Test Drive: 2024 Lexus LC500H still very much a sports car | Automotive

Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus have been innovators in hybrid technologies for decades. The entire Toyota and most of the Lexus lineup now gets some kind of hybrid treatment.

For example, the performance-orient Lexus LC. Which our Automotive Editor Jimmy Dinsmore wrote about the V8-powered convertible earlier this year here.

I spent some time in the LC500h, with the h standing for hybrid.

Does this mean it’s not as sporty? No. But the LC500h also doesn’t get that high-powered V8, rather the powertrain has a 3.5-liter V6 with two electric motors. The combined horsepower is 354. Conversely the V8-powered LC gets 471 horsepower.

Remember, I said it was still sporty, and it is. And here’s why.

First it’s rear-wheel drive. Beyond that, there’s a lot of engineering going on here with the Lexus Multistage Hybrid which has been perfected over the years.

The technical description from Lexus reads as such: “An Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine utilizes D-4S direct fuel injection for optimum efficiency while the lightweight valvetrain with Dual VVT-i ensures ample torque across the engine speed range. Moreover, the system keeps the planetary-type continuously variable transmission from Lexus Hybrid Synergy Drive and adds a unique four-speed automatic transmission. Working in concert, the two gearsets alter output in four stages to utilize the V6 engine across the entire speed range.”

What this all means is that the LC500h overperforms those output numbers. And here’s how it accomplishes that. With the Multistage Hybrid System, the power from the V6 engine and the electric motor can be amplified by the 4-speed automatic transmission, generating much greater drive power when accelerating. 

All of this is a longer way of saying it’s still worthy of being called a sports car.

It certainly has the look of a sports car. The eye-catching coupe displays a unique mesh grille that spreads across the front of the car. There are two new exterior colors for this model year including Ultrasonic Blue Mica and Copper Crest.

Inside the cockpit is driver focused and feels every bit the part of a sports car. There are also some small, but noticeable details that deserve noting. The stitching of the leather-wrapped gearshift lever and the draping treatment of the Alcantara door panel trim showcase what makes Lexus such a standout luxury brand. Small design elements like this separate it from the competition and make it feel special. Satin Metallic ornamentation compliments the elegant interior as well.

New for this model year is a 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen display which provides easy-to-use controls and clear information to the driver and front-seat passengers.

The LC500h technically gets credit for having a back seat. Although rear passenger will want for more legroom and not get it. This coupe is best suited for two passengers. It’s also best suited for anyone who packs light as the trunk possesses only 4.7 cubic feet of space. The rear seats don’t fold, so that’s the total cargo volume of this car.

But let’s be honest you’re not buying this to drive your family around or go to the grocery store.

As a hybrid the fuel economy is the biggest draw and why some might be okay missing out on the additional horsepower of the V8. The EPA rates the LC500h at 26 mpg/city and 33 mpg/highway.

Starting price for the hybridized version is just under $100,000. With options, the price tag can go over six figures. What you get in fuel economy, you lose in economic practicality.

Final thoughts on the 2024 Lexus LC500h

Is this car practical, even as a hybrid? No. Is this car fun, even as a hybrid? Yes. And that’s the gist of this hybrid sports coupe. It looks the part and acts the part and with the hybrid it makes you feel a little more justified in spending what it costs. Life’s short. Have fun driving.