My two weeks with the most impressive 2020 Lexus LC 500 Sports Coupe

My couple of weeks with the Lexus LC 500 was Déjà vu all over again. In 1995, the year after I became a freelance automotive writer, I was an aspiring junior architect with 15-years’ experience. I was working for a principal who was very much into Cadillacs. In fact, he had owned at least two in the 7-years I worked for the firm.

The model he had at the time was a jet black 1990 Eldorado TC (Touring Edition). My boss had left on a plane trip when a severe hailstorm hit our area. For some unexplained reason, his son switched the Eldo out of the garage to save his then vintage BMW 3-Series convertible, which was a hand-me-down from his mother. To say the least, it got totaled. After a serious reprimand to junior, my boss went looking for another Caddy.

Knowing automobiles as I did (and still do), I tried like hell to get him to look at anything but another Cadillac. I had recently tested both a Lexus SC350 and 450 and suggested that model as one example. Somehow it worked, for when I came to work first thing Monday morning, he was smiling like a Cheshire cat. He had purchased a gold Lexus 450, which his brother, a GM for a Ford dealership, had negotiated the deal. My boss had snagged a $54k Lexus for $48K. Such a deal.

In fact, it was such a deal that he owned it for nearly 20-years, and it was still in pristine condition. He had given it to his wife, who up until then strictly drove brand-new Bimmers. In the meantime, he owned a later-generation Ford Bronco, as well as a Hummer H2. They eventually sold the faithful Lexus to get her into a snazzy yellow Camaro convertible. BTW: Today, he drives an Escalade, and probably will wind-up be getting the all-new 2021 model. Guess I failed to impress upon him, though his son has tried.

I bring all this up, because at the time the Lexus SC models where fantastic vehicles yet didn’t exactly raise eyebrows against the competition. I also know a Real Estate broker who once owned the second generation model, a SC430, which was a retractable hardtop convertible; which for a intents and purposes did not a have a rear seat, but was a fun car to get some serious rays in.

Speaking of rays, Lexus has hit another one out of the ballpark by creating an open top LC 500, which should be hitying the streets as we speak.

So now, I had this also strikingly gorgeous “Flare Yellow” 2020 Lexus LC 500, which in my humble opinion, is an absolute work of art. The price tag, in case you wish to know, came to $106,954. If you think that’s a little too pricy, remember the 1995 Lexus SC 450 stickered for $54k; and considering the cost of inflation, that six-figure price tag doesn’t seem to be that out of character; not to mention a Nissan GT-R starts out for a whopping $ 113,540. Whereas, the GT-R has been coveted, as well as around in its current configuration for more than a decade, it doesn’t draw as much attention as the LC 500 did in my possession.

Yes, the GT-R, affectionately known as Godzilla, is one of the most ultimate track cars for its price point. But where does the LC 500 stand in that category, a track car or a luxury sports coupe? When the LC 500 was just beginning to hit the streets, I was coming back from my old stomping grounds of San Angelo, up US Hwy 377, passing by the Motor Ranch in Cresson, when a red LC 500 popped in front of me headed towards Fort Worth. It was keeping up with a Porsche 911 - both had decaled numbers on the doors – and here I was trying to keep up with both.

The Lexus LC 500, which I stated debuted for 2017, comes in two powertrain versions, the base LC 500 and LC 500h, which is a hybrid. Performance between the two is not all that noticeable at lower speeds, 471 versus 354, but fuel economy is. The hybrid is EPA rated at 35 mpg highway and 26 city, as opposed to 25 mpg highway and 16 city, 19 combined. The hybrid also comes at a slightly lower price tag of $92,510 versus the LC 500 base of $92,950. Kind of reminds me of the SC350 versus the SC450.

A few years back I was visiting with Paul Horton, a geologist, oilman and native of Nocona, Texas, who has amassed a quite impressive car collection, which he has assimilated in several different museum buildings in downtown Nocona. At the time he told me he had received a call for Carl Sewell of Sewell Lexus about the limited production Lexus LFA supercar, so Paul took a trip to Dallas and bought the rare $400k+ jewel. Last I heard it was stored in the old Nocona Boot Factory, along with his other exotics.

But driving the LC 500 on the streets was more than challenging for me, driving a LFA would have been insane. The first week I had the LC 500 was when it was raining cats and dogs, so commuting to Dallas in the pouring rain was not fun. If I owned this beauty, it would have been sheltered in my garage. But, since I have to drive these vehicles to review them, such was the case. I did have a moment when a guy in a pain Jane Camry drove slowly by me, looking, and then giving me the thumbs-up.

Getting in and out for an old guesser like me is not all that difficult, not like getting in and out of a Corvette. But face it; unless you are a young guy who made your money in Dot Coms, the average buyer is going to be closer in age to myself. Case in point, an older gentleman (but less in age) attends my church; he has two vehicles, a Lexus LC 500, as well as a current F-150 Raptor.

As I said beforehand, the LC 500 made a statement right out the gate for 2018. If I had the wherewithal, I’d owned one in a heartbeat, however there’s a new kid on the block that has grabbed my attention, the mid-engine C8 Corvette. Granted, the LC 500 is a 2+2 like a 911, and it’s old school like the C7 Vette, but it’s so refined in comparison. Seems like I’d have to have two vehicles in my stable, the LC 500, as well as the C8.