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

New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp
2026 Cupra Born
News

New Cupra Born arrives as a feistier Volkswagen ID.3, with bucket seats and up to 322bhp

Cupra has given the ID.3-based Born a substantial refresh, comprising a new design, updated interior and physical steering wheel controls rather than …
5 Mar 2026
My £2k Fiat Panda 100HP is huge fun to own, until you look underneath...
evo Fast Fleet Fiat Panda 100HP
Long term tests

My £2k Fiat Panda 100HP is huge fun to own, until you look underneath...

A trip to the garage unearths some nasty secrets in the Panda’s suspension
5 Mar 2026
BMW M3 CSL (E46, 2003-2004) review – Munich's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3
BMW M3 CSL
Reviews

BMW M3 CSL (E46, 2003-2004) review – Munich's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3

The ultimate unicorn BMW M car is now almost 25 years old. It’s not perfect but it is wonderful
5 Mar 2026