The LC vaults Lexus into real sports-car territory. It’s no lightweight, but it’s hashtag-blessed with raucous acceleration, excellent steering, and room to grow into a truly spectacular LC F.
We give it a 9 out of 10 for performance. The LC 500 thunders with V-8 grunt, while the LC 500h spins out unexpected gas-electric glee. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
LC 500: Gas or hybrid
The first LC to come to mind is the LC 500. It adopts the 5.0-liter V-8 from the RC F and GS F, and puts it to its highest and best use.
The naturally aspirated V-8 cranks out 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque. It already would have sounded great, even if Lexus hadn’t channeled and filtered some of its exhaust sounds into the cabin. This car revels in the ripe bark of its V-8; those amplified V-8 sounds hit just the right note.
With a 10-speed automatic that refuses to get lost in…