This
review first appeared in the February 2018 edition of the Northern & Central
California Cruisin’ News published
out of Folsom, California – mg
Standing next to it, the truth hit
home. It was a Lexus, an all-new 2018
Lexus LC 500, one of the automaker’s all-new new flagship performance,
rear-driving coupes.
Sleek, sculpted, angled in just the right
places and clad in brighter-than-bright “Infrared” paint, the LC 500 absolutely
could have passed for a Corvette or a Ferrari at first glance. And there were other similarities.
Stepping into the cockpit transported me to
a world of luxury and primo sports car bliss.
I sat in a 10-way power, heated/ventilated,
leather seat that instantly contoured to my frame.
Electroluminescent gauges and read-outs cast a warm glow throughout the
cabin. The audio system was a Mark
Levinson surround-sound scorcher with 13 speakers. Three-point belts for all
seats (with force-limiting pretensioners, of course). Can’t forget the on-board Siri Eyes Free
technology, or the easy-to-use heads-up display.
The long list of safety features included
state-of-the-art systems capable of controlling multiple car functions on the
move. Getting into trouble in this ride
would be a challenge; that’s how sophisticated the safety systems are in the LC 500.
But who am I kidding? The best part was starting it up and putting
the LC 500 through its paces. What a
rush!
I barely tapped the accelerator feeding fuel
to the 5-liter, 32-valve V-8 with 471 horsepower, and the LC 500 responded with
a press-me-to-the-seat blast that was accentuated by a deep roar from the front
end. It was almost scary knowing how
much I had left to give with my right foot.
Triple-digit speeds are just a subtle toe tap away.
Power was dished up so smoothly, however,
that I never had a sense that I was overmatched by the car. It rode rock-steady, with not even a hint of
side sway.
The 10-speed transmission functioned with
seamless precision, and yes, you can do those gear-changing chores with the
steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Ridiculously strong, responsive brakes with
high-friction pads brought the tester to heel with seemingly no effort
whatsoever.
As I blazed past virtually everything on the
road on 21-inch forged wheels, I could see the open-mouthed stares of fellow
motorists. Some sped up, to my bumper …
perhaps to confirm that this really was a Lexus and not some super-exotic model
hand-built in an immaculate European garage.
Sure, there were looks of envy. If only they knew; the LC 500 was mine for
only a week.
Those wishing to make it theirs for the long
term need to bring sufficient funds to wrap around the starting price of
$92,000. With extras, the bottom line on
my tester was a heart-stopping $102,890.
Which I had no problem with … Lexus should
have a show-stopping model at the top of its food chain.
In the LC 500 coupe, it has a beauty.
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