Lexus LC

Lexus LC: which version to buy and why

The Lexus LC range in this catalogue is one generation from January 2017, with a restyling dated October 2024 that lists 0 versions. The three named cars you can actually compare are LC 500, LC 500h, and LC 500 Cabrio. All three are Cabrio in the generation body field, all are RWD, all use Automatic gearboxes, all take 95 fuel, none has boost, and all share an 82 L tank.

The Lexus LC range in this catalogue is one generation from January 2017, with a restyling dated October 2024 that lists 0 versions. The three named cars you can actually compare are LC 500, LC 500h, and LC 500 Cabrio. All three are Cabrio in the generation body field, all are RWD, all use Automatic gearboxes, all take 95 fuel, none has boost, and all share an 82 L tank. The choice is therefore not “which generation,” but which of these three powertrains and which of two V8 outputs you want.

There is no LC 300 in the data. Searches for Lexus LC 500 price, Lexus LC 500 for sale, and Lexus LC convertible for sale cannot be answered here: prices and listings are not in the source.

Lexus LC specs by version: the numbers that decide the buy

LC 500 is the peak of the table: 477 hp at 7100 rpm (351 kW) and 550 Nm at 4800 rpm from 4969 cc. LC 500 Cabrio uses the same 4969 cc Gasoline 8-cylinder V-shaped engine, same 7100 rpm peak, same 94 × 89.5 bore and stroke, same 12.3 compression, same Direct injection (direct), Front, longitudinal placement, 4 valves per cylinder, and No boost — but it is rated 464 hp (342 kW) and 540 Nm. That is 13 hp and 10 Nm less than LC 500.

LC 500h is a different engine: Hybrid, 3456 cc, 6 cylinders, V-shaped, 359 hp at 6600 rpm (264 kW), 350 Nm at 4900 rpm, compression 13, bore and stroke 94 × 83, still Direct injection (direct), Front, longitudinal, 4 valves per cylinder, No boost. Versus LC 500 that is 118 hp and 200 Nm less, and versus LC 500 Cabrio 105 hp and 190 Nm less. Displacement is 1513 cc smaller than either V8.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres): LC 500 477 / 4.969 ≈ 96.0 hp/L; LC 500 Cabrio 464 / 4.969 ≈ 93.4 hp/L; LC 500h 359 / 3.456 ≈ 103.9 hp/L. The Hybrid makes the most power per litre; the two Gasoline 8-cylinder cars make more total power because they have more litres.

Lexus LC 500 horsepower and torque versus LC 500h and the convertible

If the search is “Lexus LC 500 horsepower and torque,” the answer in this catalogue is 477 hp and 550 Nm on LC 500. If the search is “Lexus LC 500h horsepower,” it is 359 hp and 350 Nm. Convertible shoppers looking at LC 500 Cabrio get 464 hp and 540 Nm — not the 477 / 550 of the closed LC 500.

Both V8s peak at 7100 rpm and 4800 rpm for torque. LC 500h peaks earlier for power (6600 rpm) and later for torque (4900 rpm). The Hybrid Automatic has 4 gears; both Gasoline versions have 10. Drive is RWD on all three. Engine type in the data is Gasoline for LC 500 and LC 500 Cabrio, Hybrid for LC 500h. Engine size is 4969 cc versus 3456 cc. Boost is No on every version.

Engine sound and engine codes are not in the data.

Performance and economy: 0–100, top speed, mpg-style figures

LC 500 is the only version that reaches 100 km/h in 4.7 s. LC 500 Cabrio and LC 500h are both 5 s. The closed V8 is 0.3 s quicker than the other two. Top speed is 270 km/h on LC 500 and LC 500 Cabrio, 250 km/h on LC 500h — 20 km/h lower on the Hybrid.

Fuel use on LC 500 and LC 500 Cabrio is the same in the source: city 12.3, highway 5.7, mixed 8.6. LC 500h city, highway, and mixed consumption are not measured. Do not read that as “the Hybrid uses no fuel”; the figures were not supplied.

CO2 is measured on all three and is the cleanest comparison for economy when mpg is missing: LC 500h 150, LC 500 262, LC 500 Cabrio 275. The Hybrid is 112 below LC 500 and 125 below LC 500 Cabrio. The Cabrio is 13 above LC 500 despite matching city/highway/mixed litres. Eco class is Euro 6 on all three.

Lexus LC weight, dimensions-related mass, and ground clearance

Kerb weight: LC 500 1935 kg, LC 500h 1985 kg, LC 500 Cabrio 2035 kg. The Hybrid is 50 kg heavier than LC 500. The Cabrio is 100 kg heavier than LC 500 and 50 kg heavier than LC 500h. Gross weight: LC 500 2375 kg, LC 500h 2445 kg, LC 500 Cabrio 2450 kg. Payload implied by gross minus kerb: LC 500 440 kg, LC 500h 460 kg, LC 500 Cabrio 415 kg.

Kilograms per horsepower (kerb ÷ hp): LC 500 1935 / 477 ≈ 4.06 kg/hp; LC 500 Cabrio 2035 / 464 ≈ 4.39 kg/hp; LC 500h 1985 / 359 ≈ 5.53 kg/hp. LC 500 is the lightest per horsepower. The Cabrio’s extra 100 kg plus 13 fewer hp is why it matches LC 500h at 5 s to 100 despite 105 more hp than the Hybrid.

Ground clearance: 131 mm on LC 500 and LC 500 Cabrio, 140 mm on LC 500h — 9 mm more on the Hybrid. Tank 82 L on all three. Length, width, height, wheelbase, and weight distribution are not measured.

Wheels: both V8s 275/35 R21 and 245/40 R21. LC 500h 245/45 R20 and 275/40 R20 — 20-inch versus 21-inch. Front and rear suspension on all three: Independent, spring. Brakes front Ventilated disc, rear Disc ventilated (label as in the source).

Generations: what actually changed for a buyer

1 generation starts 2017-01-01, stop not measured. Body Cabrio. 3 versions: LC 500 from 2017-01-01, LC 500h from 2017-01-01, LC 500 Cabrio from 2019-11-01. All three still have stop not measured.

1 generation, restyling 1 starts 2024-10-01, stop not measured, body Cabrio, 0 versions. A 2024 or 2025 Lexus LC specs search cannot be answered with new horsepower, engines, or weights from this restyling: the restyling block contains an empty modification list. Buying “the facelift” is not a choice among named engines in this catalogue.

There are not two generations of different engines. There is one generation with three versions and a later restyling with no versions attached.

Which version to choose

Choose LC 500 if the decision is driven by power, 0–100, and mass. It has the highest horsepower (477), highest torque (550 Nm), lowest kerb weight (1935 kg), lowest kg/hp (~4.06), lowest 0–100 (4.7 s), top speed 270 km/h, mixed 8.6, CO2 262. Versus LC 500h you gain 118 hp, 200 Nm, 0.3 s, 20 km/h, and you lose the Hybrid’s 112 g/km CO2 advantage and 9 mm of clearance. Versus LC 500 Cabrio you gain 13 hp, 10 Nm, 100 kg less kerb mass, 0.3 s, and 13 g/km less CO2, with the same 4969 cc Gasoline 8-cylinder V-shaped, 10-speed Automatic, RWD package. Extra money for the Cabrio, if any, is not in the data; what the Cabrio “buys” in these numbers is 100 kg, 13 fewer hp, and a later start date (2019-11-01 versus 2017-01-01).

Choose LC 500 Cabrio if the open body is the point. It is the only version whose name is Cabrio. You accept 464 hp instead of 477, 540 Nm instead of 550, 2035 kg instead of 1935, 5 s instead of 4.7, CO2 275 instead of 262. You keep 270 km/h, 10 gears, RWD, 4969 cc, city 12.3 / highway 5.7 / mixed 8.6, 82 L tank, 131 mm clearance, and 21-inch tyres. You do not get a different gearbox or drive. You do not get Hybrid CO2.

Choose LC 500h if CO2 and the smaller Hybrid engine matter more than peak hp. 359 hp and 350 Nm from 3456 cc, 6 cylinders, V-shaped, 4-speed Automatic, 1985 kg, 5 s, 250 km/h, CO2 150, clearance 140 mm, 20-inch wheels. City, highway, and mixed fuel use: not measured. You give up 118 hp to LC 500 and 105 hp to LC 500 Cabrio, and 20 km/h of top speed. You gain 9 mm clearance versus both V8s and the lowest CO2 in the table. Power per litre is highest (~103.9 hp/L); mass per horsepower is worst (~5.53 kg/hp).

Do not choose by restyling year or by LC 300. Restyling 1 has 0 versions. LC 300 is not in the data. 2018 / 2023 / 2025 / 2026 horsepower searches only resolve to the three rows above while those versions have stop not measured; the source does not split hp by calendar year after launch.

Short rule: LC 500 for the strongest arithmetic (power, weight, 4.7 s). LC 500 Cabrio when the name Cabrio is the requirement and a 13 hp / 100 kg / 0.3 s penalty is acceptable. LC 500h when 150 g/km CO2 and 3456 cc Hybrid outweigh 359 hp and unmeasured mpg. All three: Automatic, RWD, 95, Euro 6, 82 L, No boost.