The LC 500h continues my enthusiasm for Toyota's hybrid systems, from the Prius through the Lexus version of that car, the CT 200h, to this near-halo vehicle, which is more or less intended to give the BMW i8 a run for its money without tripping into supercar territory.
The DNA of the LC 500h is pure grand tourer, a coupé that's optimized for stylish runs to a second home or a snazzy resort. The thrill of arrival is partly supplanted by the joy of getting there.
Yes, you can opt for the stonking V8 LC 500, with its additional oomph and engine growl. But as with many high-powered performance cars these days, it will be hard to find anywhere to dive deeply into all that horsepower. The LC 500h offers the same package, but with tasty hybrid fuel-economy and electrically augmented pop when accelerating.
Yes, the hybrid system adds cost, but at this level, that's sort of academic. In exchange for a few grand extra, you acquire some exceptional technology and can spend hours trying to figure out how the transmission actually works to regale friends with tales of Lexus engineering prowess. Or just ignore the details and enjoy the LC 500h's ecologically sensitive voodoo.
The LC 500h isn't quite as comfy as the Acura NSX, perhaps the easiest-to-live-with mid-engine supercar on Earth (and our 2016 BI Car of the Year). But the LC 500h also has a back seat and trunk. And it's abundantly comfortable.
I expected the LC 500 to be an absolute kick to drive. But I also felt that I got into more of what the LC 500h has to give. The entire combination is ferociously suave, sort of like a high-tech Japanese Aston Martin.
This is an eminently satisfying rear-wheel-drive sports car that intensifies every fundamental. Acceleration is brisk. Handling, thanks to the carefully composed suspension, is exceptional. Steering is communicative without being a chore. The brakes are outstanding. Put it all together and you've got a car that's ready to give everything it's got when called upon but is happy to return to poke-around-town mode when the fun has ended.
That might sound boring, or like a machine that wants to have it both ways and could be compromised accordingly. But the LC 500h isn't boring at all, and at no time did the whiff of compromise emanate from it.
The car is quite simply superb. Sure, the LC 500 is objectively more machine. But the LC 500h has a secret weapon, called miles-per-gallon. According to the EPA, it's 26 city/35 highway/30 combined. For a car with this much performance and style, that's astonishing.
We will be testing the LC 500 pretty soon, but I already know which Lexus GT I'm leaning toward.