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.
This car would be the perfect design if the grille were 30% smaller. Bishop, do your job!
“..The car fits around you like a Gundam Mobile Suit..”
With this phrase you have earned my respect forever.
I adore the LC500 and I am really hoping to buy one used in 10 years. They are probably my favorite new car, and I get so excited any time I see one.
Whoa! From the looks of it, I didn’t peg this car for a 2+2. I’m more impressed!
I’m not a huge fan of the looks when I’ve seen these in the wild, but they do always grab my attention. If they are that fun to drive, then maybe the grand touring coupe as a concept isn’t dead yet!
This is definitely a car I would own if I had the money. Even used it’s out of reach. I have sat in one before, it’s a great place to be.
I’ve been temped to chop a Lexus LS400 into a wagon by adding a 4runner rear roof and hatch. If they made a LS wagon in Fsport trim it, along with the LC500, would be the perfect 2 car garage. Like having Lexus versions of an Audi RS6 Avant and a Aston Martin DB9.
Lexus used the color of my wife’s favorite vehicle we ever owned. 1998 Tacoma 5spd 4×4. Copper Canyon Mica. We still miss that truck. I’d buy her this lexus, but it’s a *bit* too expensive. Only $80k over our budget.
“There are better-looking cars for sale.” Yes, I think really all other cars are looking not so ugly as this one does.
wonderful review
You either get this car or you don’t. I find them beautifully well designed and am glad they exist. I have a friend who actually has two because of the different color combo’s they offer. One with a built motor and it’s a fun car. I believe they lose money on every one of these that they build. He also had an LFA which I found hideous but rocked. There’s a fanny for every seat.
Your friend sold an LFA and got 2 LCs instead? What’s wrong with this person.
Love these, but the black wheels gotta go. An LC500 is a day one lottery money purchase. It is awesome that we can still buy a NA V8 coupe (not necessarily a sports car, which this isn’t).
I’ve said before on this site, if I win the lottery I will buy many, many cars, but firstly I’ll buy an LC500 while I deliberate over all those other purchases.
There’s someone in my shared work building that has one, in silver ????, to see it in the car park brightens my day, it’s a beautiful looking car.
I actually don’t like the body design of this very much…it’s just weird. I would much rather look at/drive a Ferrari Testarossa. What’s w/ that passenger separator? That thing looks stupid…I do like that interior color
If you had a once in a lifetime $100k just sitting around, and was offered a choice between a green LC500 and a green Cayman GTS, which would you choose?
Cayman for sure!
Yup. Or a slightly used 911 cab…
The LC no questions.
A Blackwing.
A Cayman drives great but this one would have MUCH more fun. You’d not be the fastest or sharpest, but you’d have a beautiful V8 and no roof. And luxury.
Driving V8 convertibles is cool. I know because I have a German one. A decade older but still a hoot. This LC500 is much more beautiful.
The only problem I can see is weight .. It’s -heavy-.
Lexus even if I didn’t find Porsches as appealing as old gym socks, as predictable as yesterday’s weather, and as common as herpes in the red light district.
Given all the coverage, I had to check these out in person. I adore these cars from the driver’s seat. It’s a great place to sit. The interior is everything you could expect from a top-end Lexus, and that’s saying a lot. I didn’t take one for a test drive, so I can’t comment on that.
But looking at the outside, I can’t even call these desirable. Not even a little.
This is the result of designer competence at serving a CEO desperate to escape a well-deserved reputation as the seller of great cars that are “a little boring”. The changes Lexus made with the whole spindle grille, various garish meshes inside the spindles, needlessly pointy light pods, and fake vents everywhere are just gross.
I’m glad they exist, because I’m all for automotive weirdness, especially when offered as a convertible. But these are just too damned ugly for me, like every modern Lexus.
Yeah! I completely agree…I don’t like the weird body style
No fake vents on this car. No buffering with windows down, like the Supra.
Ignoring the fact that most of the spindle grille is actually a giant fake vent…
As is much of the grille opening on pretty much every modern car.
Yet another reason modern automotive design is mostly just a parade of meh.
As are the driving experiences. I swear I follow cars more out of habit than any serious interest anymore.
“this is probably the best iteration of the Lexus Spindle grille”
That’s like saying “Superbowl IX was probably the most successful of the Vikings 4 appearances”
At least it isn’t boring. SO many vehicles are boring these days. Even ugly makes a statement.
This cars not for me, it never will be, and I’m not what you’d call ‘stylish’ but copper exterior paint with white/blue interior? Good lord what an awful combination.
I’ve always been fairly grossed out by Lexus’ design language but somehow it works beautifully on this masterpiece. It shouldn’t work but t does, and a lot of has to do with proportions, which so many designers have forgotten about in favor of lazy surface development. Add to it the 70’s Italian concept car color palettes and swoopy interior and it’s a future classic.
I really wish more car companies focused on proportions instead of design elements tacked on the same soap bar.
My philosophy is a good car design should be identifiable by its silhouette only: Think Saab 900, Fiat 500, Honda Element, Porsche 911, every Corvette except the C8, VW Beetle, etc
I was about the comment the same about the design. I guess this is the exception to rule and all that.
Also the interior looks rather good. That’s two design unicorns in one car!
That’s it exactly. The detailing is not my favorite, but its road presence really makes it stand out as something special.
Hmm… Although I’m squarely in the center of the demographic market for this thing, I can tell you that it doesn’t arouse any desire for ownership in me at all. I find the Supra more interesting visually. The performance of Porsche is more compelling. And I certainly don’t need to buy a car in order to join some kind of ‘club’. Heck, the idea that people buy vehicles in order to be part of a club, is main reason I don’t drive a Porsche or a Corvette right now. The whole idea is anathema, frankly.
Is it a good car? Objectively, it’s OK. Is it me? Oh hell no.
According to an R/T article:
“Their target demographic is men over the age of 50 who earn around $250,000 per year.”
Maybe if I was 50 I would see the reaper coming and care less but I would need to be making at least $500,000 (individual, not household) to spend $100,000 on one car, and it would not be this.
I waivered for years, back when you could get an R8 for less than $100K, about why I should even buy one, even though it was, at the time, one of my most lusted-for vehicles. Eventually, I realized that my desire to go fast was much easier to satisfy on two wheels than four, and it encouraged me to stay in shape more, because you can’t really do that on a bike unless you have significant upper body strength. So I got a nice Honda 1100, modded it just a bit, and let the desire for the R8 drain out of me. Later, I bought a used Miata to commute in, which ended up being faster to get to work in traffic than the R8 would have been, being so small and nimble. I have finally come to the conclusion that upper echelon fast cars are less and less fun, as gridlock comes even to small cities. So I am not likely to go for any more grand touring two seaters. I did get excited about a nice lightly used Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifoglio a few weeks back, because I knew the fellow that owned it, and it was nice on the highway. But ultimately I didn’t pull the trigger. I need a manual if I’m buying a driver’s car.
Correct. $250k is not enough, even adding in another $100k+ from a spouse, if you have a few kids as well. Now, if you are single and mid-50s, live in a low expense area, then that seems more doable.
A LOT of people like this car, and I can’t say I understand it in the slightest. Not even a little. From what I can tell, this is really stupid.
LS500:
2+2 coupe
5.0 V8, 471hp
10spd auto
RWD
4,476lb
Totally ugly, like every Lexus since 2008
$111,500
Mustang GT:
2+2 coupe
5.0 V8, 486hp
10spd auto, or a manual option, so better
RWD
3,832lb
Looks kinda cool, although not as cool as before the facelift
$41,710 starting price
So remind me of exactly one reason why any person, ever, would want to buy or own this car? An extra $70k gets you 15 less horsepower, a very detrimentally relevant 644lb, and you get to look like a dentist. Hey, but at least you can’t shift your own gears!
“So remind me of exactly one reason why any person, ever, would want to buy or own this car?”
He did not say any auto reviewers actually own this car, just that they like to drive it for free.
In more seriousness, jeez, the Lexus is a fat pig. Electric cars have desensitized people to weight, but I see no excuse for this.
This wannabe LFA could use some of the LFA’s carbon fiber.
The Lexus is marginally more posh but the modern Mustang is more than refined enough. And I’ll take the refinement knocks with a grain of salt because they are probably from people that think a dog shit poorly made tractor like an old school Defender is classy and the Mustang is not refined because it is “American.”
I will say Mustang GT owners probably let their kids in their car while LC owners probably don’t. LC owners probably treat their cars like Cameron’s dad treated the Ferrari in Ferris Bueller.
And for all of the LC’s refinement and performance any number or electric cars can destroy it in both categories, and the LC has no actual character to counter the objectively superior refinement and performance of those electric cars.
The empty weight of this sports coupe is more than the GVWR of my station wagon. Like you said, fat pig.
I believe heavier cars not only better survive being pummeled by SUVs, but absorb the terrible quality of neglected midwest roads better.
Really, we have a freakin’ Roof Drop Crush Test standard to pass before cars can be sold here! There is no way our cars don’t continue to get heavier.
Well yeah, cars are heavy and bad because of NHTSA, and that’s why the Mustang is a fairly porky for a sports coupe 3800lb, but there’s no excuse for the Lexus to weigh 600lb more than that. It’s just obese.
A car’s design mission gets completely lost in car culture. Every car that looks swoopy has to perform like an Atom or it sucks.
This is not a race car. It is not a car for the Fast/Furious crowd to street race.
It’s a grand-touring car. It’s a car that’s meant to get you from the golf course on Kiawah to the golf course on Hilton Head in comfort and style, and be somewhat more fun than making the trip in an LS. And it’s meant to show off to everyone that you have the money to vacation on Kiawah and Hilton Head while driving a $100k+ car. It fulfills its mission perfectly, and just because you wish it had the same mission as a Mustang doesn’t make it a bad car; it just makes you misguided.
If he can’t figure out how this is different from a Mustang and why that difference can be appealing and that the extra power on offer from the Ford’s boring sounding engine is of no importance to some people, he might as well ask why anyone would want a ’57 MB 300SL when an Altima is faster and cheaper.
I suspect the experience of driving it and even sitting in it is significantly different from the Mustang. Is it worth it to you? Obviously not. But that level mix of comfort and pleasure without a hint of coarseness or harshness is not something you’re going to get in a Ford.
I also suspect it’s very different to sit in and drive. But I’m not sure better sound insulation is worth almost 3x the price to anybody. And it’s not like (current generation)Mustangs are known for being loud, uncomfortable, or actually coarse in any way.
We all get it! You love love LOOOOOVE the Mustang! I hope Ford is sending you a check.
I like Mustangs and I like the LC500, for completely different reasons. It’s like comparing the best burger you’ve ever had with the best sushi you’ve ever had. Both very good, unless you don’t like burger or sushi, but not comparable. I doubt very many other people than you are even thinking of them in the same sentence in their heads. The Mustang is a very capable and engaging sports coupe, but this car is art.
It’s like comparing a burger and sushi…… If they’re both made of beef with a sesame seed bun, American cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce.
I’m comparing the only(?) two 2+2 RWD coupes with a 5.0 liter V8 making a little under 500hp, and having a 10spd auto trans.
So you’re literally only comparing broad spec sheets and using that comparison to say it’s not worth it to anyone.
You’re wrong. 100% wrong. It’s not worth it to you, but your opinion is not the ultimate bastion of proper taste or smart decisions or being right. Nothing says you have to enjoy it, but if you feel like spouting bad takes on the Internet, don’t be surprised when people call you out on it.
Wow, that’s an awfully absolute “you’re 100% wrong” and an awfully angry tone.
From the extremely similar spec sheets, yes, I think the LC500 is a colossally terrible value. Maybe it’s really worth it when you experience it in person. I’ve never driven an LC500 or a Mustang, and I imagine that applies to most commenters here, and I imagine there’s a fair chance that our author Matt has never driven a newest generation Mustang to compare it to.
I wouldn’t say “broad spec sheets” when I’m comparing, like I’ve said before, two 2+2 coupes with a 5.0 liter all aluminum quad cam VVT V8 making just under 500hp with a 10spd automatic trans, RWD, and independent suspension all around. From a mechanical standpoint, these cars are extremely similar, and definitely do not have any difference justifying a $70k price difference.
They may be mechanically similar, and perhaps the $70k difference is not completely justified, but I assure you you’re getting something extra for the additional cash, even if the value isn’t there. These cars have different missions and are aimed at very different demographics who would never cross shop these. Yeah, you can say the LC is too heavy, as you can about most modern cars, but it delivers more than a sum of its parts.
I’m cross shopping the two!
Current Cayman and 325ci owner looking to replace the BMW convertible.
OK, you’re weird, so you’re on the right webzine! My dad once cross-shopped a then-new Fox body Mustang LX 5.0 hatchback 5 speed with an Alfa-Romeo 75 Milano.
Your opinion is still based on very broad strokes from a spec sheet, though at least you’re presenting it more like an opinion now instead of something that reads like anyone who disagrees with you is stupid.
You keep using the term “very broad strokes”. I do not think it means what you think it means.
As I just explained, there are 0 cars more mechanically similar to a Mustang than an LC500, and vise versa.
If you read back to my original post, I did make it pretty explicitly clear that it was my opinion that the LC500 was very overpriced.
If you think beef is an ingredient in sushi, you’re not getting it and never will. Simply comparing specs is rather pointless, akin to comparing James May and Brad Pitt because they’re both white celebrity males of the same age who drink water and poop, and have the same number of arms and legs.
That was my point. That beef is obviously not an ingredient in sushi. These two cars are made of the same ingredients, like exactly the same ingredients. Which is why hamburger and sushi is not a good analogy. What this is is a McDonalds all-american hamburger vs a super overpriced but delicious hamburger.
Unlike James May and Brad Pitt, the LC500 and Mustang share a large number of attributes that are shared with 0 other cars.
I know that comparing specs doesn’t get the whole picture, but it does tell you that the drivetrain manufacturing costs are likely similar between these two cars of vastly different price points, and it tells you that the Mustang is faster.
The fact that you are focusing so much on the Mustang’s performance advantage still tells me you’re missing the point. I love the ‘stang, but outright performance isn’t everything unless you’re drag racing for pink slips.
No offense to the Mustang, but the LC will still still be running perfectly at 250k miles, whereas the Mustang won’t (speaking from experience). The overall quality and materials of the Lexus is much higher than the Mustang’s, as it should be for $70k more, and I suspect a lot the price difference is attributable to its much more complex body stampings. God is in the details, as they say, and there’s definitely a strong heavenly presence throughout the LC, especially the interior, which makes sense as it’s a low volume halo car, whereas the Mustang is a high volume mainstream car much more constrained by bean counters.
I’ve always heard it as “the devil is in the details”.
What that means for this debate I’ll let you decide.
“who drink water and poop, and have…” You need another comma and one fewer ‘and’. Otherwise you’re stating that Misters Pitt and May both consume water and feces.
Hah! So right! Punctuation matters….
Have you seen one in person? It looks so much better in person than it does it pictures. I can’t explain why, but it is so.
I’ve seen several in person, including up very close, and I think they look considerably worse in person than in pictures. Perhaps the worst Lexus?
Perhaps the worst Lexus?
Now I know you’re just trolling. Even if the LC was ugly, it could never be 2023 GX460 ugly. The ads for that thing should say “what if an electric razor…..had wheels?”
I dont pay enough attention to Lexii to know if there are any significantly worse than this, but I can assure you, I really do detest how this car looks.
Well, luckily for you, the Mustang exists.
They truly are brilliant in person.
These cars are very different apples. The LC is pricey, but Lexus quality is light years ahead of Ford quality. I just sold my Mustang GT w/ premium pack that I had for 5 years and 52k miles. I bought an IS500. I paid $60k for a new 2023 leftover, so similar to the Mustang and far less than an LC. The Lexus is a much nicer place to be. The Mustang was a lot of fun, but the Lexus is simply a much nicer place to spend time. All that said, If I were spending $110k, it would be for a Cayman GTS.
Hey! Somebody who, unlike me or the people arguing with me, actually has firsthand experience in the matter!
Thank you for bringing your insights.
Because I drove (and loved) Mustangs for 36 years, but I’m 60+ now and if I feel like buying a Lexus, I’ll fucking buy a Lexus.