Motoring
In the luxury brand’s most stylish and advanced coupé to date, V8 muscle wins out over hybrid power, writes Toby Hagon.
The sleek new Lexus LC 500
A high-tech hybrid drivetrain powering through a 10-speed automatic transmission is surely the ultimate achievement for a brand that has built its reputation on engineering excellence and innovative technology. However, most buyers splashing out $190,000 for Lexus’s new two-door LC aren’t interested in futuristic thinking involving batteries and electric motors. Instead, they’re primed for the good ol’ V8 in the LC 500.
Identically priced to the hybrid-powered LC 500h, the V8 dishes up a 5.0-litre Yamaha-tuned engine that pumps out a hearty 351kW in a furious rush of revs. It’s an intoxicating mix, mated to the new active exhaust that opens carefully positioned valves during spirited driving to amplify what is a beautiful soundtrack. If you tire of the raucous V8, the backup – a superb 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system – is almost as alluring. Its crispness and punch deliver an auditory experience that few cars can match.
The V8 also gets a 10-speed auto transmission – more gear ratios than any car on the market – albeit entirely different to the unit in the hybrid. So while its outright power is no match for Europe’s finest (rivals can top 400kW), the additional ratios partly make up for deficiencies. It’s enough to propel the sizeable four-seater to 100km/h in a brisk 4.7 seconds. The V8 is 0.3 seconds quicker to 100km/h than the hybrid – a crucial tick of the box for those looking for a car that presses as many sensory buttons as it has real ones.
Yet for tackling a traffic-light grand prix, the hybrid’s twin electric motors teamed with a 3.5-litre V6 could provide a better shot at a podium finish. The prodigious torque delivered almost instantly makes for a sharper initial thrust into the back of the elegant and impressively supportive sports seats, which are available in three different colours.
Ultimately, though, the hybrid’s additional 50 kilograms dulls its performance. And the V6 simply doesn’t have the heady roar of the V8. So even with the hybrid’s significant fuel savings – it’s claimed to use 6.7L/100km compared with the V8’s consumption of 11.6L/100km – it’s not enough to sway the enthusiast.
On paper, it’s only a single letter that separates the LC 500 and the LC 500h. But the former’s additional cylinders and character make it an obvious choice for those wanting more than just stylish transport – which is, ultimately, what the LC is all about.