The Qualities the Make a Sports Car
A true sports car needs to fulfill a specific set of requirements. It has to deliver a high degree of performance that can boggle the mind and elevate heart rates even when standing still. It must wear a design bespoke with radical lines and seductive curves to turn heads and provoke envy while garnering praise from anyone who posts a photo of it on social media.
The last quality is performance, often at the sacrifice of comfort and practicality. A modern sports car should offer first-class interior amenities to cushion the strain from the centripetal force when taking corners at speed.

One of the Best Luxury Sports Car Ever Made
Today, choosing a sports car is like wandering through the perfume section of a department store. There is a wide selection of sweet, musky, fresh scents accompanied by slick advertising and lavish bottle designs to help justify the price within a wide range of costs.
Among the herd of athletic and leather-appointed coupes and convertibles is the Lexus LC 500, a car I’ve praised for years as one of the best sports luxury cars ever made.

Every time I road test the LC 500 it ends up with me filling out credit loan applications online. I fall into a deep trance of desire to purchase one for myself broken only by the harsh reality of my bank account.
It’s easy to fall in love with this sports car because it gives you the main character syndrome of a Michael Mann film (Heat, Thief, Ferrari, Collateral). It’s a seriously cool luxury sports car for people who don’t care about clout. Yes, it will attract attention but that’s not what this car is trying to do unlike other car brands which market the lifestyle more than the experience.

Subtle Changes for 2025
The most significant change on the Lexus LC 500 for the 2025 model year is the upgraded interior infotainment system, new front and rear bracing underneath for improved rigidity, and the Bespoke Build package that includes options for red and blue soft tops.

The updated infotainment system is by far the most visually apparent and appreciated change. Until now, the car’s interior interface has been its main criticism. However, the new 12.3-inch touchscreen features Lexus’s latest software interface, making navigating through the menu tabs much easier and intuitive.
The most used features like audio selection and climate controls are managed by a set of toggle switches positioned below the screen for quick access.
Ultrasonic Blue Lexus LC 500
The car seen in this article wears a vibrant shade of Ultrasonic Blue Mica, accessorized with a set of 21-inch wheels. The new Lexus Bespoke Build program offers buyers to personalize the look of their LC 500 with exclusive options like a carbon-fiber roof panel and a wider selection of colors.
An available Touring package turns the car into a plush cross-country bomber with features like a heated steering wheel, a windshield wiper de-icing feature, and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

Behind the Colgate chrome grille sits the standard 5.0L V8, which serves 471 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. This naturally aspirated engine has been in production for years in multiple Toyota and Lexus models and boasts high reliability while offering that rock-n-roll rumble enthusiasts love with razor-sharp responsiveness.

On paper, the LC 500 accelerates from zero to 60 in an estimated 4.4 seconds but feels much quicker. The silent interior cabin provides just enough exterior audio to enjoy the V8’s baritone voice singing through its active exhaust system. When strapped into the cockpit and leaning hard on the gas, it can feel like you’re charging a runway in a private jet.

A Sports Car with Rear Seats Suitable for Humans
Speaking of the cabin, the LC 500 is one of the few two-door coupes with rear seats that people can actually sit without feeling like origami. Standing at a stout five foot ten, my father volunteered to sit in the back after having a full meal and said he felt comfortable.
He did mention that he would duck his head slightly when driving over speed bumps to avoid tapping the rear window with his skull, a design drawback to a low fastback roofline. Nevertheless, having a sports car that can actually fit more than one passenger is a bonus.

Evasive Maneuvers on a Night Cloaked Highway
Toward the end of the road test, I had to drive late at night on I-35 for a considerable amount of time and miles. The car’s triple-beam LED headlamps sliced through the moonless night, showing me the way with each passing white line on the road.
The red sea of semi-truck taillights in the distance reminded me to stay alert and scan the road for large pieces of shredded rubber. Sure enough, in one instant, the headlights illuminated a half-moon-sized piece of a truck tire in the middle of my lane. With both hands on the wheel, I turned sharply to the left and the car dove out of the way. The low-profile tires vibrated over the shoulder’s rumble strips momentarily before steering the car back on the road.

It all happened so fast that I had to ponder on whether it actually happened or merely a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and white-line fever.
The LC 500 handled beautifully thanks to its adaptive variable suspension, allowing it to glide through the evasive maneuvers without losing composure. It was so smooth that if I had been holding a cup of coffee my Wrangler jeans would have stayed dry. When I arrived home on the last night of the week-long road test, the trip computer stated I had traveled 550 miles and averaged 28 mpg – with a V8!

Beauty, Style, Comfort, Speed and 28 MPG with a V8!
The starting price for the 2025 Lexus LC 500 is $101,100 officially crossing the six-figure border from last year’s starting price of $97,700. Expensive for most, yes, but this is a true sports car that can offer the practicality of daily use, providing decent trunk space, usable rear seats, comfortable ride quality, and surprisingly good fuel economy with an exhaust note worth the price of premium unleaded.

Engine: 5.0L V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
0 to 60: 4.4 seconds
Starting Price: $101,100
Price as Shown: $107,680
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