Did a Lexus Engineer Hint at a More Powerful Lexus LC500?
I’m sure I speak for many when I say that the Lexus LC 500 and LC 500h concepts are jaw-dropingly gorgeous. And there’s a general feeling in the Lexus community that this could be the foundation for the LFA successor we’ve all been anxiously waiting for.
On a recent interview between the guys at Top Gear Magazine and Koji Sato, the LC 500’s chief engineer, TG asked if the current LC lineup allowed the necessary room to build an even faster, more powerful, and more hardcore LC model?
The answer: “I cannot touch on the future product like that, but personally, I love the idea. So, you will have to wait.”
Sato elaborated on the fact the LC 500 and LC 500h are much more about the luxury and sporty lifestyle that Lexus owners are known for, and not about outright power and performance. When asked about which model out of the two he preferred, he gave a pretty political answer outlining the two different characters.
“I think these two are a very different flavour. The gas model has a 5.0-litre V8 engine with 467hp, which gives you a lot of torque, and also combined with the 10-speed gearbox, gives you a sharper shift – it’s kind of a magic formula for the powerful sports car. But on the other hand, the hybrid gives you a sharper throttle response thanks to the electric motor, while the new multi-stage hybrid controls the engine torque and motor torque together through the transmission, which gives it a much more natural acceleration feel. It connects with the driver more than you’d expect…”
Sato went as far as saying that Porsche and Mercedes are indeed rivals in the luxury sports coupe segment, but outlined that the more successful BMW 6-Series is the main competitor that Lexus has set in their cross-hairs.
Would you want to see an LC based LFA successor?
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
Via [Top Gear]
Photos [DrivesWGirls]
