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I could have sworn someone at Lexus had made a huge mistake.
The Japanese automaker invited me to Hawaii of all places to experience the company’s new flagship sports car, the LC500. In the days leading up to the event I was fortunate enough to tour around the Big Island in a rental car… although I found that Hawaii can be a difficult place to drive. After all, when you want to stop every 50 feet to take a photo it’s hard to really get into a driving groove. Between the paradisiacal beaches, the lava-spewing volcanoes, and the straight-out-of-Jurassic Park jungles, it’s nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes on the road.
So it was with skepticism on my behalf that I was given an LC500 by the Lexus team and told to drive the belt road around the island to see what the new offering could do. Only hours later, as I rolled back into the Four Seasons Hualalai parking lot to return the car, did I realize that I hadn’t noticed any of the scenery that had so enthralled me days earlier. The driving experience provided by the Lexus had completely monopolized my attention and in doing so, had laid a claim to finally being able to compete with, and possibly defeat, their longtime nemeses from Germany: Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
The LC500 builds on this recent trend with its own version of Lexus’ V8, already found in the GS F and RC F models. This 5-liter version is tuned to provide 471 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft. of peak torque, enough to push the LC500 from 0-60mph in under 4.5 seconds. Paired to a 10-speed transmission, the engine is playful and enthusiastic, reveling in the 5000 rpm range before redlining around 7,300 rpm. Lexus’ claim that this transmission can offer shifts as quick as a dual-clutch system are well-founded as the engine seamlessly moves up through the gears.
Downshifts, meanwhile, are accompanied by a soundtrack of pops and crackles that would make any car aficionado’s heart flutter. It’s an adrenaline-pumping driving experience, not undermined in the least by the leather-bound interior that surrounds passengers in opulent comfort. In addition, the LC500 is gorgeous from all angles, with hints of the LFA, SC, RC and IS ranges found throughout the design, and an aggressive stance that makes the LC500 an angry-looking visitor to one’s rear view mirror.
2. Cutting Weight… Without Cutting Weight
For as long as Lexus has been crafting vehicles, there’s always been one factor that’s held them back when compared to their German counterparts—weight. Lexuses (Lexi?) have long had their power, handling and stability compromised by the heft resulting from the luxurious interiors and solid construction. Understeer was a constant expectation when pushing a Lexus through corners, and acceleration was underwhelming when considering the stated power outputs of the cars. This seems to have changed with the LC500. Despite a curb weight of 4280 lbs, and a less than ideal 54/46 weight distribution, the LC500 feels like a featherweight when compared to its predecessors. Entering corners, the nose dips into the turn, surprising at first with its nimbleness, as the back end lightens up just enough to avoid understeer. On the exit, the car leaps forward as if released from restraints, as the rear end replants itself to allow the back wheels to transfer the supplied power to the road.
So how is this possible if the company didn’t significantly cut weight? According to one of the Lexus engineers in attendance, they focused not on removing weight but instead arranging the weight within the car in a way that made the car feel lighter even if it wasn’t actually shaving off the pounds. As many parts of the LC500 as possible were shifted towards the middle of the car and lowered, producing an improved center of gravity. The 54-46 weight distribution wasn’t a concern as long as the car felt evenly balanced. If I hadn’t driven the car myself, I’d say this sounds like salesmanship, but the truth matches the claim, as the car, despite weighing more than two tons, has the agility and nimbleness of a vehicle hundreds of pounds lighter.
