Lexus has revealed the LC 500, a new flagship performance model, at the Detroit motor show. The coupé is a full production model based on the LF-LC concept showcased in 2012. The concept’s overall design and technical ideology have been carried over onto the LC 500.
While the exterior of the 2+2 coupé is heavily influenced by that of the LF-LC, it also mixes in some of Lexus’s familiar design features such as the prominent front grille and angular headlights with smooth panels, and a swept-back roofline. The interior of the car features Lexus’s digital dash display and the carmaker's next-gen infotainment system, the 2017 Multimedia package.
The LC 500 is powered by the same naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 found in the RC F and GS F, which produces 467bhp at 7,100rpm and 52.53kgm of torque at 4,800rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic gearbox, which despite being single-clutched, is claimed to swap cogs with shift times that ‘rival’ dual-clutch transmissions. The single-clutch system is both lighter and more compact in its design. And with so many ratios to play with, the LC 500 is expected to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in less than 4.5 seconds.
It is the first to be built upon Lexus’s new rear-wheel-drive platform – part of a new corporate global architecture for luxury vehicles (GA-L) – which uses high-strength steel and aluminium suspension components to keep weight down and structural rigidity up. Lexus is also offering an optional carbon- fibre roof (glass is standard) for those hoping to shed more mass.
Lexus has also equipped the car with a sound generator to ‘enhance’ its tone, while the exhaust features sound control valves to alter volume and tone depending on the driving scenario.