What's the news?
Lexus has dusted off its North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) star of four years ago (the LF-LC), given it a quick rethink and come up with this beautiful LC 500. And you'll note there's no 'concept' in that title, as this thing is due to launch in 2017. So it's a new flagship Lexus coupé, although it has very similar stats to the RC F. However, we're not complaining - just look at it!
Exterior
It's very similar to the LF-LC, with beautiful flowing lines, with the emphasis here on keeping the weight down to a minimum. To that end, carbon fibre is available as an option for the roof, and the car also has aluminium door skins mounted to the carbon fibre door inner structure and a composite boot floor. Weight distribution is 52:48 front-to-rear and the car sits on a set of machined cast aluminium 20-inch alloys, with 21-inch forged wheels an option.
Interior
Lexus claims this is a four-seater but let's hazard a guess that it's really a 2+2 and therefore you want to be one of the front-seat passengers and not in the rear. However, the usually excellent Lexus interior architecture is to be found within and there are some juicy little devils in the details - such as the driver's hip point has been engineered to be as close to the car's centre of gravity as possible, allowing for the best possible feedback. We like the sound of this more and more.
Mechanicals
Before we come to the engine, we should perhaps touch on the 'global architecture for luxury vehicles' (GA-L) underpinnings. This is Lexus's brand new, premium rear-wheel drive platform. The idea is to place most of the car's mass, such as the engine and occupants, as low and central as possible to help the driving experience; brilliantly, the engineers call this 'inertia spec'. It is this factor that should make the LC 500 feel a cut above the excellent - but a bit lardy - RC F, because the two cars share the same engine.
Again, this is not a moan because we love this lump. It's a naturally aspirated, 5.0-litre, 32-valve, all-aluminium V8, here churning out 473hp at 7,100rpm and 527Nm at 4,800rpm. Lexus aficionados might spot those numbers are a tiny, tiny bit down on the same data in the RC F, but as Lexus quotes a 0-100km/h time of 'less than' 4.5 seconds, we reckon the LC 500 is going to have a considerable weight advantage. We don't have any more performance stats as yet, sadly.
Perhaps the real 'Top Trumps' moment comes when you look at the number of ratios the LC 500 possesses. The engine is mated to a newly developed ten-speed automatic... that's right, ten. Lexus says the 'box is as quick to change gears as a dual-clutch transmission and the unit is actually smaller and lighter than some eight-speed autos in service. And with a very stiff body, multilink suspension all round and six-piston brake callipers, the LC 500 has the hardware to seriously frighten some big German machines.
Anything else?
Akio Toyoda, who has the wonderful job title of chief branding officer and master driver for Lexus, said: "The LC 500 has been an important product for Lexus and me personally. A few years ago, we decided to guide the future of the brand with products that had more passion and distinction in the luxury market. This flagship luxury coupé's proportions, stunning design and performance make a strong statement about our brand's emotional direction, and will grow the Lexus luxury appeal globally."