ABDC 2018: Lexus LC 500

3rd place

Why is it here?

A performance Lexus like no other (i.e. highly driveable), the LC 500 is even better than it reads. And sounds every bit as good as it looks. It’s ability to surprise and delight feels like a dance you’ve never tried. But don’t worry; the Lexus LC 500 is happy to lead.

A stand-out luxury coupe packing a powerful V8 engine, the LC 500 brought the LF-LC concept to life with little compromise. All the right ingredients and high levels of mystique were certain to appeal to any open-minded motoring enthusiast.

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What’s under the bonnet?

Beneath the exquisite metal form lives a Yamaha-tuned, 351kW/540Nm Lexus-built 5.0-litre V8 engine paired to a Lexus-first 10-speed automatic transmission.

An entirely new bespoke platform and body formed from steel, forged and cast aluminium and carbon-fibre composites envelopes the V8 engine that sits low in the chassis and has been pushed back to sit behind the front axle line for optimum weight distribution.

Meanwhile a newly developed double-ball-joint and strut front-end does its bit to ensure maximum grip, further collaborating with its rigid body that manipulates all power through the rear wheels.

Sound control valves fully exploit the V8 sound at start-up, stand still and on throttle. The Lexus’ hearty soundtrack proved a constant source of enjoyment. “Sounds more Group A Commodore than a Japanese screamer,” was James Whitbourn’s audible assessment.

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How does it perform?

Our Victorian Alpine tour presented the LC 500 with roads many judges suggested could be too demanding for the weighty (1935kg). They were wrong. Crisp steering with good feedback made for a very satisfying drive. Excellent turn-in, strong brakes and a fast-acting 10-speed transmission delivers instant gratification of the sweetest kind. Excessive gear changes are a must.

Still, there was much speculation about just how this luxury coupe would carry itself when pushed to the limit both on Winton Motor Raceway and in straight-line testing.

On-track performance testing put to task not only the rear-drive, 10-speed V8, but also the LC’s limited slip diff and driver assist technology.

Our gun at the wheel, Luke Youlden, said “[The LC 500] absolutely provokes emotion, but felt it didn’t let the driver do their thing. It never quite trusts the driver to do without some sort of aid even with stability control switched ‘off’. It’s a safe car, but I think so there’s so much more potential there if the engineers could let it loose.”

Straight line testing saw the LC 500 finish fifth and sixth respectively for its 0-100km/h and 0-400m runs. A 1:38.128sec lap time around Winton’s National Circuit placed it fifth, behind the Mercedes-AMG, Alfa Romeo, BMW and Audi respecitvely.

Luke Youlden commented that the LC 500 didn’t possess the same levels of grip, and the “always active electronics are too conservative and overcompensate”. It’s no slouch though.

As you’d expect, it’s thirsty work. The LC 500 guzzled an average of 20.5L/100km over our (far from normal) test period.

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Is it worth the asking price?

Shut up and take my money.

“This whole package is nothing short of amazing” said Greg Crick.

At a time when artisanal skills are king, the Lexus LC 500 takes the automotive crown. Its bespoke all-new platform wraps a hand-crafted interior; a tactile feast that is finished with precision-perfect levels of detail. The Mark Levinson 13-speaker surround sound noise-cancelling audio system is a wonder all its own. It’s fitting, given its near $200k price tag…

A fussy segment with vague parameters (copious money does that), the LC 500 is a valid competitor to many types that inhabit the luxury sports coupe offering – the likes of Jaguar’s F-TYPE V8 (from $228,000) and the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (from $218,715) spring to mind.

You’d also expect its distinctive looks (never mistaken for another) and enviable reliability (not pointing any fingers) to be powerful attributes for buyers who have the means to stand out and the pragmatism to match.

Your LC 500 comes with a four-year/100,000km warranty – a distance which may creep up mighty fast in the event that it’s quite difficult to prise yourself from the driver’s seat.

In the company of its ABDC rivals however, you can’t help but do a quiet ‘bang-for-buck’ analysis – as unfair as it may seem. Truth is, the Lexus LC 500 is worth every cent.

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What do the judges think?

The words ‘surprised’ and ‘satisfying’ were recurring themes as the judges put to paper the way the LC 500 made them feel.

“The sound and crescendo you are able to achieve while climbing the tacho is hugely satisfying.” said Sam Charlwood.

“Who thought a Lexus could be this good?” questioned Paul Gover.

The luxury coupe’s character and style was a standout – not only in this ABDC crowd but generally speaking.

While some drivers failed to find that perfect driving position, for the most part we stepped away in awe of what Lexus has achieved in what is its finest example of concept-car meets reality.

It’s no lightweight, but the Lexus’ willingness to dive into a corner – with its raucous V8 growling as you blast from the apex – brought a smile to faces (far and wide) time again.

Like the joy of a sequel that betters the original, there now lies great anticipation for the future of Lexus overall, as summed up by Bruce Newton “Akio Toyoda is actually moving the needle. Best looking, best sounding, best driving Lexus I have ever sat in – apart from LFA.”

However, the Lexus’ near perfect road manners and potentially too-clever electronics left several judges feeling unresolved. They were searching for ‘more mongrel’ in their ultimate driver’s car.

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2018 Lexus LC 500 pricing and specifications:

Price: $190,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.0-litre eight-cylinder petrol
Output: 351kW/540Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.6L/100km (ADR Combined), 20.5L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 267g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2018 Lexus LC 500 performance figures (as tested):

0-100km/h: 6.1sec
0-400m: 13.638sec @ 175.3km/h
Lap time: 1:38.128sec

Related reading:

>> Lexus LC 500 Review