Additional details could continue to surface before the LC 500h is introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. But the LC500h ushers in a new Multi Stage Hybrid System, which promises to rewrite our perceptions of Lexus petrol-electric technology. This will provide the four fixed ratios and the feeling of actual shifting gears – because there will be actual gears shifting.
Advertisement
The Lexus LC 500h’s price and availability are going to be announced at a later date. The front overhang is 920 mm long (36.2 in), while the rear overhang is at 970 mm (36.2 in).
To the front, the latest interpretation of that spindle grille motif features chrome trim and a radical new mesh design of varying visual tension. In other words, expect the LC 500h to do better. The rear lamp signature is equally unique, a sequence of increasingly strongly lit L-shaped LED lamps that creates an exceptional three-dimensional impression.
Lexus will offer the LC500h with 20-inch cast aluminum rims as standard, but the hybrid coupe would also be available with forged aluminum 20-inch wheels, as well as forged aluminum 21-inch wheels.
It’s also why the driver sits so low in the vehicle. And to make every shift an occasion, the paddles are made from magnesium alloy.
All information displays have been carefully arranged in order of importance by their proximity to the driver’s sight line. I could imagine a faster hybrid or V8 model of the LC. Other standard equipment includes a Mark Levinson sound system. Its dash has a fresh look to it, and the door cards look futuristic.
We knew it would have the same gorgeous shape as its V-8-powered progenitor, and now we know what will power the upcoming Lexus LC 500h hybrid sports auto.
In the LC 500h, its first application, the Multi Stage Hybrid System will consist of a 3.5-liter V6, a hybrid transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack. “The result is a much more direct connection between the accelerator pedal and vehicle acceleration, and 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) times well into the sub-5 second range”. Lexus believes that the LC500h provides drivers with the sharpest, most responsive driving experience of any hybrid on the market – a bold claim.
Lexus is set to storm into the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with both the LF-FC hydrogen luxury saloon and this, the LC 500h. The underpinnings will become the blueprint for future front-engine/rear-wheel-drive Lexus models.
Advertisement
The centre of gravity has been further lowered by the introduction of numerous technical innovations which reduce the body weight of the LC 500h. Extensive use of high-tensile steel body structures improves weight distribution and increases body rigidity.
