There aren’t too many cars in the market that elicit the type of emotions that you feel when driving the 2021 Lexus LC 500. Slipping into the driver’s seat and gripping the wheel feels like you’re teleporting into a luxurious dimension filled with fine leather and rich materials that others only dream about feeling.

There is no cheapness here, there are no corners cut. There’s just pure, unbridled opulence that strikes the balance between sheer performance and bountiful comfort. And that same feeling translates when you fire up the LC 500’s V8 engine and go for a drive.

The 2021 Lexus LC 500’s sonorous V8 engine sounds like an automotive symphony

While the Lexus LC 500’s aesthetics are breathtakingly beautiful, the real star of the show is its 5.0-liter V8 engine. That’s right, there’s a V8 under the hood of this exotic luxury car and it’s the last of its kind. Lexus will be discontinuing it after the 2021 model year, however, the LC 500’s hybrid powertrain will still prevail.

The 3.5-liter V6 hybrid setup has a lot of power and is great for fuel economy, but if you want the best experience out of an LC 500 – and trust me, it’s an experience – then the V8 engine is where it’s at. Lay on the throttle and you’re met with a wonderful cacophony of exhaust sounds that can only be described as “automotive erotica.” The engine sings all the way to its 7,300-rpm redline and never gets out of breath when shifting through all 10 gears of the Direct-Shift automatic transmission.

The power picks up quickly and there’s almost no better feeling than having all 471 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque hit the ground when you bury the accelerator. Your head will surely be pushed back into the headrest and a smile will grow from ear to ear.

Surprisingly, the LC 500 is a sheep in wolf’s clothing

Although the LC 500’s V8 engine is the highlight of the driving experience and the car is fast, it’s not “scary fast.” The car takes off from a stop with plenty of gusto and can pass cars at speed easily. But that power doesn’t come with a vision-blurring experience you get in an Audi R8 V10, for instance. Instead, the power comes on gradually and in a linear fashion, which makes it surprisingly smooth and easy to drive.

That being said, the LC 500 is more of a grand tourer than a racecar. Its extreme looks and punchy engine take your attention away from the fact that it’s a very comfortable car that’s easy to drive around town. Thanks to the adaptive suspension, which can be altered with different drive modes, the LC 500 can be stiffened up to take tough corners or softened up for the daily drive. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive the LC 500 on a cross-country road trip, in fact, I would look forward to it.

The Lexus LC 500 is the winner of the “Best Driving Experience” of the year

A car’s driving experience isn’t solely weighted on the amount of horsepower that it puts out or what kind of fuel economy it can achieve. Instead, the driving experience is about how the car puts everything together and wraps the driver in an experience that they won’t forget. We drove the 2021 Lexus LC 500 earlier this year and it was definitely an experience to remember. For that, the editors of MotorBiscuit are honored to award it with our Best Driving Experience of the Year for 2021.