Lexus LC500 vs. LC500h: Which Comes Out on Top?
Choosing Between a V8 or Hybrid-Powered Lexus LC Is a Bigger Challenge Than You May Think
In the old days, things were simple. If you wanted a fast sports car, you got one with a V8. But then along came forced induction four and six cylinder engines that rivaled the big V8’s in power. Now, in the day and age of the hybrid hypercar, we’re faced with a new decision — V8 or hybrid? And as Top Gear found out, making that decision with the new Lexus LC isn’t as easy as you may think.
Fans of all things fast already know about hybrid hypercars like the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 and McLaren P1. All three use electric motors in tandem with traditional gasoline engines to produce what amounts to a linear, endless power curve. But that technology resided way beyond the means of most mortals, until now.
The Lexus LC500h brings that performance/efficiency mix to the masses. The LC500h’s V6 produces 295 horsepower, with an additional 177 ponies coming from the electric motor. Total output, for whatever reason, is 354 hp; 0-60 comes in around 4.7 seconds, with a 155 mph top speed, all the while returning 44 miles per gallon.
The biggest problem with the LC500h lies in the transmission — a dreaded CVT. Top Gear‘s Jack Rix describes it as “rubby.”
“Seize the paddles and there are ten defined steps to choose from, but the shifts themselves are laborious compared to the torque-converter autos and twin-clutchers we’ve become used to,” adds Rix . “It also has an annoying habit of changing up automatically if you don’t pull the right paddle early enough, which is rather often with ten closely stacked ‘gears.’ Drive flat-out and the powertrain feels messy, indirect and wholly unsatisfying.”
‘The LC500 is resounding proof that until the combustion engine is carried off on a stretcher for good, the old way is still the way forward.’
Lexus also offers the brutish, V8 equipped LC500 for those who prefer blunt objects. Fuel economy for the big lump is considerably worse, of course – 24 mpg. But you do get 467 naturally aspirated horsepower from the 5.0 liter mill. Turn off ESB, and you’ve got a tail out hooligan in the waiting. Keep things in line, and you’ll do 0-60 in around 4.3 seconds and reach 168 miles per hour. And the 500’s automatic gearbox is what Rix describes as a “total triumph,” with lightning quick shifts in Sport+ mode.
Rix sums things up rather eloquently: “The LC500, then, is resounding proof that until the combustion engine is carried off on a stretcher for good, the old way is still the way forward.”
It looks like the future may have to wait.
