Believe It Or Not, The Stupidly Striking Lexus LC 500 Isn't A Concept

The Lexus RC F is hardly a shrinking violet, but its Predator-faced aesthetic is made to look downright tame compared to this even more predatory coupe. It’s the LC 500, and if you think it looks like an outlandish concept, that’s because it’s a production version of 2012’s LF LC concept, and very little has changed on the outside.

As soon as I mention the fact it has Lexus’ familiar 5.0-litre V8 under the bonnet, you’ll probably be thinking “oh, I see where this is going, it’s pretty much a re-bodied RC-F”. But no: it’s actually a whole new rear-wheel drive platform, and one that we’ll be seeing much more of rather soon.

Lexus states that “the underpinnings of this new coupe will become the blueprint for the company’s future front-engine/rear-wheel-drive vehicles.” Whether or not that means a version of it will underpin the upcoming Toyota Supra/BMW Z4 successor joint venture, we’ll have to wait and see.

High-tensile steel has been used throughout the car’s construction, making the LC 500 more resistant to twisting forces than the mostly carbonfibre LFA. There are also aluminium panels mounted onto carbonfibre-reinforced door inners, a composite boot floor and an optional carbonfibre roof.

With the 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 producing 460bhp and 389lb ft of torque, 0-60mph will be possible in “under 4.5 seconds”. If the revvy RC F and GS F are anything to go by it should sound good too, especially with the exhaust baffles open in Sport mode. Despite this, Lexus has decided it needed to fit a ‘Sound Generator’ to pump more noise in through the speakers. Boo.

If you’re wondering where this car is supposed to sit in the car world, we’re sorry to disappoint by saying that this isn’t taking aim at the likes of the Porsche 911. It’s more of a BMW 6-series rival with a price tag to match: think of it as a Lexus SC successor, and you get the right idea.

It’s on display now at the Detroit motor show, and it’ll be in showrooms next year.