Reinvention

I'm going to apologize in advance for the ramble - my friends and my wife are sick of me blabbing about the LC. Suffice to say I'm a big fan of the model. I've turo'd a 2019, 2020 and 2024 and put on around 2,500 miles give or take in the driver seat. Gonna try out a convertible mid-March. If anyone is in SoCal and wants to link up for a drive - happy to organize; will be doing a day run up Malibu (Latigo/Decker) visiting some friends and another day starting in Data Point, going over Ortega 74 and down to Pala over 76 up 79/371 to Azna and out 74 to Palm Springs. Can't get enough of it. A friend passed unexpectedly recently reminding me life can be short, so I've decided I'm buying one to enjoy regularly. I'm starting to watch 20221-2023 models with around 10-30k miles, figure $75-85k with a softening used car market might have another 10% in the tank by August (when kiddo is finally out of daycare). Or I wait out to see if 2025 model year brings anything new, fingers crossed its massage chairs. My understanding is the LC/RC will merge to a single i.c.e. Lexus Coupe offering with the 3.5tt engine in 2026 - I want n/a V8 while I can still get it. On the flip side I'm simply not a fan of the 2024 update and find the older interior better for me - the quirky trackpad, clock, integrated dash and cd player are part of the charm - I love it, so cohesive. I would, however, love massage chairs even more as I think they help go further, longer on drives - making an amazing GT nearly perfect; if they could add swan doors to help clear curbs I'd buy two of them. Seeing as the recently released massage seats in the LX600/GX550 has them I'm wondering out loud if the LC could get them before it bows out.

Long winded way of asking any rumors about the 2025 model?

Funny that I think about it, my father in law purchased a SC430 in 2004 and will be buried in that thing he loves it so much. History repeating itself 20 years later.

StuM

I will be interested in what changes ‘25 brings too. Currently have a ‘24 coupe on order, but as we get into March, I will either tell my dealer to hold off and wait for an early ‘25 allocation, or Lexus may do that on their own, as the build years roll over. Also in SoCal, SD County.

355F1

I would be very scared of waking up hearing that the NA V8 is just no longer available.

If you want one you better buy one. Now. Stop waiting. Life is too short.

This engine is gonna be gone very very soon, I predict. The LC will stick around but without a NA engine is my prediction.

Reinvention

355 - yep, that's the plan this year. Either target a CPO '21-'23 or wait out for a new '25 if there is a compelling reason. Need to work out if it's going to be coupe or convertible. I'm going to call Longo tomorrow, I've got a deposit with them for a new GX550 - will ask if then can swap it over for a '25 LC and wait for news to break. It's like looking forward to Christmas as a little kid again.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

One of our "in the know" moderators has proof from inside Lexus of MY25 models:

Lou

RNM GS3

That is GREAT news 👍

Hopefully they can continue to make the V8s.
Even 911 is going hybrid now unfortunately.

Vertdafert

Now... fingers crossed Lexus adds a transmission cooler to all models.. or at least make it optional under a track or some sort of "F-Sport" package..

Superficially, its not going to happen, but I do want the analog clock back and some sort of trim added back to the dash that was removed when they added the touchscreen in 2024...

I also hope they ditch the tulip wheels for something more aesthetically pleasing.

Finally, I would also like to see a white interior option without having to purchase a Bespoke edition.
Canadians did get that color interior as an option like that already.

2959

I bought a new 23 LC Convertible this year; I'm used to the current trackpad/mouse etc. since I have several other Lexus. I preferred the dash layout on the older model in addition to the steep discount. I rarely use the system anyway with the Climate Concierge and Ottobox wireless CarPlay installation. Long distances? No problems with the seats, very comfortable and did not noticed any cramping or not being able to get comfortable (which has happened on my other Lexus, my GX460 for me was the worst). Worst part of longer distance driving is the crazy gas mileage (highway), couldn't believe how good it was which means bathroom breaks are more common than getting gas.

BruceinFla

My SWAG. I would guess at least a MY 26.
Lexus is still going ***** to the wall with their IMSA V8 race cars. Running 2 of those year round isn't cheap. Usually, major factory IMSA entering or departing info starts leaking out a good year ahead of time. There are no such departure rumors with the Lexus program.
Bruce in Fl zoomzoom*****es

jbuffett

FYI there was ~10 years between the SC430 and the LC500. If you want to understand a lot of how Toyota / Lexus makes decisions, read up some time on TPS - Toyota Production System. "A production system based on the philosophy of achieving the complete elimination of waste in pursuit of the most efficient methods". Efficiency + elimination of waste = build / sell as many Camry's and Lexus RX's as possible. What car doesn't fit this mold? ~2,000 LC500's a year on average over 9 years.

Point being, the engineers / enthusiast executives only sneak a car like the LC past the bean counters every so often before somebody runs the numbers, starts pointing at "elimination of waste in pursuit of the most efficient methods" and says that the LC is hurting their numbers. Look at the new Land Cruiser: it is an overpriced, overengineered, focused-on-efficiency-over-cruising-the-land joke. What happened to the Land Cruiser is coming for the rest of the lineup because of TPS. (side note: I'm in line for a new GX to offroad once they fix the spun bearing issue on those 3.4L TTV6 engines)

We're talking about a company that outsourced the Mk5 Supra to BMW. If anything demonstrates how special the LC500 is, it's the fact that Toyota took a car that most people have no idea they build, and built it in the same plant by the same people who built the LFA. And the sportscar that Toyota is most famous for, that could have cemented their reputation with car enthusiasts, they don't even build themselves. It would be like Toyota allowing Jeep to build the Land Cruiser for them, or Ford build the Tacoma.

You have a year, maybe two to get the best used LC500 you can for cheap. Once they announce the end of the run (and not a year or two later), prices will flatten and start appreciating. If there is another version of this car, it won't be this beautiful or sound this good. And it'll probably take 10 years for the engineers to sneak it out of the factory, if it's even built in Japan.

Hurry up. Otherwise in 5 years you'll be one of those insufferable people who comes here saying "I wish I had bought one when they were cheap".

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

great post jbuffett! i hope you're right about appreciation.

StuM

…
You may well be correct. I bought a BMW Z8 (the first of 3 I’ve owned) at a discount near the end of their run. Did the same with an ‘06 FORD GT, also new, at a discount. At the time those who wanted them had procured one and dealers were getting nervous over their floor plan costs. After they ceased production there was a period of lower-interest and slightly static/decreasing values. Then, BAM, they both began to take off once true car lovers figured out what they were and that no new versions were coming. Look at them today; bank accounts in the garage! I suspect we may see some of the same with the LC, over time.

jbuffett

A Z8 and a Ford GT bought new / discounted, that's a hell of a track record :-) well done! If the LC's post-production performance is anywhere near those two, we're going to have a lot of happy owners here!

Badhobz

I think it’ll snowball, just like the LFA. They sat for years and years. Some even discounted on lots. Now they are easily 500-700k

Once our LCs are gone.. it’ll potentially start going up and then the speculators will enter the market and inflate them further. Soon they’ll be so expensive that driving one around is no longer financially sensible as you might potentially wreck your equity.

That will be a sad day when people star squirrelling these away for profit instead of pleasure.

NickL

Ehhhh…LFA was a true limited production vehicle. They said they were going to do only 500 and that was what they did. World wide.
The number of LC500 made and sold is in the 5 figures. More than 12k in the US alone. And let’s not forget the GSF, RCF, and IS500 that use the same engine.
Sure, the LC500 is special. But I don’t think the value will skyrocket like an LFA which is now sold for 3x the msrp. We will see if the LC500 even get to 2X MSRP. Just my opinion of course.