There are certain cars that get you into a club. A community. Cars that gain you friends just by owning them. A Porsche 911. A Subaru WRX. A Jeep Wrangler. Hell, for a while, acquiring a Saturn was like joining a cult. If you buy a Lexus LC 500 you will join a much, much smaller group: people I admire. The good news is that this group includes Dolly Parton and former Astros outfielder Kevin Bass. The bad news is that belonging to this group affords you nothing of any real value.
It’s my job in all of this to persuade you to love a car that I love. A car that most automotive journalists love. It may seem like a silly car. An unnecessary car. A swooping country club cruiser only to be enjoyed by few. Maybe that’s what it is.
Life is easier when the pleasures you seek are simple ones. A ripe strawberry. A lover’s soft caress. A phosphorescent sunset.
The 2024 Lexus LC 500 may not be a simple pleasure, given its high cost, but it’s not a complex one. It is, at the very least, simple pleasure-adjacent. This is not a complicated Japanese supercar-killer like a Nissan GT-R, or even a hard-nosed sports car like the Porsche 911. This is a practically-vintage V8 in a low-slung coupe that errs toward comfort and rolls, forever, into that phosphorescent sunset.
Why This Car Exists
In 2012, Lexus showed the sharp-edged concept car above that featured the presence of the Lexus LFA but in a slightly more approachable form, paired with a hybrid drivetrain. It took a few years, but Lexus finally created a production one and called it the Lexus LC 500. Sure, you could get it with a V6 and a mild hybrid system, but you could also get it with a V8. Get it with the V8.
Get. The. V8.
At the time the LC 500 finally debuted the obvious engine choice, the 2UR-GSE 5.0-liter V8, was already about a decade old, having premiered on the original Lexus IS F. This was a peach of an engine, a DOHC naturally-aspirated job featuring Yamaha-designed heads that are as finely crafted as any Yamaha piano, harp, loom, or other instrument the company makes.
In 2024, the most recent (last?) iteration of this motor produces a respectable 471 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft. of torque. These aren’t earthshaking numbers, but Lexus is about to go hardcore hybrid, offering it on the new Sequoia and 2024 Toyota Landcruiser, so it’s a surprise you can get a V8 at all. Plus, the smooth wash of torque and even smoother, Barry White-on-codeine exhaust note pair perfectly with the LC 500.
I don’t even dislike the 10-speed automatic, which is an Aisin-made torque converter transmission. It isn’t ricochet-fast between the gears like a dual-clutch transmission, rather it shifts at a pace that matches the character of the car.
The Basics
Price: $111,500 as-tested
Engine: 5.0-liter V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Drivetrain: RWD
Horsepower: 471 horsepower at 7,100 rpm.
Torque: 398 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm.
Fuel Economy: 15 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 18 mpg combined.
Body Style: four-seat coupe
Curb Weight: 4,476 pounds
What It Looks Like (Which Is Fantastic)
There are better-looking cars for sale. Right? Sure. The… uh. I’m gonna come up with one any minute now.
I didn’t even want an LC 500 the weekend I got it. I was thinking that maybe it was a Miata kind of weekend, but then the very nice person who helps arrange the press loans mentioned they just got a Copper Crest LC 500.
There are rules, folks. You always double-down on 11. You never leave a baseball game when you’re losing by fewer than three runs. And when someone offers you a Copper Crest LC 500 you say “Yes, thank you!”
This is the second time I’ve had one of these, and it’s stunning every time. How stunning? Numerous construction flaggers on my morning drive paid me the ultimate compliment: The Robert DeNiro eyebrow raise + smile-and-nod. The official gesture of “you have made good choices, my friend.” I even got a thumbs-up! It wasn’t even ironic. No one had made a sincere thumbs-up gesture in the 21st century until that exact moment.
Starting up front, this is probably the best iteration of the Lexus Spindle grille and, flanked by small inlets and vertical fog lights, it gives the LC 500 an immediate presence. The headlights have the modern Lexus contrasting color swoop through the main lights and the designers definitely drew the black cat eyes sharp enough to kill a man. It’s almost too busy, but it somehow works here.
In profile, you can see best how the designers pointed all the lines downward towards the front tire from the driver forward and towards the rear tires aft of the front seats. That, plus the generous use of contrasting black accents around the greenhouse and taillights, makes the passenger compartment seem much smaller than it actually is. Out back, the rear deck feels very LFA-esque, with lights that nicely echo the design in the front.
And the color. Oh the color. When it’s darker, the Copper Crest has a slightly rosy richness that doesn’t scream look at me because it doesn’t need to. If this car drives by you’re looking at it. In the sun it lives up to its name as it shines like a chandelier made of freshly minted pennies.
What It Looks Like On The Inside
Would any person on the planet be bold enough to go through the Lexus Bespoke Build package and spec a Cooper Crest LC 500 with the white-and-blue interior? It is a crazy thing to do. It’s madness. And yet, the line between madness and genius becomes blurrier with time.
I loved it.
It’s quite possible I’ll never get a chance to drive a real Lexus LFA and experience the simple greatness of that extremely Toyota version of a supercar. The LC 500 operates as a more serene and approachable version of the LFA, and that starts as soon as you grip the thick steering wheel and look straight into the watch-like gauge in front of you, with its shiny metallic bezel.
This is a driver-oriented cockpit, and not in a way that necessarily screams GT. If you just sit there and listen to the thrum of the 5.0-liter V8 and tap through the oversized paddle shifters you really wouldn’t know it wasn’t a sports car.
Sure, look to the right and notice how much time was put into the leather that drapes over the seatback, the attention to detail in every little stitch, or the thick carpeting, and it becomes a little more obvious. Turn back to the surprisingly useful (for a child) rear seat and it’s clear we’re not in Maranello anymore.
The biggest change is the dropping of the weird Lexus mouse thing that Toyota thought was going to be a good idea and the replacement with a boring and entirely useful 12.3-inch center stack. It’s way better, of course, but I do sort of miss the novelty of it.
I also highly recommend sitting in the passenger seat, which has a similar concept to the C8 in that there’s a bit of separation between driver and passenger, complete with a grab handle in case Dai Yoshihara is in the left seat. Unlike the fighter pilot aesthetic of the C8, this is far more organic and sort of giving SeaQuest DSV if that reference means anything to you (and if it does you’re maybe old enough to drive this car).
How It Drives
Driving is a visceral experience, and the LC 500 is perhaps one of the last great visceral big GTs as that category slowly gives way to electric cars.
The sound. You gotta come for the sound. Here’s a video Lexus UK put together:
That’s what it sounds like. It’s quiet-loud, if that makes sense. Or maybe loud-quiet?
There’s a deep roar that’s not as raspy as, say, the V8 in the F-Type, nor as F1-whiny as a Ferrari F355. The word people use is throatym and maybe the better qualifier here is Tuvan. Description cannot defy experience so just listen to the video, maybe.
This is a “front midship” car, and the driver is put at the center of the chassis, which you immediately feel when you pilot this machine. The car fits around you like a Gundam Mobile Suit, with emphasis on the dam.
And you can feel all of this without even leaving the parking lot.
And, sure, this is a GT first and not a sports car and the goal isn’t to make a track car, blah blah blah but you’d be hard-pressed to know that if you just looked at the way the vehicle is set up. There’s an adaptive variable suspension with a multi-link setup front-and-back, and it utilizes Huibert’s favorite double ball joints.
In an EV-titled world, the LC 500’s 0-60 jaunt in the mid-to-high 4-second range doesn’t sound insane, but banging off the 10-speed auto up to the 7,100 RPM redline it feels like a Star Wars imperial light cruiser.
Roll through your favorite curvy roads and, yeah, it’s not hard. But it’s not soft either. Can a driving experience be sumptuous? That sounds like autojournalistspeak and, yet, I’m going stick by it. It’s sumptuous. I think the best comparison is a Bentley Continental GT, because the ride is delicate and comfortable, even though it’s like half the price.
If you need more sound and enthusiasm, you can dial it up to Sport+ and approach something more sports car-like. But normal is a decent place to be.
Does The Lexus LC 500 Fulfill Its Purpose?
If you have a boring commute then a good commuter car makes you forget you’re driving. That’s the job. It needs to be like drivable novocain. Looking at the big Lexus badge on the car you might assume that’s also what it is.
Far from it. The LC 500 is joyous. It makes you want to drive further and further and further. I live in New York and it makes me want to skip flying to LA next time I go to the office and drive there via Miami and Vancouver in one of these.
This isn’t supposed to happen. The lie we like to tell ourselves is that a car that’s both loud and fast has to be punishing to be fun. Or it has to be outrageously expensive. Or it has to be a secret.
There’s no secret here. Ask any (good) autojournalist and they’ll tell you they will just make up an excuse to borrow an LC 500 because it’s one of those rare vehicles that’s right in that sweet spot between all things — without, somehow, compromising on any of them.
That’s rare.
And it’s not perfect, of course. It’s still a little expensive. It’s still weird to explain to your friend that you bought this car if you’re not a little bit on the older side.
I think that’s the ultimate paradox of this vehicle and why car journalists appreciate it the most. I don’t have to explain to a normal person why I like this car, but I have to work extra hard to explain it to you, a reader of a car website, and because of that I assume the people who most often buy the LC 500 are people who don’t have a lot of car friends, which is why other car people don’t talk about it. Though, maybe if you can afford the car you’re successful enough that you merely don’t give a shit what other people think which is the greatest luxury of all.
Why talk at all when you have this V8 to do the talking for you?
(Photo credits: Matt Hardigree)
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First and foremost-optioning black wheels on an LC should be a criminal offense, and optioning them with Copper Crest (it’s just rose gold let’s be real here) is a crime worthy of The Hague. This is also a car that offers many distinct and striking color options and a part of me dies a little inside when I see white, black, or silver ones. My dream LC500 is Nori Green over the tan interior with a matching soft top.
Which brings me to my greater point-this is a perfect car. I’m glad that it’s finally getting some of the respect that it deserves and I’m thrilled to see you all do a write up on one that conveys all that it has to offer much more eloquently and succinctly than I could. Cars like this don’t really exist anymore, and the fact that Lexus decided to make it at all is a miracle and a testament to everything that makes cars wonderful.
The LC500 isn’t a car you buy because of the stats, or the badge, or the price. It’s a car you buy because of how it makes you feel. It’s a car that you buy because you appreciate things like thoughtful design, engineering, craftsmanship, and perhaps most of all, longevity. In a world in which luxury products, and particularly luxury cars, have rapidly become disposable and fleeting, here’s one that’s designed to last you forever.
I could keep going but I’ll spare you all. The LC500 is a perfect car and one of the last standard bearers for everything that has made cars great throughout history. Now let’s promptly stop talking about it so I can buy one in the 60s in 3-4 years. Thanks!
I should have definitely pointed out in the article that the black wheels make no fucking sense.
You’re good man! You’re spreading the good news of the perfect car 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’d love to drive one but I’d probably wind up trying to buy it if I did. Obviously I can’t afford to drop six figures on a car but a used one in the 50-70 range?
…it could be done. It would be extremely stupid and reckless! But it could be done.
The other two choices aren’t great. I’d get the black wheels but have them stripped and clearcoated, we’re I getting one. Or – even better – smaller wheels and tires with bigger sidewalls. It’s a touring car, not a track car.
You and I share the ragtop/Nori Green/tan fantasy. I’m too darn cheap but I would so rock one of these in a heartbeat.
I agree with almost everything you said except for the Copper Crest. I saw a convertible one in person driving with its top down and I fell in love. Nori green was my favorite color but after seeing the CC on the LC, I now want one with a tan interior and the sand color top.
https://www.carpro.com/vehicle-reviews/review-2024-lexus-lc-500-convertible-bespoke-build
Oh I love copper crest too. I see an RX in that color during my commute pretty frequently and it’s stunning in person. I still don’t think I’d choose it over nori green personally, but it’s undoubtedly a great color. Just don’t pair black wheels with it, dear god.
Green over tan is the *chef’s kiss* primo choice. We’re I to be in the position to purchase an LC500, that would also be my choice. Though if the Utopian commentariat won the lottery and we all got LCs I might get yellow. Or blue. The “copper” is a bit too close to “rose gold” for my tastes, but if it were more like Nissan’s and Mazda’s coppers (closer to orange) from the mid-2000s I’d strongly consider it.
I will defend the black wheels ONLY from a design perspective. The other two choices are too busy. Of those two the one that’s symmetrical would look better in all-silver, not the mixed silver and black that it has. The third choice is asymmetrical and visually jarring. So get the black wheels, but have them stripped and clearcoated.
I have a yellow one (2019 Inspiration Series) & I couldn’t have said it better, it’s basically a perfect car for me with no real drawbacks (the infotainment and the lack of front-camera are very minor issues for me). The reliability is a hugely important/maybe underrated aspect of it compared to its competitors.. I had an F-Type R (British Racing Green, blade wheels, black/tan interior) before and it’s an incredible car too, normally it’d be fun to compare the two and discuss their different strengths, but the difference in reliability is so huge it’s no contest
Picking the convertible over the coupe is way worse than the black wheels. 🙂
Yeah, as a manual, lightweight sports car guy, I love these automatic and all. And the colors (the actual colors) are all fantastic—the green, the dark red, the vivid blue, and even the yellow and I don’t usually like yellow, but while it wouldn’t be my first choice, I would gladly have it without complaint or regret. The engine is one of the very few left that sound great and it also sounds different. Pictures do these no justice. The presence on the street is really stand out and I regularly see the wankermobiles from Audighini and Ferrari. I love the GR86, but a drive that’s a few hours long is wearing and I would love to have something like this to compliment it for the distances.
There are very few modern, expensive cars I truly love. Most of them are neat to learn about, see in public, etc. But I tend to be practical to a fault, and my car enthusiasm is typically piqued by things like weird old wagons, vans, and poorly assembled cars from the 90’s.
But then there’s the LC500. I love the LC500. It’s one of the few cars that I look at and say “What strategic choices could I make in my life and finances to be able to own one of these someday? Do I need to find a new job? Would it help if we sold the house and moved into camper down near the sewage treatment plant?”
Nsane has the right idea, Nori Green/tan interior is the way to go. But man, this car has been available in a number of awesome colors. That interior? Dear lord, sign me up, it looks beautiful. And I’ll do a 180 from yesterday, yes I can accept a V6 in a Charger/Challenger, no I cannot in the LC500. This car makes me want it all. It’s the definition of aspirational car (for a schmuck like me anyway).
It’s simply too good.
I´m with you on this one, in fact I (almost) don´t even consider the lc500h to be the same thing as the v8 powered version. Regarding the spec, I´d would also choose a Green/tan combination or maybe a dark blue exterior and a white interior.
Love the drive-control dial jutting out of the instrument deck. Nice reference (maybe) to the ‘islands’ in the gen 1 MR2, Subie XT ect. where vital controls (in the form of tactile buttons) were placed within easy reach of the steering wheel .
Think the Jag XJ’s of the 90s had something similar as well.
As did the Isuzu Impulse!
Yes, the Impulse had gigantic ones!
Probably should’ve referred to these as (floating) pods. ‘Islands’ – a term I came up as a youth with more imagination than vocabulary.
It’s a design element from the LF-A
That is an awesome color combo 😀
They should’ve used this car to base the Supra on, not a shitty BMW.
it worked in the 90s (the Soarer/SC and Supra were on the same platform)
IDK, I feel like that would have ended up being super expensive.
Jesus Christ Lexus coupes have crept up in price. I’ll know my dentist is too expensive if I see one of these.
Every time I see one of these it really stands out, because it’s one of the very few remaining cars with a beautiful sillouette. With advancing safety and economy targets, and the ever-present push towards crossovers, most cars in this class are forced to use character lines and surfaces to compensate for their chunky beltlines, high hoods and just overall frumpy shapes, but the LC500 really doesn’t compromise. It’s a gorgeous machine whose graphics enhance the shape rather than try to hide it. It honestly seems more Supra-like than the actual Supra, a sexy mile-munching 2+2 with zero compromises. This car is lightning in a bottle.
I don’t think it is fair to compare this to an Arquitens class cruiser. Those were a poor man’s star destroyer. This Lexas feels more Naboo
Yes, fair.
You’re not doing any favors here, Matt…with your terrific article, whispering to me, like a little devil on my shoulder, to buy the LC.
This is firmly on the short list, in green (yeah ‘90’s!), with the baseball glove leather interior.
As extremely fun as this color combination, I agree that green with the baseball glove leather interior is exactly the way to spect this car.
Putting black wheels on that car should be a criminal offense.
Unfortunately I can only give you one like. They are as atrocious as the car is magnificent.
Yeah, fair.
I absolutely adore these cars (even though I haven’t driven one). It’s one of my favourite designs on sale today and has been since it was released (proof I don’t hate everything).
I think Matt got this colourway just to spite me.
What is the best LC500 color and why is it Nori Green?
Solid choice but I think we all know what mine would be. Shame I don’t like the wheels currently on offer, otherwise I’d be putting in my order with Matt for my next company car.
I’ve long thought that marque clubs are prime example of a Granfalloon
Points for the Vonnegut reference.
We stopped by the local Lexus dealer a few weeks back to look at the new TX, and they had a blue LC500 convertible with the blue and white interior. I’m a big fan of blue vehicles, and it looked absolutely fantastic. I’m not a convertible fan, but were I inclined to get one and made of money, the LC500 convertible would be my jam. Admittedly, I’ve been a Lexus owner for many years now and am therefore biased, but like many others have said, the LC500 is absolutely the best premium GT car out there.
So how is Alexis Texas doing?
I get the impression there’s a joke there that I’m not getting, but we didn’t end up buying a TX.
Oh ok, I just figured you had read about it from a recent article here (It’s just a joke about a review of the Lexus TX- someone w/ a similar name is an “actress” in adult movies)
Ah, yeah, missed that joke completely.
The TX was actually really nice, but given our aversion to buying new vehicles, we will likely wait until they start hitting the used market to seriously consider one.
I’m so tempting to buy this with the new interior, however with the rumors that a LC-F was put into development during covid, it’s giving me mixed feelings. I want the LC-F.
I struggle to imagine an LC-F that isn’t compromised, it’d likely get harder suspension and a turbocharged engine, taking away some of the simplicity and purity that make it stand out. I hope I’m wrong, but I can only think that going after the M8 or AMG GT would muddy the formula.
Seems every news site is saying the F variants would get a minor increase in power, but the biggest gains would come from chassis and powertrain upgrades along with a transmission that stays cool.
That would be nice.
This car is the Goldilocks of GT cars.. it ticks all the right boxes (V8, luxurious gadgets, and a lively sport mode… I bet you thought I’d mention something about not having a manual transmission, but this is a Lexus, they won’t sell many with a third pedal). It’s a Goldilocks not because it focuses on the hardcore, raw speed, loud exhaust and super firm suspension – if you wanted those things, you’d be in a Porsche to begin with… this is a Goldilocks because it is guaranteed to put a smile on everyones’ faces. This car is juuuust right in every way conceivable.
Like I’ve been saying for ages, the LC500 is a perfect car. No one is changing my mind.
Indeed.. plus you get that next level build quality that Toyota is known for. That’s like getting free sprinkles on your sundae.
I browse listings for these often, and you’ll see LC500s that are approaching 6 figures of mileage pretty frequently. And when you pull up the CarFax they’ve had nothing but preventative maintenance. That’s what, as you say, puts the sprinkles on the Sunday for me as well.
Other than a couple of carbon fiber bits (I believe the hood, doors, and trunk lid are all carbon fiber but I’ll have to double check) that will be very costly to replace you’re basically just maintaining a Toyota when it comes to running costs.
When put up against a comparable 911 or a more expensive British GT it’s no contest. Like I said in my diatribe, these are designed to be kept and loved long term. I’m sure we’d all enjoy a quick fling with a siren like an Aston or AMG GT but at the end of the day what do you want to come home to?
The Lexus. Every single time.
Can you get it with a cassette deck, though?
The last tape deck option in a factory car was the 2010 Lexus SC340, I think. However, when you are talking about bespoke cars, there is certainly a way to get one if you want it.
This car’s predecessor being the last new car to ship with a tape deck was the joke I was going for, glad somebody got it!
The best thing about the comments here is the esoterica. Well played, sir!
The RC still has a CD player, and no updates for that car in sight
I’ve been playing around with the online configurator as I may be in a position to buy one of these in a couple years. At least for the convertible (the one I’d be buying), Lexus really screws you if you want a color that’s anything other than gray/white/black. Sure, you can get the convertible in the sweet color from this article, but seemingly adding a single option forces you into the non-color penalty box…
The kind of car we will mourn when it’s gone.
A statement I find myself making all too often lately.
I wonder if people felt like this in 1971.
I was born in 1971. I can’t say I remember feeling like that at the time.
I felt that way when the 1973 OPEC oil embargo killed all the hot rod Dodges.
<pours one out>
Wow, that paint is fantastic.
How would you compare this to the Vantage? Vantage being roughly $30k more
Reason # 18235 I could never own a luxury car:
I’d have to wear something other than blue denim.
(But that interior IS pretty smexy…)
Once I crested 40 I started wearing less and less denim. Now it is either dickies or 686 pants, with denim almost exclusively for motorcycle rides. No regrets.
I like the convertible. Gorgeous cars in any form.
It looks fantastic? So it’s, like, a fantasy creature? So… a Predator?
The best version of the Lexus spindle grill. Yeeeeaaaaah… I’m actually gonna agree with you there, but it’s still like having the best looking hairy wart in the middle of your face.
I’m… I’m the wart. She’s my tumor. My… my growth. My… uh, my pimple. I’m Uncle Wart. Just old Buck “Wart” Russell. That’s what they call me, or Melanoma Head. They’ll call me that. “Melanoma Head’s coming.” I’m s… uncle! Maisy Russell’s uncle!
Here’s a quarter! Go downtown and have a rat chew that thing off!
If this was modeled after SeaQuest, wouldn’t the driver controls be hanging down from overhead?
I’m going to go ahead and state for the record that this is most likely the only time SeaQuest DSV has made it’s way into a car review.
I hope I live long enough to still be around at the bottom of the depreciation curve of these.
Oh damn. This article and specifically this comment made me go to autotrader and look at SC coupes and darned if there isn’t a pristine 1992 SC400 on there with 62k miles for only $13k. Doh!
I told my 11 yr-old daughter I am going to cash in her college fund and buy one of these. The only thing funny about it is she thinks I’m joking. You wanted Standford, but sorry, you’re getting community college and loans.
I could’ve jumped on a blue over beige 2018 with 50k miles for $58,000 a couple of weeks ago. My pregnant wife thought I was joking and promptly didn’t even give me the dignity of a response when she realized I wasn’t. Apparently the 2018s are the ones to skip because of first model year kinks but I don’t give a flying fuck, an LC500 is an LC500 and I’d imagine the aftermarket can effectively make your 2018 into a later gen.
If you think Standford is expensive, try looking at Stanford University price!
Hehe.
The full name is Leland Stanford Junior University, named by co-founders Leland and Jane Stanford in memory of their son, Leland Jr. A friend of mine who went there says frequently it’s still necessary to explain to people that no, her degree is not from a junior college.
Oof…what a typo!
lol, not a legacy admission then? 😉