As I have asked you before I ordered my LC, your opinion on the dynamic handling package, I know you love it, but some performance oriented reviewers like C&D, Motor Trend and a few others that I am aware of actually don’t appreciate it much, and recommend saving the money & go with the Touring Package, so the verdict is decidedly mixed on whether it is worth it to get the Dynamic Handling package, the best way to find out whether it suits one’s taste is to try and test drive both- with and without it if you can.
My LC is actually like the Sports Package in the U.S., with the rear differentials,etc.included, but bespoke enable me to opt out of the useless retractable spoiler, with the main issue being I don’t like the retractable spoiler whether it is up or retracted, I prefer the clean look of the trunk lid without the long cut-out rectangular line which to me is an eyesore.

 

WARNING: Long response

-03LX460, I don’t believe my ‘24 LCV has an Expert mode.

If it does, I haven’t accessed it.


And my driving preference for this car is comfort.


For example, I am more critical of how the suspension handles road imperfections and bumps.



-​​​​​​​JCtx (and 03LX460) some feedback I mentioned I’d share.

1st, as GatorGreg suggests, try to find the LC500 version you want and test drive it.

I didn’t test drive a LC500. I based my buying decision on the large volume of reviews I read, videos I watched, and images I admired (this car is gorgeous!).

Luckily, “I won” and this car is just right for what I want at this time.



I started my search for a new “fair weather car” in 2019.

“Strong wants” included convertible (had just quit motorcycling), manual transmission, higher revving NA engine, solid chassis structure, a compliant sporty/firm suspension that would provide a “planted” vehicle feel and absorb/dampen road bumps in a non-jarring fashion, exterior and interior design that appealed to my eye, and a price tag within my budget.

There were very few choices.

However, Porsche announced the 2020 718 Spyder with the 4 L NA engine having a 8000 rpm redline.
I was intrigued.

I researched, spoke with Porsche, and decided to place a refundable deposit for a 6 speed manual 718 Spyder.

Sadly, circumstances changed and I had my deposit refunded.

Then covid hit.

I revisited my “fair weather” car shopping in early 2021.

I opened my transmission options to an automatic.


The 718 Spyder with the PDK was a frontrunner, along with the LC500 convertible, and the Jaguar F Type R convertible (with 575 hp).



I had driven the 2019 Jaguar F Type SVR and was impressed.

As a passenger, I experienced this same car in coupe form driven by a professional driver on the Grand Prix track of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (known as Mosport). I was dumbfounded at how well this car handled and accelerated on track when driven by a professional. And it was “rock solid” exhibiting no squeaks or rattles after repeated track use. It absorbed track curbing and small track imperfections with precision, no jarring…it was impressive.



Note to self: The Jag SVR/R would work well on track. Had a great exhaust note and appealing looks.



But I wouldn’t be using this car on a track.



I was given an opportunity to drive a 718 Spyder. I was impressed!
It was a very fun driving car that was “rock solid” with fantastic suspension dampening.

I wasn’t keen on the plastic rear window or the manual folding top but the car looked really nice!

I placed another refundable deposit for the 718 Spyder with PDK.
However, the chip shortage and auto market disruptions meant this car might not materialize.



I also loved the looks of the LC500 convertible.

The video reviewers raved about the 5 L NA engine and it’s great exhaust note. They praised the compliant yet sporty GT suspension. The 10 speed auto was noted as good but not in the same class as the Porsche PDK.

I loved the LCV in white and blue but my Lexus dealer said no such configuration was available in Canada.



A year and a half passed and my Porsche salesperson called with the bad news that Porsche was ceasing production of the 718 Spyder. My deposit would be refunded or I could transfer to a 718 Spyder RS at about $80-100k more, with a 30-40% chance I might get it.

Well, the price of the RS was prohibitive.

I got my deposit back.



A month later, my Lexus salesperson called to say that a white and blue LCV configuration is going to be available for ‘24, and asks, “Do you want to place an order?”

I say “Yes!”

And 4 months later, my car arrives.


2300 km and nearly 3 months later, I love my ‘24 LCV.

-It looks gorgeous…to me!

-It is quiet, top up and down. Dig deeper with the throttle and the engine symphony disrupts the quiet.

-It rides so very comfortably. But the chassis isn’t as firm/stiff as the Porsche. It might be similar to the Jag.

-The build and material quality is impeccable.

-The stereo system is really good…for a convertible.

-The 5 L NA engine is a “sweetheart” that is smooth and pulls willingly - not “rocketship” willing - and progressively stronger as rpm’s build.

But this is not a track car.

It is a GT car.

It’s a special occasion car.

It’s a “date car” for my wife and myself.



I walk up and get in to this car, take in it’s manufacture detail and say “Ahhh, it’s a beauty!!!”

Just right…for me!

 

-Seems like better tires should bring the cabin noise levels down. But glad to know this car is not going to be the typical 'Lexus quiet', like my ex-LS. I just don't want it any noisier than my other options (C8 & F-Type... and hopefully M850i as well).
-And I want a GT car...but one that handles well. Otherwise it'd be a touring car, not a GT one; 0.9G is not too much to ask for a GT car.
-And testers who know what they're doing, like Jason Camissa, and other reputable ones. RWS is always going to feel gimmicky; it could be effective, but feels artificial. And same thing with VRS; it completely removes any feel from the steering wheel, and I don't want that. I don't care if the car is still a little less capable, but don't want it to feel like I'm driving in a video game. Ha ha. Plus the extra weight, complexity, cost, and reduced reliability in the long run, are all detractions for me. But to each his own, of course.
-And yes, of course I want to drive one, and should be able to eventually do it with the LC. But the other 2 will be more difficult. Having said that, I pretty much dropped the C8, and also don't think it'd make much sense to buy the F-type, so I think I found my future car. Ha ha. Thank you for your input.

-Excellent news; I don't need (nor expect) more than 0.9Gs, but glad to read it's actually higher than that.
-That's exactly what I'm afraid about the C8, even after 4+ years of production, still A TON of issues. So thanks to you, I just dropped it from consideration. It was the cheapest option, but I'd probably lose more money in the long run than the Lexus, and probably even the F-Type.
-Also very glad to hear the ML system sounds a lot better than the upgraded Bose on the C8s. Just watched a review of the LC vs F-Type from a Canadian pair of reviewers (Straight Pipes, or something like that), and they both gave the nod to the LC, but said the Meridian Surround (which is an upgrade) sounded similar. But I think I'm dropping the Jag too, since my local dealer stopped selling Jags (like many more). Makes no sense to buy one, plus can't find one the way I want it either. Thank you very much for your excellent input as well; greatly appreciated.

Hey, that was A LOT of help; thanks a million too. Seems like the LC is the car I'm after. Will try to find one without RWS, VRS, and without spoiler, but plan to drive one before buying. The problem is my local dealer doesn't have any. Will travel to Austin in December, to visit my daugher, so hope to find one there. Then the challenge will be to find one more or less the way I want it, which is a 'touring' model with Torsen/Yamaha, HUD, and the $40 upgraded wheels. Unfortunately, without bespoke, it'd be red/black, but I could live with it. And prefer white exterior, just like yours. And if I was to order one, it'd be a twin of yours. Ha ha. Glad you're enjoying it. Thank you to all again for all the great help. Will keep you posted on my progress.

 

maybe just ask on here and meet up with someone who can take you for a spin and maybe even let you drive theirs?
dealers are pretty worthless as far as driving an LC, probably unless it's a used one.

 

Lexus of Austin threw me the keys and told me to bring it back in an hr and I was able to drive it on 2222 and Spicewood Springs and that's what sold me on it bc I was surprised at how sporty it was in S/S+

That said there's very few 24s in Austin. I don't think Lexus of Lakeway has received a single one yet

 

Thank you guys. Guess will look for a regional forum, and see if anybody from El Paso has one. I've only seen one, and where I live, so maybe close. All I need is to ride shotgun, so that'd be great. I wouldn't accept driving it; heck, I don't even like to drive my brother's vehicles. Just taking me for a ride would be greatly appreciated. And yes, noticed neither ELP nor Austin have any LCs now. Hopefully by December. But I'd have to summon my daughter, since I don't know Austin at all. Glad you mentioned those roads, so I can map them before going there, if my daughter is not available. Thank you. But your statement leaves me with no doubt the car will be good enough handling-wise. Since there are 2 different seats, if I have to test-drive a car with the sport seats, and they're good enough, then I'm sure the comfort ones would be even better. The thing is I've seen THREE different seats, and the ones on the bespoke blue/white interior look basically flat, with no support, and didn't like that. The ones shown with the 'touring' package look perfect, basially the same torso bolstering on the sport ones, but without the shoulder bolstering, so they actually look even better. I'd like those. And also hope the seat ventilation is better than on my ex-RC-F, which was dismal. And those seats were quite uncomfortable too. Thank you for all the help. Hope to find somebody local in case I cannot drive one in December.

 

JCtx,
Here are the seats in my ‘24 LCV.

They are very comfortable!

 

Thank you; they look awesome. And may I ask you which seat are they? They're the 'sport' one, due to the shoulder bolsters, correct? Those are the ones I want, since what I think are the 'comfort' ones, look super plain, and with almost zero bolstering support. So glad they're comfortable as well. Hey, your seats are exactly the ones I'd like, but I don't think it's going to happen. Just read a thread about the ordeal that is to order bespoke, plus no chance of getting any discounts. I imposed a limit of 100 grand on myself, and plan to observe it. I'm even having a hard time justifying spending that much on a freaking car again. Ha ha. Thanks again for that photo.

 

They are the semi-aniline leather-trimmed front seats with the upper body heating (convertible).

 

So which ones are the ones below? They're from a certified 2023. By the way, the seats with 'Alcantara' centers look ultra cheap, with everything around them cheap vinyl. Never expected that of Lexus, so those are an absolute deal-breaker to me. And I didn't want Alcantara seats anyway, but the LC's are the worst I've seen. The ones below should be the 'comfort' semi-aniline seats of the touring package, no? Even though this particular listing says sport package. Thank you.




EDIT: Hey guys, can somebody help me make sense out of this car, please? Here's the link:https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

It has a glass roof, so it cannot be a 'handling' package, right? Because I do NOT want RWS or variable-ratio steering. I didn't want a spoiler either, but guess I could live with it... but how come this car has it? I thought only the handling package came with that. And then the non-Alcantara sport seats, which is great, but how they ended up there? And it seems to have the ML, correct? And never seen those wheels; are they OEMs? Hopefully 20s, because that's all it needs IMO... plus I could use that to lower the price. Ha ha. Anyway, sorry for all the questions, but this car seems like a possibility, even though I wanted white. Hope it has HUD, and the Torsen/Yamaha option. Wish there was a decoder, to see every option there. Thanks gang.

 

This is a Bespoke order. They opted for the spoiler, no HUD, 20 inch wheels, and leather over the Alcantara, Glass roof over the Carbon Fiber.

There is a plate to denote it just in front of the shifter.

I have 23 with Dynamic package.

Go to Lexus website and build a Bespoke and you will see the various options/choices you have.

 

[QUOTE=JCtx;11603211]So which ones are the ones below? They're from a certified 2023. By the way, the seats with 'Alcantara' centers look ultra cheap, with everything around them cheap vinyl. Never expected that of Lexus, so those are an absolute deal-breaker to me. And I didn't want Alcantara seats anyway, but the LC's are the worst I've seen. The ones below should be the 'comfort' semi-aniline seats of the touring package, no? Even though this particular listing says sport package. Thank you.




The red seats above look like those in the standard coupe equipped with the Touring package.

As Ephilyaw notes, the vehicle is a Bespoke build.

I believe the full leather seats in my convertible are the same style bolstering as the seats in the ‘24 Performance and Bespoke coupe except that the Performance/Bespoke coupe has alcantara centres, and the convertible has neck warmers.

My ‘24 LCV is a Performance package model.

 

I'd just like to know what bespoke options that car has, so will call dealer tomorrow, to see if by any chance they have the window sticker. Or at least a way to list all factory options, to verify no RWS/VRS. I want HUD, but based on some comments here, it's not a deal-breaker anymore, since it doesn't seem to be that great... especially if it doesn't show blind-spot information (does it?). And I also much prefer 20" wheels, since they're already borderline large, especially for the crappy streets prevalent almost everywhere by now. One thing I noticed on some LC500s is they have 245 tires all around. I'd much prefer a staggered setup for better handling, but not sure which packages or trims offer that (other than the handling package, of course). Will ask that dealer tomorrow to check tire sizes front and rear. I'd probably make an offer for $85K, and see what happens. Car is 2K+ miles away, so it wouldn't be cheap to buy it that far away. Thank you guys.

 

^^^^Just to post a couple things related to the post above.

1. 20" wheels are no longer an option for MY2024.

2. No LC ever came from the factory with size 245 tires mounted on all four wheels.

 

Good to know on #1. Thanks. But I've seen at least one brand new LC500 advertised by a dealer with 245 tires all around. Don't remember details (will pay better attention now that I might buy one), but I really doubt a dealer changed the wheels and/or tires. Maybe with A/S tire option in northern states? Or the 20" wheel option? Anyway, I want to avoid that, so need to remember to check for that. By the way, Lexus doesn't mention wheel or tire widths, but I know the latter are 245/275... and unfortunately runflats (also not mentioned).