If you only had a couple of hours to live, what car would you want to be in, and what would you want to do with it? My personal answer varies according to mood. One day it’s a Mitsubishi Evo IX on a slightly damp circuit, on another it’s a Ferrari F355 GTS on the Route Napoleon. But sometimes, fate steps in and delivers one of these perfect “last drives” by itself – like this experience in the Lexus LC500. IMG_1603.JPGBecause I probably won’t drive one again. The LC500 is a great car, but it doesn’t fit my personal life. And when friends buy things, I rarely try them myself, and ride as a passenger. I’ve written about cars for long enough that, once something goes out of production, odds are that’s me done with it. I’ve already reviewed the LC500 twice, once when it launched—as a stunning concept-to-road GT—then again when it gained a softtop. Since then, little has changed; the hideous early touchpad has been replaced with a conventional touch-sensitive screen, and for 2025, there’s some bracing under the floor and new color options. But the experience now is overwhelmingly similar to the one I had six years ago. But when I heard Lexus was killing the LC500, I immediately thought about not driving one again and decided that was unacceptable. At almost exactly the same time, I was set to make the route for one of our R&T Experiences, and needed a car to scout the Seaside-to-Sierra event we’re going to run in Northern California this fall. (You’re invited, by the way.) And I realized that I very badly wanted to do the recce in an LC before it was wiped off the menu forever. IMG_1587.JPGVery few cars of the modern era remain as true to their concepts as the LC500. Even after six years on the market, it still looks incredible. Yet they also shed value quickly enough to have become used bargains. It would take a pro to tell the difference between a 2018 and 2025 model, from the outside at least. The LC looks like a million bucks, but it only costs about a tenth of that—under $110,000 out of the door. Broaden your selection criteria, and attractive-looking early cars are being offered in the $65,000 range. So closer in price to a Mustang than a Bentley Continental GT. Yet at the valet stand, the Lexus is still a superstar. 2025 Lexus LC500In some ways, the LC500 feels its age. Typically, it has two settings for things, whereas modern rivals may have three or four. The Lexus’s seats are heated and cooled, but don’t have fancy adjustments or massage. The engine is a naturally aspirated V-8 paired with a torque converter auto, driving only the rear wheels. So no turbochargers, smart all-wheel drive, or double-clutch transmission. Yet it’s still a superb way to cover ground. I travelled from L.A. to San Francisco via the 101, which takes longer than the Interstate, but also has corners and views. Nine hours and 400 miles were easy, taking me to where the Seaside-to-Sierra event will be starting at the Montage Healdsburg, one of my favorite hotels in the world, with its modern cottage rooms by a working vineyard, fabulous infinity pool, and world-class restaurant. IMG_1631.JPGOn the real rally, not my route scout, next comes a full day at Sonoma Raceway for lapping and autocross. Sadly, the R&T management resisted my appeal to make this pre-running as accurate as possible, refusing to rent the circuit for the day. I know from previous experience with the LC500 on track that its brakes would have held up well, and that it really hustles when you keep revs over 4000, so it stays with the hot cam profile. After Sonoma, Seaside-to-Sierra attendees will be staying at the Lodge at the Presidio, another stunning hotel, one where you can overlook San Francisco Bay while watching the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge. IMG_1592.JPGWhich brings us to the good roads. On day two, heading north over the Golden Gate Bridge took me to the tight, technical hills of wine country—enormous elevation changes and cambered, decreasing radius downhills. The Lexus didn’t exactly become a Lancia Stratos, but it communicated weight transfer in an easy-to-understand language and responded perfectly to inputs, and was better with the traction control turned fully off. The TC is another area in which the LC feels its age, killing power if it feels any hint of slip. Fortunately, the back end turns beautifully responsive with it deenergized. For this part of the adventure, I was running with my friend Ali, a local with tons of knowledge and a Mintgrun Porsche 911 Targa you might see in the background of some of the shots. The next highlight was Lake Berryessa, infamous for its connection to the Zodiac killer, but deserving to be better-known for the roads ringing it, which are destination-level. The LC didn’t blow me away here with power or speed, but it was the poise and the sound of the engine’s tuned intake runners that made it feel truly special. Plus, the welcome grip from the new-for-2025 Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires. IMG_1628.JPGThe eastern border of the mountain range brings flatness, we turned north to circumnavigate Sacramento’s metro area and cruised towards Grass Valley, a Norman Rockwell version of an old west mining town. Our hotel, the Holbrooke, was the centerpiece - renovated and modern, but dating to the 1850s. At the event this fall, we’ll be treated to a fireside chat here with racing legend Scott Pruett, who will also be providing samples from his vineyard. Day three was where the trip peaked, literally and figuratively: heading to the more remote areas where we could stretch our cars on some real switchbacks. After stopping at Worton’s Market in Georgetown for a killer chorizo burrito, it was time for 90 minutes of solid canyon driving. Wentworth Springs Road, which carried us east, is epic—stunning third—and fourth-gear sections that reminded me of the Cherohala Skyway, with big elevation changes, technical sections, and deep, rich, colorful views all around. Keeping revs up, the LC500 howled back from the canyon walls. IMG_1620.JPGTurning south onto Ice House Road continued the fun with another spectacular road, this time freshly resurfaced. As in, brand new—we sat for 20 minutes while a section ahead was being completed. A kindly steamroller driver gestured for me to stop as the way was cleared. “We see guys out here in Porsches and Lambos, and it makes us feel good to give y’all smooth roads,” he shouted. By September, the whole road should be done. You could rollerskate at 50 mph on the finished sections. Once in Lake Tahoe, Seaside to Sierra guests will be enjoying a golden hour lake boat cruise, before we wind our way, taking in the scenes around the eastern edge. Then it will be relaxing and dining at the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe within the NorthStar resort. Matt FarahAfter a leisurely breakfast, Ali and I headed eastward, taking the scenic way to Reno where Seaside-to-Sierra will end at the National Automobile Museum, also known as the Bill Harrah collection. Supposedly containing 1400 cars total, over 400 are on display in the seemingly never-ending museum, including some of the most interesting and valuable cars in the world, from the real Thomas Flyer to celebrity-owned Duesenbergs and Rolls-Royces. Which brought me to another choice—to head south on the 5 freeway, which would carry me home in seven hours, or to take the much prettier 395 along the Eastern Sierras with a two-hour penalty? IMG_1596.JPGIf the LC were not a great grand tourer, I would have taken the shorter way. If the seats were not comfortable enough for a fourth consecutive nine-hour day, I’d have taken the quicker option. If the suspension, steering, and radar cruise were not just so—I’d have taken the brain-numbing freeway. But I didn’t, of course—I took the longer way. The better way. There was still snow on top of the mountains, even with 90-degree heat lower down. Travelling through towns gives the chance to pick out a restaurant, although you would struggle to find a better one than the Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine. That alone was worth the extra time it took to get back to LA. IMG_1609.JPGOkay, so the LC is not perfect. With ten gears and a naturally aspirated engine, it hunts for ratios a lot, and goes from quiet to violent if you press the throttle a little too hard, instigating a three-gear downshift when it probably doesn’t need to. Choosing manual mode solved this problem. Getting just over 16 mpg for the entire 1300-mile trip was an obvious penalty for enjoying the good intake sounds. And the touchscreen is literally identical to the one you get in a Toyota 4Runner. But there aren’t many cars that justify such a long farewell, and this was one of them. The LC500 is a row of 7.5s across the board, wrapped in a supermodel body. It howls with the kind of intake resonance that shows the people who built the engine really cared. It’s fancy enough to get parked up front, and simple enough that it should work a long time. With spy shots indicating the replacement is taking performance, dynamics, and even racing seriously, I’m optimistic about the future.We should cherish cars like the LC500—new or used, it doesn’t matter. It won’t hold its value like a GT3 or pampered Ferrari, but time will be kind to it, as it always is when a car looks good, sounds good, and delivers so well on both speed and comfort. If you own one, or buy one between now and September, then consider bringing it on Seaside-to-Sierra. I can confirm it’s the right tool for the job.
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