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The sleek, luscious Lexus LC 500 and LC 500h were unveiled at the marque’s Ebrahim K. Kanoo showroom at a stylish ceremony on Saturday afternoon in Sitra.
Pretty models pulled off the wrappers of the cars as guests and members of the media watched a dramatic drive-in under spotlights, which followed a video presentation and an informed introduction into the company’s philosophy by senior executives.
The new Lexus LC is a powerful, emotionally-stirring realisation of the vision of Lexus master driver Akio Toyoda for a flagship production coupe that echoes the spirit of the hand-built Lexus LFA supercar and delivers the visual impact of the Lexus LF-LC concept.
Chief engineer Koji Sato said: “In my view, pursuing beautiful design and elaborating superior performance are two very similar aspects.
“Beauty is the identity of Lexus’ design. Every feature of the LC is the result of an integrated approach to design and engineering.”
It certainly appears to have hit the mark with instant glowing international reviews. Top Gear, for example, described it as quite simply ‘the boldest, most outrageous thing to come from the maker’ and motorreport.com didn’t hang back on the praise either, saying ‘it’s a seriously impressive car, this, one that holds Lexus in good stead for coming years. Bravo, indeed’.
Koji Nagata, GM of Toyota’s Middle East and North Africa regional office and EK Kanoo’s Ayman Shehadeh, spoke of the evolution of Lexus as a lifestyle brand.
The new car is immediately identifiable as a Lexus thanks to its hallmark spindle grille and dynamic character lines. The 2018 LC grille itself features a unique mesh texture that changes visual tension as it spreads across the front of the car.
Independent L-shaped daytime running lights beneath new ultra-compact triple LED headlamps create the distinctive LC front lighting signature.
The combination of a large glass panel and blacked-out rear pillars creates a floating roof appearance and chrome-plated moldings along the edges, which echo the lines of a traditional Japanese sword, amplify the effect.
The LC 500, priced BD42,000, powered by a high-performance 5-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine, can sprint from zero to 100 km in less than 4.7 seconds. Under acceleration, the LC 500 reveals its character in a continuously-rising power curve, with the 471 HP developed at 7,100 rpm and the torque peak of 55.0 kg-m at 4,800 rpm.
The Lexus LC also debuts the first 10-speed automatic transmission for a luxury automobile.
The Lexus LC comes in four distinctive interior colour schemes that include new Breezy Blue and Ochre, together with Dark Rose and Black seen in other Lexus models.
Lexus, which introduced the world’s first luxury hybrid 13 years ago, developed a new Multi Stage Hybrid System specifically for the LC 500h (BD39,500).
It combines the Lexus hybrid system with variable gears.
By controlling the output of both the higher rpm 3.5-litre V6 engine and the electric motor, it achieves powerful performance from low speeds through to high range driving.
