Car_and_Driver_USA_July_2017

TESTED
The Big Show
Lexus’s husky new starlet, the 2018 LC500 coupe, trades on glamour. _by Mike Sutton
Sultry
design, hell’sbells
exhaust,
eminently
refined.
Needs a
serious diet,
big bucks for
modest thrust.
LEXUS’S ONGOING PLOT to develop soul-stirring vehicles
appears to be coming together when you first see the stunning
LC500 coupe on the road. But while the car is IMAX-grade automotive
theater, the producers have yet to cast the right engine with
a proportional amount of forward thrust. One is coming.
The gaping spindle grille that gives this car the face of an electric
razor doesn’t hinder the 500’s curbside magnetism. The LC is
also supremely accommodating, with a sumptuous interior, an
excellent driving position, and a nose that clears parking stops. But
the steel chassis underpinning the mostly aluminum and composite
body panels is onerously heavy, albeit
ultra-rigid. At 4378 pounds, our test car
weighed more than a Honda Pilot.
The $10,000 Performance package on
our example somewhat countered the
excessive weight by replacing the standard
glass roof with a carbon-fiber weave. It
also adds huge 21-inch forged wheels with
run-flat Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires
(245/40s in front and 275/35s out back), a
limited-slip differential, a variable-ratio
steering rack, rear-wheel steering, bodyhugging
sport seats, and lots of leather and Alcantara.
While the rear steering makes it feel somewhat aloof at the limit,
this four-seater can play either a lazy grand tourer or a hunkereddown
sports coupe depending which of the six driving modes (eco,
comfort, normal, custom, sport, and sport-plus) you’ve selected. A
general sense of understeer reminds you not to push too hard, yet
the LC always feels crisp and poised thanks
in part to its adjustable dampers. Even in
the firmest setup, the LC soaks up Michigan’s
pockmarked pavement while keeping
the body level in corners. And the electrically
assisted helm is superquick (as quick as
9.8:1 with the variable-ratio steering) and
precise, transmitting a pleasing amount of
road texture from the front contact patches.
The drive modes also adjust the volume
of the 471-hp 5.0-liter V-8’s gripping
soundtrack—up to 88 decibels at full
whack—as well as how much snap accompanies
the 10-speed automatic’s smartly
orchestrated shifts, be they on their own or
via the magnesium paddles on the steering
wheel. Sport mode was our preferred setting
for its balance of refinement, noise,
and heightened responsiveness.
Despite the LC’s visual and auditory
drama, however, its lateral grip (0.93 g) and
156-foot stop from 70 mph are unexceptional
at this price point, and a 13.0-second
quarter-mile pass at 112 mph is significantly
off the pace of other high-end luxury
coupes, not to mention the lesser Lexus
RC F. We cruised at a solid 29 mpg on our
200-mile highway loop yet averaged only
17 mpg in our day-to-day use.
The LC500’s near-six-figure admission
fee ($92,975; the hybrid 500h is $4510
more) suits its exotic looks, with most of
our test car’s $12,120 in options worth the
up-charge. But ultimately the LC trips on
the red carpet when interviewed. Were
they our dollars, we would hold out for
the high-powered sequel, the twin-turbo
600-hp LC F that we expect Lexus to premiere
later this year.
2018 LEXUS LC500
VEHICLE TYPE: frontengine,
rear-wheel-drive,
4-passenger, 2-door
coupe
PRICE AS TESTED:
$105,095
BASE PRICE: $92,975
ENGINE TYPE:
Atkinson-capable DOHC
32-valve V-8, aluminum
block and heads, direct
fuel injection
DISPLACEMENT:
303 cu in, 4969 cc
POWER:
471 hp @ 7100 rpm
TORQUE:
398 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION:
10-speed automatic with
manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE: 113.0 in
LENGTH: 187.4 in
WIDTH: 75.6 in
HEIGHT: 53.0 in
PASSENGER VOLUME:
81 cu ft
TRUNK VOLUME: 5 cu ft
CURB WEIGHT: 4378 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
ZERO TO 60 MPH:
4.6 sec
ZERO TO 100 MPH:
10.4 sec
ZERO TO 150 MPH:
25.2 sec
ROLLING START,
5–60 MPH: 4.8 sec
1/4-MILE: 13.0 sec
@ 112 mph
TOP SPEED: 168 mph
(gov limited, mfr’s claim)
BRAKING, 70–0 MPH:
156 ft
ROADHOLDING,
300-FT-DIA
SKIDPAD: 0.93 g
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA COMBINED/CITY/
HWY: 19/16/26 mpg
C/D OBSERVED:
17 mpg
102 . CAR AND DRIVER . JUL/2017
photography by ANDI HEDRICK