NAIAS 2016: 2017 Lexus LC500 - Ur-Lexus for Next Generation?

by Aaron Cole

Updated: November 13th, 2020 Published: January 11th, 2016

naias 2016 2017 lexus lc500 ur lexus for next generation

Four years after Lexus unveiled its LF-LC at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, the automaker announced Monday that it would put into production largely the same car and call it the LC 500.

Powered by a 5-liter V-8 lifted from the RC-F and GS-F, the LC 500 will be the brand’s largest two-door coupe and mostly complete the turnaround by the automaker they started around four years ago.

Seriously, the LC 500 is by the same people who make the ES 350.

Lexus didn’t announce how much the LC 500 will cost, nor when it would be on sale, but said it would be available sometime this year.

In announcing the coupe, Lexus signaled that the LC 500 would ride on the same chassis that will underpin the new LS when that car is unveiled later. (In Detroit, Lexus showed an LF-FC fuel cell concept with four doors that could foretell what the LS looks like later on.) The coupe is underpinned by Lexus’s new GA-L global architecture for rear-drive, front-engine vehicles, according to the automaker.

While the LC 500 is more than a foot shorter than the newly announced Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe, both cars have their fair share of similarities. The LC 500 and S550 share nearly identical horsepower figures (although the Merc’s turbos give it significantly more twist) and the coupe’s are nearly the same height. Both coupes accelerate up to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and it’s likely that the two coupes will share similar prices.

Despite being an all-new car for Lexus, the LC 500 will feature mostly the same electronics as current Lexus models without any new autonomous drive modes or tech.

Trading on momentum from its earlier design, the LC 500 largely follows the same form as the LF-LC concept, including 20- and 21-inch wheels and wide hips.

Holy crap. These are the same people that make the ES.

#2017 #2017LexusLc500 #Coupe #Lc500 #Lexus #Lf-lc #NorthAmericanInternationalAutoShow

Aaron Cole

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2 of 77 comments

Corey Lewis on Jan 13, 2016

"Seriously, the LC 500 is by the same people who make the ES 350." And the SL65 is by the same people who make the GLA. There are lots of examples of big disparities in product line.

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Stuki on Jan 13, 2016

I remember back when Ferrari came out with the F40, and people (me included) whined about how idiotic the snow plow height front end was on a road car.... Yet, compared to this thing from supposedly practical and sensible Toyota, that old track toy almost looks like it cribbed the front from a Wrangler Rubicon.

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