Lexus LC

Development The LC was developed under the program codename "950A" from 2011 to 2016. It was previewed by the LF-LC Concept, which was designed at Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, California. The concept vehicle was revealed at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Design work was later transferred from Calty to Toyota Technical Centre in Aichi, Japan in January 2013, with a final production design freeze in the first half of 2014. Introduction Four years after the concept's debut, the production model, dubbed LC 500, was introduced in January 2016 at the same venue. It shares the same 5.0-litre 2UR-GSE V8 engine with the RC F and GS F with power slightly increased to . It is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It is powered by a 3.5-litre 8GR-FXS V6 engine, a hybrid transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack with a combined output at 6,600 rpm, and an estimated of combined torque at 3000 rpm. The battery has 44 kW and 1.1 kWh and can power the car for . Discontinuation Lexus announced that the production of the LC 500 coupe and convertible will end on August 2026, and 2026 will be the final model year for the North American market. Manufacturing The LC is built at Toyota's Motomachi facility, the same plant that produced the LFA. The factory was reconfigured for LC production, which included finishing the entire facility's interior in white. It weighed more than the LC coupé, therefore the top speed and acceleration times dropped slightly. File:Lexus LC Convertible Concept Genf 2019 1Y7A5165.jpg|LC Convertible Concept at 2019 Geneva Motor Show Convertible The LC 500 Convertible, based on the concept car, was unveiled at the LA Auto Show on November 20, 2019. Its four-layer soft top roof can be operated at speeds of up to . Its features include a transparent polycarbonate wind deflector, neck heaters, and Active Noise Control (ANC) technology. == Design ==

The LC retained the overall design of the concept model. It has a variant of Lexus' corporate "spindle" grille with a gradient pattern; a tightly compressed mesh at the top transitions to a wider diamond at the bottom. However, unlike other vehicles in the lineup, the top of the spindle grille does not have a chrome surround. The compact LED triple-projector headlight is in the small overhang between the bumper and wheels. File:FoS20162016 0625 150845AA (27289950913) (2).jpg|LC 500 (URZ100) File:2019 Lexus LC500 (yellow), rear left (Greenwich 2019).jpg|LC 500 (URZ100) File:Lexus LC 500h – f 24062018.jpg|LC 500h (GWZ100) File:Lexus LC 500h – h 24062018.jpg|LC 500h (GWZ100) File:Lexus LC Convertible IMG 4916.jpg|LC 500 Convertible (URZ100) File:Lexus LC Convertible IMG 4271.jpg|LC 500 Convertible (URZ100) File:Lexus LC 500 & LC 500h interior (cropped).jpg|Interior Chassis The LC is the first vehicle to use Lexus' front-engine, rear-wheel drive platform, dubbed "Global Architecture – Luxury" (GA-L). It consists of various materials, including high-strength steel, aluminium, and carbon fibre. The GA-L platform would underpin future rear-wheel drive models, including the LS 500, which was introduced in January 2017. The platform is designed to provide lower overall mass, improved front/rear weight distribution, and a low center of gravity. Run-flat tires are also used to avoid the need for a spare, and the vehicle battery has been relocated to the trunk to improve weight distribution. LC 500h The LC 500h employs a hybrid powertrain, known as the Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid system. It consists of a 3.5-litre 8GR-FXS V6 engine which produces at 6,600 rpm and of torque at 5,100 rpm, in addition to two electric motors whose total output is and of torque. Combined power output over the entire system is and of torque. == Motorsport ==

Super GT GT500 The LC500 GT500 is a GT500 GT race car derived from the road-going LC500 for use in the Super GT from 2017 onwards. The car is the direct replacement to the Lexus RC F GT500, which competed in the 2014 to 2016 Super GT seasons. The LC500 GT500 car made its début at the 2017 Okayama GT 300km, and claimed 14 race wins of the 24 overall entered races from 2017 until 2019 (26 with the Super GT/DTM crossover events). In 2020, with the introduction of the new Class One and the revival of the Supra nameplate, the Toyota GR Supra would take its place in the GT500 category. File:Tokyo Auto Salon 2019 (46769581761).jpg|2017 winner of Keeper TOM'S LC500 File:WMC P TAS18 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing LC ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen 1.jpg|Lexus LC SP-PRO at the 2018 24 Hours of Nürburgring GT300 For 2023, a GT300 version of the LC500h, called the LC500h GT, was developed by APR as a replacement for their Toyota Prius GT300. The car features the same hybrid system as the Prius before it. File:No.31 apr LC500h GT after 2023.8.26-27 SUZUKA GT 450km (1).jpg|Lexus LC500h GT300 at the 2023 Suzuka GT 450km == Marketing ==

For Marvel Studios' Black Panther feature film, Lexus provided LC500s for filming in South Korea during the car chase sequence. Lexus also produced two specific LC models named Black Panther Editions that feature a large Black Panther mask decal on the hood, blue underbody lighting, 24-inch wheels and blue paint with subtle striping. == Sales ==

European statistics include sales from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. == References ==