We rather like the Lexus LC500. It’s hard to not respect a car that so brazenly flies the naturally aspirated V8 flag in 2021. But our love for the Japanese coupe goes further than its engine bay. Doesn’t it look fantastic? It’s butch and purposeful but somehow also quite understated, with a cabin that’s comfortable and functional in equal measures. Anyone impressed by the wall-to-wall digital displays found in most rivals might be left underwhelmed, but those who prefer their car interiors to be a little more on the analogue side will find plenty to like.
In fact, analogue is probably the best way to describe this grand tourer. Yes, it has an automatic gearbox and the latest version hasn’t escaped a WLTP smothering, but the 10-speed transmission is about as close to a slusher as anything gets these days, and the V8 remains appropriately vocal. Moreover, despite its 5.0 litre capacity, the LC500 isn’t particularly rapid either. 478hp and 398lb ft of torque enable a 4.4-second 0-62mph time, but you have to wring the car’s neck to achieve it. Otherwise, the LC500 character feels like a car from a previous era. Which has its merits.
Much of this relaxed nature is liberated by the car’s 1,970kg kerbweight, which, combined with an engine that needs to be revved, ensures any sudden requests for performance are normally met with a gearbox rushing its way down the ratios. It’s a far cry from a world of double clutchers and electric turbos. Also, despite being fairly firm riding, the LC500 never feels completely dialled into a B-road or particularly communicative through its controls. A Porsche 911 is in another league when it comes to mechanical involvement.
Yet it’s still so easy to love. Being a genuinely leftfield choice obviously does it no harm. HowManyLeft reckons there are fewer than 400 on the UK’s roads, which makes it rare, and rare is cool. Then there’s the fact that anyone buying an LC500 is doing so not because they want the latest gadgets or to beat their mates at a game of pub Top Trumps, but because they want a handsome two-door coupe with an engine that breathes the same air pressure as we do.
Those in the know ought to respect that ten decision because it means forgoing so many more obvious choices, the 911 included. And sure, Ford will sell you a Mustang with a similarly authentic engine for less - but an idiosyncratic class to the Lexus which is hardly replicated by the American bruiser.
The coupe’s case is made stronger when it’s a low mileage used example that’s up for £30k off list. The LC500 you see here has covered only 4,000 miles in four years, and it’s not lacking anything of note compared to the latest WLTP version because Lexus’s updates have been light. So you’re looking at a car that’s about 35 per cent cheaper than a new LC500, and probably better, too. Talk about sweetening the deal.
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