2018 Lexus LC500 Never Judge a Book by Its Cover!- Ignition Ep. 172
(Dramatic drum beat) (car engine revving) - When you see a Mercedes Benz you know exactly what
to expect from that car. And that consistency is really
important for a luxury brand. Lexus doesn't have that. You see a Lexus coming toward you and it could be an ES, which is a front wheel drive
Camry based luxury sedan, or it could be a GS, a rear
wheel drive sports sedan.
So when you see something
like this all new LC, well how the hell are you
supposed to know what it is. (Dramatic music) It's not just Lexus as a
brand that's inconsistent the LC is the fourth car in the
lineup of halo sports coupes that are all over the map. The original SC was literally
a Toyota Supra in drag. It was replaced ten years
later by another SC, a sport coupe that was neither.
And that was joined by the
LFA a carbon tubbed sports car that cost as much as a mansion. The LC has a new name but it
goes back to the same formula as the original SC, two doors, four seats, and it ditches the LFA's outrageous price. 92,000 Dollars buys you the base LC500, which has a five liter V8. Or you can spend more money
and upgrade to the 500H, which is actually a downgrade
to a three and half liter V6 plus a hybrid system.
The LC certainly has a bold design. Styling is a very personal thing but whether you like it or not the LC is a massive step forward for the controversial
Lexus design language. It has enough styling
elements for two cars with half a dozen materials and textures. Carbon fiber, polished
metal, distressed metal, gray plastic, black
plastic, mirrored plastic, Jaguar door handles, and
yet somehow it all works.
The LC's details all play
in and with the shadows created by it's creases. It looks new, it looks
fresh, and it looks expensive and that's a very tough thing to do. With the proportions of an Aston Martin, not only does it look incredibly sporty but it follows the very
recipe of a real sports car. (Inspiring music) So let's see what that recipe tastes like.
(Engine revving) It has a naturally aspirated five liter, four cam, 32 valve V8 that doesn't make it's 471 horsepower until 7,100 rpm. Magnesium shift paddles that control a ten speed automatic. Ten gears. An actual mechanical limited slip diff.
Six piston, front aluminum
monoblock brake calipers and four pistons at the rear. Tons of grip because it has real tires. Michelin pilot actual super sports. On paper it is all there.
But I'm not feeling it. And there are several reasons why. Please allow me to elaborate. If you had ten gears to
choose from in a transmission wouldn't you want closely
spaced short ratios bu-bam-bu-bam-bu-bam so the car felt alive and
always had a really good gear or would you gear it like a six speed, that's what Lexus did.
This thing hits 40 miles
an hour in first gear, 67 in second, 89 in third meaning you could get a speeding ticket on any interstate in the
country, and 110 in fourth and then you have six useless
cruising gears on top of that. Remember this engine
doesn't hit peak power until 7,100 rpm. That's 40 miles an hour, from zero to 40 this car feels sluggish. And then it has Toyota's VGRS, variable gear ratio steering.
Which changes the relationship
between the steering wheel and the front wheels and
adds in rear wheel steering on top of that. The more gears and motors and stuff you put between the steering
wheel and your front wheel the less you feel. The steering is dead, like dead, dead. And lastly it has a full,
bi-wire brake system and I will give Lexus credit
for doing it well enough that you don't notice
it in normal driving, However, you need to know
when your approaching the limits of adhesion and you don't feel
anything back in the pedal.
You don't feel the ABS systems push back. Luckily they did put a
light on the dashboard that flashes anytime the ABS is active. But really do I need to pay
attention to a flashing light to know that I have a wheel slipping. That LC, it may look like
a beautiful sports car on the outside, but the interior.
I had no idea Lexus was even
capable of such a thing. I'm not sure I realized any company was capable of making
an infotainment system so incredibly distracting
that it needs to lock you out from changing the radio
station once you're moving. It's that bad. But the rest, incredible.
Lexus calls the interior
color toasted caramel and it's not some half
hearted attempt at color. Look around, look carefully, and there are multiple
materials and textures all in some shade of regurgitated yam. It's about time we're
getting actual colors in a luxury car interior
and not just the seats. The dashboard is simple
with a screen clock and of course the intricately
textured wall of L's hidden behind one long
piece of clear plastic.
It's simple, it's elegant,
and it's beautifully executed. You know on second thought,
I think I screwed up. The LC does look like a
sports car but it's not. It's really just a luxury coupe that happens to be really capable.
So I need to change my expectations around and go back out and drive this car and look at it from a
different perspective. (Relaxing music) (engine revving) When it comes to luxury cars one of the most important
things is the ride quality. In this thing, I've been driving this road all day and had no idea there
were bumps everywhere until I got out of it
and into something else. The bumps are just gone and it's not like floaty
or bad in any way.
It's just really well tuned. Steering has great effort build up. The engine is so quiet. It just goes back to being a luxury car V8 with smooth shifts from the transmission.
It's an amazing luxury car. The seat is comfortable, the
steering wheel feels great. The seating position is great. The cowl is really low so I can see everything out of this car.
I was wrong, this is a
really good luxury coupe. It's what Lexus does the best. All I want to do is turn up the radio and drive all day. Can't change the radio
station, nothings perfect.
So you'll have to tune
to your favorite station before you get moving. But once your moving, once
you reset your expectations this thing is the kind of
car that sneaks up on you and blow your mind. The LC sounds incredible inside and out. It feels special inside and out and it looks special, spectacular in fact.
Maybe even too much,
as it's looks fooled me into thinking it would
provide a level of sportiness and involvement that it just
wasn't designed to deliver. I used the word spectacular on purpose. This is an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It is the most beautiful car since 1753 and it does a funny trick.
You park any other car next to it and it makes that car look
hideous by comparison. Funny you put the LC next to the Vantage and the LC doesn't look
bad, that's a first. By the way that black
hybrid is really good. This all brings me back
to my earlier point.
My initial confusion is exactly why it's so important to know
what a brand stands for. The LC as it turns out
isn't an ES or a GS. It's a beautiful, luxurious,
composed, elegant, and incredibly capable large coupe. And that's not only what
the name LC stands for but it's also exactly what
a Lexus flagship should be.
This is a brilliant, dare
I say almost perfect Lexus. So you now you know what to expect. Here's the thing new episodes of Ignition there live at Motor Trend On Demand about a month before their live on YouTube meaning that there's a brand-new episode of Ignition live right now but only at Motor Trend On Demand watch the latest episode of Ignition right now on Motor Trend On Demand there's no doubt it's a luxury-car how about how about that for terrible delivery yeah a diamond.
to expect from that car. And that consistency is really
important for a luxury brand. Lexus doesn't have that. You see a Lexus coming toward you and it could be an ES, which is a front wheel drive
Camry based luxury sedan, or it could be a GS, a rear
wheel drive sports sedan.
So when you see something
like this all new LC, well how the hell are you
supposed to know what it is. (Dramatic music) It's not just Lexus as a
brand that's inconsistent the LC is the fourth car in the
lineup of halo sports coupes that are all over the map. The original SC was literally
a Toyota Supra in drag. It was replaced ten years
later by another SC, a sport coupe that was neither.
And that was joined by the
LFA a carbon tubbed sports car that cost as much as a mansion. The LC has a new name but it
goes back to the same formula as the original SC, two doors, four seats, and it ditches the LFA's outrageous price. 92,000 Dollars buys you the base LC500, which has a five liter V8. Or you can spend more money
and upgrade to the 500H, which is actually a downgrade
to a three and half liter V6 plus a hybrid system.
The LC certainly has a bold design. Styling is a very personal thing but whether you like it or not the LC is a massive step forward for the controversial
Lexus design language. It has enough styling
elements for two cars with half a dozen materials and textures. Carbon fiber, polished
metal, distressed metal, gray plastic, black
plastic, mirrored plastic, Jaguar door handles, and
yet somehow it all works.
The LC's details all play
in and with the shadows created by it's creases. It looks new, it looks
fresh, and it looks expensive and that's a very tough thing to do. With the proportions of an Aston Martin, not only does it look incredibly sporty but it follows the very
recipe of a real sports car. (Inspiring music) So let's see what that recipe tastes like.
(Engine revving) It has a naturally aspirated five liter, four cam, 32 valve V8 that doesn't make it's 471 horsepower until 7,100 rpm. Magnesium shift paddles that control a ten speed automatic. Ten gears. An actual mechanical limited slip diff.
Six piston, front aluminum
monoblock brake calipers and four pistons at the rear. Tons of grip because it has real tires. Michelin pilot actual super sports. On paper it is all there.
But I'm not feeling it. And there are several reasons why. Please allow me to elaborate. If you had ten gears to
choose from in a transmission wouldn't you want closely
spaced short ratios bu-bam-bu-bam-bu-bam so the car felt alive and
always had a really good gear or would you gear it like a six speed, that's what Lexus did.
This thing hits 40 miles
an hour in first gear, 67 in second, 89 in third meaning you could get a speeding ticket on any interstate in the
country, and 110 in fourth and then you have six useless
cruising gears on top of that. Remember this engine
doesn't hit peak power until 7,100 rpm. That's 40 miles an hour, from zero to 40 this car feels sluggish. And then it has Toyota's VGRS, variable gear ratio steering.
Which changes the relationship
between the steering wheel and the front wheels and
adds in rear wheel steering on top of that. The more gears and motors and stuff you put between the steering
wheel and your front wheel the less you feel. The steering is dead, like dead, dead. And lastly it has a full,
bi-wire brake system and I will give Lexus credit
for doing it well enough that you don't notice
it in normal driving, However, you need to know
when your approaching the limits of adhesion and you don't feel
anything back in the pedal.
You don't feel the ABS systems push back. Luckily they did put a
light on the dashboard that flashes anytime the ABS is active. But really do I need to pay
attention to a flashing light to know that I have a wheel slipping. That LC, it may look like
a beautiful sports car on the outside, but the interior.
I had no idea Lexus was even
capable of such a thing. I'm not sure I realized any company was capable of making
an infotainment system so incredibly distracting
that it needs to lock you out from changing the radio
station once you're moving. It's that bad. But the rest, incredible.
Lexus calls the interior
color toasted caramel and it's not some half
hearted attempt at color. Look around, look carefully, and there are multiple
materials and textures all in some shade of regurgitated yam. It's about time we're
getting actual colors in a luxury car interior
and not just the seats. The dashboard is simple
with a screen clock and of course the intricately
textured wall of L's hidden behind one long
piece of clear plastic.
It's simple, it's elegant,
and it's beautifully executed. You know on second thought,
I think I screwed up. The LC does look like a
sports car but it's not. It's really just a luxury coupe that happens to be really capable.
So I need to change my expectations around and go back out and drive this car and look at it from a
different perspective. (Relaxing music) (engine revving) When it comes to luxury cars one of the most important
things is the ride quality. In this thing, I've been driving this road all day and had no idea there
were bumps everywhere until I got out of it
and into something else. The bumps are just gone and it's not like floaty
or bad in any way.
It's just really well tuned. Steering has great effort build up. The engine is so quiet. It just goes back to being a luxury car V8 with smooth shifts from the transmission.
It's an amazing luxury car. The seat is comfortable, the
steering wheel feels great. The seating position is great. The cowl is really low so I can see everything out of this car.
I was wrong, this is a
really good luxury coupe. It's what Lexus does the best. All I want to do is turn up the radio and drive all day. Can't change the radio
station, nothings perfect.
So you'll have to tune
to your favorite station before you get moving. But once your moving, once
you reset your expectations this thing is the kind of
car that sneaks up on you and blow your mind. The LC sounds incredible inside and out. It feels special inside and out and it looks special, spectacular in fact.
Maybe even too much,
as it's looks fooled me into thinking it would
provide a level of sportiness and involvement that it just
wasn't designed to deliver. I used the word spectacular on purpose. This is an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It is the most beautiful car since 1753 and it does a funny trick.
You park any other car next to it and it makes that car look
hideous by comparison. Funny you put the LC next to the Vantage and the LC doesn't look
bad, that's a first. By the way that black
hybrid is really good. This all brings me back
to my earlier point.
My initial confusion is exactly why it's so important to know
what a brand stands for. The LC as it turns out
isn't an ES or a GS. It's a beautiful, luxurious,
composed, elegant, and incredibly capable large coupe. And that's not only what
the name LC stands for but it's also exactly what
a Lexus flagship should be.
This is a brilliant, dare
I say almost perfect Lexus. So you now you know what to expect. Here's the thing new episodes of Ignition there live at Motor Trend On Demand about a month before their live on YouTube meaning that there's a brand-new episode of Ignition live right now but only at Motor Trend On Demand watch the latest episode of Ignition right now on Motor Trend On Demand there's no doubt it's a luxury-car how about how about that for terrible delivery yeah a diamond.
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