Spotted: a Lexus LC 500h

The spotted specimen

In the center of Hoorn, we saw this Lexus LC 500h. This example has been registered since early 2023. The LC is a car you unfortunately see very rarely on Dutch roads, so let’s put this one in the spotlight.

The Lexus LC

The Lexus LC entered the market in 2018. The letters stand for Luxury Coupe, which is exactly what the car is. You can think of the LC as a successor to the Lexus SC, a model line that ran across two model generations from 1991 through 2010. Depending on the model generation, that was a sporty-luxury coupe or a luxury convertible with a steel-topped roof. The LC continues that line, but this time combines sportiness and luxury. Moreover, there is now choice: in addition to the coupe, the Convertible also appeared in 2019.

Engines Lexus LC

The Lexus LC is the first model on the then-new GA-L platform for models in the luxury segment. That is the same platform on which the current Lexus LS is built. The “standard” LC is the 500, powered by a 5.0-liter V8 rated at 351 kW (477 hp), mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission and with rear-wheel drive. It reaches 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds and the top speed is 270 km/h.

More interesting for the Netherlands is the Lexus LC 500h, the version we spotted. As the “h” indicates, this model has a hybrid powertrain. It is based on a 3.5-liter V6 and the system output is 264 kW (359 hp). The hybrid version also has a ten-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. With a 0-100 sprint in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h, the LC 500h is hardly inferior to the “regular” 500, while the average fuel consumption is much lower. Only drawback: because of the different roof construction, the hybrid powertrain does not fit in the LC Convertible, which means it always has the V8. In the Netherlands, this also means that the Convertible is therefore much more expensive than the coupe.