for offroading and have extensively offroaded a 2011 FJ and a 2018 4Runner.

The GX550 Overtrail will be my next offroad vehicle. The 3.4L TTV6 powertrain is excellent, especially up here at elevation (turbo V6 handles the elevation better), the E-KDSS system allows for unprecedented levels of suspension travel on a stock / unmodified 4x4. I love how it looks. I'm a little frustrated that they didn't design the front bumper to easily take a winch bumper, the new Land Cruiser seems to take this more into account.

Edit: GX550 vs Land Cruiser, I was stunned when they announced the 4-cylinder engine in the Land Cruiser. And when you price out a Land Cruiser vs a GX, they're within a grand or two at similar spec levels. I haven't been able to find a technical reason to buy the Land Cruiser over the GX550. I think Lexus is going to sell a ton of GX's to people who were considering the Land Cruiser. I'm one of them.

GX550 Overtrail vs Luxury, if you're offroading it you buy the Overtrail. If you're hauling kids in town, possibly in bad weather, and occasionally running up to the ski areas, you don't buy the Overtrail (premium vs luxury trims are up to you based on price / features).

My main gripe with the GX550 is that the colors choices could be better. Nori Green is probably the best but it's not great, I'd rather an Army Green color like my FJ. I could buy one now but I'd like for them to work through any first year issues, hopefully by that time they'll have some better color choices.

 

Thanks so much for the response, appreciate the information. Not much "true" off-roading here in Michigan, at the most maybe some fire lanes or sand dunes. Mostly it's hauling the dogs around, sometimes kids but they are older. We'll see, it might not be till next year anyway since I just got the LC last month and just put tires/brakes on her RXL. I tried to talk her into the LX, but she feels it's a "size" thing (too big) and she loved the old GX when we had it. I agree that the new GX's are going to be a hot item. Regards.

 

The previous GX and LX were a lot different size-wise, the new ones really aren't. GX550 vs LX600, their wheelbase lengths are the same (112.2 inches), the LX is 3 inches longer than the GX, they're the same width (78 inches), the GX is an inch taller than the LX. Premium and Luxury trims on the GX are 3-rows (Overtrail is just 2 seating rows). Not so different than I think it would matter. They even come with the same 3.4L TTV6 engine.

One nice upgrade on the GX Premium and Luxury trims are the option to have the 2nd row be captain's chairs rather than a solid seating row. But at this point the main difference is styling, not size.

 

Didn’t realize the size differences had changed and were much closer. Still for the price point, the GX just seems like a better value. I do like the Captian chair setup, when we had two RXL’s one had the bench and one the Captain chairs. The biggest benefit for the Captains chairs was for the dogs, it was much easier for them to gain access via the rear doors (height) versus going thru the lift gate. Once in they would just head back to the rear. Also was easier when carrying those long items without having to drop the seats. We just need to get into one for a test drive. Probably the only thing I disliked about our old GX was the seats, but compared to the LC seats, well there is no comparison! I find myself looking for reasons to drive the LC. And the crazier thing is, I also find myself driving somewhat “reserved”, just knowing the power is there is enough.

 

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