New Lexus LC 500 headed for SA

Lexus SA via QuickPic

With the reveal of the new flagship, Lexus is making a bold statement about the direction in which the brand is taking: manufacturing luxury cars that are both aggressively styled and performance orientated. The good news for all diehard and potential Lexus aficionados is that the new halo model has been confirmed for the local market. It's expected to land on South African shores in the fourth quarter of 2016 or first quarter of 2017.

Design prowess

The LC 500 shares many of the design elements that were first introduced in the LF-LC. It's elegant from every angle. When viewed from the front, it sports an evolved version of the brand's signature grille which is bordered by chrome on the edges. The front fascia is also characterised by a triple LED headlamp design and floating L-shaped daytime running lights.

The car's athletic profile is accentuated by the bulging curves and functional vents on the sides and the rear end boasts multi-layered tail lamps. A rear diffuser and available active rear spoiler also help manage airflow during performance driving.

Abundant opulence

The front seats boast a high level of comfort for long drives, while available sports seats offer additional support and inspire confidence during cornering. Luxurious finishes abound, with door panels, centre console and dash pad structures mimicking Lexus's obsession with quality. The coupe's cockpit and driving position have been calibrated to inspire confident driving.

Occupants will also be treated to superior audio experience inside the cabin. The LC 500 comes standard with a new premium Pioneer audio system. It will also feature Lexus's safety technology, Lexus Safety System +, which integrates several of Lexus's active safety technologies - including Pre-Collision System, Lane Keep Assist, Automatic High Beam and All-Speed Active Cruise Control.

Lexus SA via QuickPic

Sizzling performance

The mandate to LC 500 engineers was to develop a luxury coupe with unprecedented dynamic driving experience and character in the Lexus stable. The result was thus Lexus's first use of a brand new rear-wheel luxury platform that isn't shared with any model yet. The underpinnings of this new coupe will become the blueprint for the company's future front-engine/rear-wheel-drive vehicles. The LC 500's engineers focused on the platform's fundamentals by placing most of the mass, including the engine and the occupants, in a position more centralised, and lower in the chassis to improve the centre of gravity.

Internally, Lexus engineers referred to this menu of mass-arranging tactics as the "inertia spec". The driver hip and heel points have been lowered, wheels pushed to the corners of the car with shortened overhangs, and the drivetrain mass located behind the front axle line to create a front mid-ship layout.

The LC 500 also relies on run-flat tyres to improve packaging, reduce weight (thanks to no spare), and help shorten overhangs in the interest of dynamic targets.

The 12-volt battery has been relocated to the boot as part of the mission to redistribute weight. Other mass management measures include the available carbon fibre roof, aluminium door skins mounted to the carbon fibre door inner structure, and a composite boot floor.

The LC 500 also represents the Lexus brand's most intensive use of high-strength steel. This provides enhanced rigidity, while reducing-and ideally positioning-vehicle mass to optimise dynamics.

The LC 500 as a result is very well balanced, with a close to ideal front/rear weight distribution of 52/48. Lexus engineered the stiffest monocoque the brand has ever produced to help achieve the level of chassis performance targeted for this new coupe.

Preliminary specification

Power: 351Kw at 7100rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 4800rpm
Transmission: 10 speed automatic
Seating capacity: Four
0-100km: under 4.5 seconds

*Details of local model will be shared closer to the time of launch.