Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Lexus LC500 – design

Distinctive, aggressive yet elegant and underpinned by spectacular proportions

Evo rating
  • Superb chassis balance; engine; interior; design
  • Transmission the weak link; iffy infotainment; hybrid nothing like as good as the V8

The LC is a car of extremes, and the design is no different. For a sub-£100k car it turns heads like few others. The shape itself is delicately honed, the bonnet low, the surfacing full, the tapering cabin accentuating the wide hips. 

Look closely and the myriad of different finishes and materials can jar, but on the road, once moving, it’s elegant and aggressive – in perfect partnership with its overall character. There are some awkward angles, and if a subtler method of travel is preferred then the LC might be a little much. But credit where credit’s due – the whole package is perfectly accentuated by its design. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The LC is brilliant – it follows no lead, it wants for little and has such a strength of character that on looks alone it makes for a fascinating alternative to the European opposition. It looked like a concept car when it launched in 2017, and it's telling that Lexus never needed to overhaul its design until it went out of production. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Puma review – the best-seller that’s still no patch on the Fiesta
Ford Puma
In-depth reviews

Ford Puma review – the best-seller that’s still no patch on the Fiesta

The Ford Puma melds some of the Fiesta’s charm with big-selling crossover form factor, but we still miss a proper small Ford hatch
21 Aug 2026
Lotus wants to save its Norfolk factory by developing and building other company's sports cars
Lotus factory
Features

Lotus wants to save its Norfolk factory by developing and building other company's sports cars

The Emira will live on and there's an Esprit supercar on the way, but Lotus has another plan to keep Hethel active
18 Aug 2026
Lotus Exige V6 (S3, 2011-2021) review – a mini supercar for Golf GTI money
Lotus Exige S V6
In-depth reviews

Lotus Exige V6 (S3, 2011-2021) review – a mini supercar for Golf GTI money

For the S3 generation the Lotus Exige got a lot brawnier, trading the four-cylinder engines it had hitherto utilised for a supercharged Toyota V6
21 Aug 2026