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AUTO REVIEW

2019 LEXUS LC 500

By Stephen Schutz, MD

The old Brad Paisley song, “He Didn’t Have To Be,” is a touch- economy penalty, but regrettably turbos are also the enemy of
ing number about a man who marries a single mother and be- good engine sounds. Listening to this car rev, on the other hand,
comes a great dad to her son even though he didn’t have to. is highly pleasurable. During my week with it, I frequently found
Driving the Lexus LC 500 reminded me of that song because it’s myself pushing the throttle more than I needed to just to hear the
a luxury coupe that drives much better than it needs to. LC’s delicious V8. Yum.
Several months ago I wrote about one of the Lexus LC’s more That engine is also plenty muscular, by the way. Its 0-60MPH
expensive competitors, the Mercedes S-class coupe, and said that time of 4.4 seconds is quicker than the 1979 LeMans-winning
it’s a very impressive car that’s not stimulating to drive. That’s fine Porsche 935, and I always felt as though I had plenty of power
because buyers expect big luxury coupes (or sedans for that mat- despite the LC’s hefty curb weight of, gulp, 4,280 lbs.
ter) to be serious. They’re about comfort, safety, and image. So The standard transmission is a 10-speed automatic, and fuel
how cool is it that Lexus actually made the LC fun? economy is 16MPG city/26MPH highway. It’s higher if you
Let’s start with the engine. It’s a naturally aspirated 5.0 liter V8 choose the hybrid LC 500h, but given the additional weight and
that pumps out 471 HP and, critically for me, awesome exhaust CVT that version includes I’d stick with the standard LC 500.
notes. Turbochargers are taking over the (pre-electric) automotive In addition to providing a powerful engine, Lexus spent extra
world because they add seemingly endless power with little fuel time making sure the LC handles well. Twisty back roads are no

44 San Antonio Medicine • February 2019