When Lexus introduced the LC500, the idea wasn’t to create a performance car but rather, an ultimate luxury grand touring machine. They did just that, as the LC500 is comfortably the most impressive coupe that the brand has ever offered in terms of luxury and elegance. However, this sleek machine offers greater performance measures that most of the other cars on this list, so there is no way that we could exclude it. Like the SC400, the LC500 wasn’t engineered to be a performance model, but it still does everything that you expect from a luxury performance coupe.
The LC500 is powered by the same 5.0-liter V8 as the models mentioned above, but this premium coupe features the most torque of any iteration. The LC500 offers 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, with that power being funneled to the rear wheels by means of a 10-speed automatic transmission. Being based on the LS chassis platform, the LC500 is bigger than the RC in just about every way, but it shares some of the same basic performance components. The LC500 has Brembo brakes with huge front rotors and it utilizes an adaptive suspension setup that lets the driver pick between comfort and handling.
While the Lexus LC500 wasn’t designed to be a performance model, this luxury grand touring coupe has all of the credentials of a proper luxury performance coupe.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
