Lexus Announces LC 500’s Arrival Date and New Horsepower Specs

By Tony Markovich - September 1, 2016

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There’s still a little less than a year between now and when the 2018 Lexas LC 500 makes its public sales launch, but when it finally does become available, it’s going to be better and more powerful than initially expected. In May 2017, the LC 500 can be had with 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque.

The production version of the new Lexus coupe debuted earlier this year in January, and when it did, the first numbers indicated that the 5.0-liter V8 would make 467 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque. There will also be a hybrid option, the LC 500h, that uses a 3.5-liter V6 mated with an electric motor, which combine to make 354 horsepower. Both of these models will sit on a brand new rear-wheel-drive “premium” platform, and both will be aimed largely at the North American market.

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With an expected price tag close to $100,000, Lexus isn’t expecting to sell a ton of these things, which is part of the reason it’s being built at the same Japanese factory as the legendary limited-run LFA supercar. Expected competitors to the LC 500 are the BMW 6-series, the Jaguar F-Type, the Porsche 911, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. That’s some serious competition, but by all accounts, the LC 500 is a seriously impressive automobile.