Can The Lexus LC500 Take Down Aston Martin’s DB11 V8?

When it comes to big grand touring cars, does England or Japan do it better?

As recently as a few years ago, would you ever have imagined anything from Lexus going up against an Aston Martin on even footing? Sure, the LFA of a few years ago set a new standard for Japanese performance, but the RC-F wasn’t quite up to snuff. With the new LC, however, Toyota’s lux brand finally has a Grand Tourer it can be proud of. In this episode of Motor Trend’s Head To Head, hosts Johnny and Jethro attempt to find out if the Lexus can hold its own against Aston’s new Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V8-powered DB11.

The Lexus has already proven itself better than the big-engine V12 Aston (in Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car competition), but praise for the V8 iteration has been heaped high and heavy. The DB11 V8 is a more fair comparison with the LC, as it carries less weight over the front axle and makes for a better balanced experience. The V8 Brit brute is a bit slower on acceleration terms than the V12 version, but is a preferable driver’s machine. So, can the heavyweight Lexus tear it down?

We know that the LC has been praised for adventurous and aggressive design language, but in the context of a Grand Tourer, we tend to lean toward the DB11’s classically handsome lines. It looks low and lithe while the Lexus looks very much like a Lexus. The Brits win this round.

Based on the conversation that the guys have in this video, the two GT cars are much more closely matched than they really have any right to be. The Aston is slightly more comfortable and slightly more powerful, and slightly lighter, giving it the edge on the street. When it came time to put the two cars on track, the Lexus was much more composed and balanced, providing a more comfortable-at-the-limit handling experience. Given that the Aston is more than twice as expensive as the Lexus, even though it wins by just a hairs breadth, we’ll call this competition a distinct victory for Lexus.