Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
With a fun week ahead, I was excited to get behind the wheel of the Lexus LC 500. With good weather on the horizon, the fact that it was a convertible made the experience even better.
The Lexus LC is a grand tourer manufactured by Lexus and based on the 2012 LF-LC Concept. Lexus revealed this beauty at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The name “LC” stands for “Luxury Coupe”. The LC is built at Toyota’s Motomachi facility, which also produced the highly acclaimed LFA. “Takumi” master craftsmen, who built the LFA, continued their work with the LC. The LC 500 Convertible was unveiled at the LA Auto Show on November 20, 2019.
At first look, you notice the sleek bodywork, long sloping hood, spindle grille and triple-beam LED headlamps. and the fact that it is a convertible. The LC 500 sits on 21” forged alloy wheels with polished finish and gloss black accents.
The Lexus LC500 interior is luxurious but compact. The door panels are Alcantara, the leather trimmed power seats are heated and ventilated. It is a sports car so storage space is expected to be limited. The LC has a small trunk that can only fit a couple carry on suitcases. The center console is a decent size and also houses a second cup holder. The rear seats provide anchor points for child car seats. It was a snug fit but it worked, so my child was able to enjoy a ride in the convertible.
Lexus’s Enform infotainment system is in the LC 500, complete with navigation, a mobile hotspot, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and more. Unfortunately the touchpad is still there. This is my least favorite part of the car. The dash has 10.3” screen but it is not touchscreen. Having the top down did not affect the sounds as I grooved to the Mark Levinson 13-speaker sound system.
The LC 500 is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine that produces 471 hp and 398 pound-feet of torque, with a 10-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission with magnesium paddle shifters. When you fire up the V8 and hear the growling exhaust. Accelerating through the 10 gears is fun and exhilarating. I experienced minimal body roll while carving through corners which is a testament to Lexus’s handling. The LC is the first vehicle to use Lexus’ front-engine, rear-wheel drive platform, dubbed “Global Architecture – Luxury” (GA-L). The LC 500 has five driving modes that let you fully enjoy this naturally aspirated V8. The modes are Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport +. The LC 500 convertible is an easy car to drive and enjoy.
Safety is important when it comes to Lexus. The safety suite includes standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, standard adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring, available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, eight air bags, traffic-adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist with lane departure warning.
Lexus’s warranty plan is complete with a limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles, powertrain warranty covers six years or 70,000 miles and complimentary maintenance is covered for one year or 10,000 miles.
The Lexus LC 500 is in a competitive class going up against the Audi R8, BMW 8 Series and the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT. The LC500 is not that great on gas getting 15 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg combined. Lexus has made the LC500 flashy and luxurious. The model that we tested comes in at $106,045.00. Overall it is a great vehicle that fits in with other exotic sports cars that are pure head turners. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
