The Star: February 08, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday February 8 2018 31
Driven
Supercar performance
from V8-powered Lexus
• By Ross Kiddie
I’VE MADE no secret
over the years of my
affection for Lexus
product.
There’s something about
the fit and feel when you
are sitting behind the
wheel, the quality of manufacture,
the intuitive way
the controls are laid out
and, of course, there’s that
luxury/sport blend that is
hard to combine in manufacture
and get right.
Lexus has taken a big
step with the manufacture
of its LC500 series sport
coupe. It’s a car which
swings the bias away
from luxury squarely into
the performance car category,
and I label it a bit
of soft supercar. Its price
of $215,000 is less than
you’d pay for an equivalent
Ferrari or Lamborghini,
but the LC500 has supercar
looks and has performance
not that far distant.
The LC500 lands here in
two forms, there’s a 5-litre
V8 model which is the
subject of this evaluation,
and if you feel that you’d
like to give back to the
environment a little there’s
a V6 hybrid model. Both
list at the same price and
you can have the option
of a carbon fibre roof on
either variant for an extra
$5000.
When Lexus New
Zealand launched the
LC500 it included a media
experience at Highlands
Motorsport Park, near
Cromwell. I can report
from that event that both
models live up to that
sports car dynamism –
even the hybrid, it is a
high performance contender
without question.
That event was truly
memorable, and served to
prove that the LC500 is a
sports car with handling
and power without compromise,
and it all comes
with a sound that as a
sports car buyer you’d be
satisfied with, it isn’t overwhelming
but it is strong
out of the exhausts.
In true sports car fashion
the LC500 drives
through the rear wheels,
and from the best information
I have it has a near
perfect 52:48 front/rear
weight balance, and that’s
hard to engineer into a big
car.
The engine drives
through a 10-speed direct
shift automatic, and by
the sheer nature of its
power outputs (351kW
LEXUS LC500: V8 engine or V6 hybrid.
and 540Nm), there’s an
unfaltering surge of power
through the power band,
the red-line sits around
7000rpm and the engine
will happily wail to that
point with a thunder and
fury that only a V8 can
produce.
It’s timely to point out
that the engine is naturally
aspirated, there’s no turbocharger,
it produces those
fabulous outputs solely on
mechanical ability and the
ability to rev freely.
• Price – Lexus LC500,
$215,000
• Dimensions –
Length, 4720mm;
width, 1920mm;
height, 1345mm
• Configuration – V8,
rear-wheel-drive,
4969cc, 351kW,
540Nm, 10-speed
automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 4.7sec
• Fuel usage –
12.2l/100km
Of course, you don’t
need to drive the LC in
sports car mode all the
time, it’s a city-friendly
drive and adapts to all situations
with aplomb and
dignity, and that’s what I
mean about the Lexus way
of manufacture, it’s more
than just a high-speed
sports car, its driveability
at all speeds is uncanny.
The LC500 is delightfull
in all aspects, its road
manners aren’t disturbed
by uneven surfaces, the
suspension is simply magic
with a comfortable ride
and the dynamics needed
to harness that wealth of
power.
Huge Michelin tyres
(21in) put the power down
well, and the traction control
network isn’t overly
invasive and doesn’t stifle
the driver’s request when
power out of a corner is
asked early.
While the LC500 is
simply magical in all
performance aspects, the
criteria I rely on most
when judging how good
a car is through the feel
in the steering in relation
to the request for power.
The LC500 steers likes
it’s on velvet, steering
input translates to minute
changes in direction and
there’s perfect loading at
the wheel, the body stays
rigid and flat over the suspension,
most of its wonderful
handling manners
relate to that perfect balance
I mentioned earlier,
for a weighty car (1941kg)
stability is phenomenal.
In terms of figures,
the LC500 will lunge to
100km/h in around 5sec
and will complete an
80km/h to 120km/h overtaking
time of 3.8sec.
Those familiar with the
Lexus brand, will relate to
the high specification features
built into the brand
and the LC500 incorporates
all of the kit you’d
expect from a car of this
price. As I eluded to in my
introduction, the cabin
proper is luxurious and
impeccably laid out for
comfort and convenience.
It’s a bit unrealistic to
call the LC500 a four-seater
given the tight nature of
the rear seating area, but
you could get away with
calling it a 2+2 for short
distances.
Lexus, as a company and
through the dealership
network, agree the LC500
in either form won’t be a
huge seller, but it is a clear
intention by the company
to prove that they don’t
just sell luxury cars, the
LC500 has definite purpose.
Those who do buy one
had better get used to
being in the limelight. In
the 30-plus years I’ve been
driving new cars I’ve never
had one that’s captured
quite as much attention as
the LC500 did, and that
doesn’t surprise me, it is
an absolute stunner in all
aspects.
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