How does this sound: you can have one of the most stunning cars ever put on the asphalt with famed Lexus reliability, a reasonable (for its luxury grand-tourer class) price, and a huge naturally aspirated V8 that sounds like someone’s angered a god. Or, you could have a hybrid V6 instead. The two ideas don’t really align, and that’s likely a big part of the reason that Lexus made the decision to cancel the LC 500h, its hybrid version of the much-loved LC grand tourer.
The LC 500h Is No More
During its announcement for the 2026 LC, Lexus notably made no mention of the 500h, only specifying model year changes for the V8 models. The entire lineup is sold as both a coupe and a convertible in the case of the V8, but the hybrid also limited you to a coupe model due to its battery. You can’t fit a convertible roof and a hybrid battery in the trunk.
The hybrid model used an entirely bespoke “Multi-Stage Hybrid System,” which paired a 3.5-liter V6 with two electric motors and a planetary gearset with an entirely separate four-speed automatic transmission. Of course, the main benefit here is fuel economy, and the LC 500h did net a solid 29 mpg combined, a nearly unheard-of figure for a luxury coupe.
Good Riddance
Not The Time Of Your Life
Predictably, the issue is that no one cared that the LC 500h got good gas mileage. The average luxury coupe buyer isn’t exactly strolling into a Porsche dealer and asking how much carbon dioxide it emits. More to the point, once you hear the hybrid system makes 354 horsepower to the V8’s more appropriate 471 hp, it’s game over before you even drive the thing. Get behind the wheel of a V8 LC, and it’s a no-brainer.
TopSpeed’s Take
Honestly, it’s surprising the LC 500h lived as long as it did. The idea just didn’t gel well with the LC’s mission. The car is supposed to be an engaging, reliable, fun, relatively affordable grand tourer. A complicated hybrid powertrain is really the last thing the majority of people in this segment are looking for. Plus, once you drive the V8, it’s pretty much impossible to imagine the LC 500 with anything but.
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