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Show up in a Lexus LC 500 to your local cars and coffee gathering, and you’re likely to draw a crowd. That crowd will be people in the know about the car, and it will probably be folks who respect the LC 500’s 471 horsepower V8 and svelte styling. But then show up to a Friday night gala, and you’ll draw a crowd with your amazing style in this big, wide, coupe. But, is this stylish, powerful, coupe really worth $100,000?

How much is a Lexus LC 500?

A red 2023 Lexus LC 500 parked near a green field
A 2023 Lexus LC 500 | Lexus

Like its name suggests, the LC means Luxury Coupe, and the car is certainly a luxury coupe. You can waft in style, serious, mind-bending, good looking style, in an LC. That style extends to the interior that blends some cool modern touches with amazing vintage touches, like a big analog-looking digital dash. Inside, the LC has the look a 70s supercar, if a 70’s supercar came with navigation. Unfortunately, it has Lexus’s Enform system, which requires a driver to operate a tiny touchy touchpad to access even basic functions.

But, all of this style and grace comes with a price tag. The 2023 Lexus LC 500 starts at $94,600, while the hybrid version starts at $100,600. A convertible is $103,650. But, of course, you’ll probably add the $2,500 Touring package that comes with leather-trimmed seats and a heated steering wheel. Or, you may opt for $9,570 the Dynamic Handling Package that adds active rear steering and a limited-slip rear differential.

Is the Lexus LC 500 a supercar?

The interior of a a Lexus LC 500 in brown leather
The Lexus LC 500 interior | Lexus

It’s hard to call the LC 500 a supercar, like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. But, we will say it’s a super car. It comes with a mighty 5.0-liter V8 that makes 471 horsepower and that’s tied to a fantastic 10-speed automatic. Compared to pure sports cars like a new Corvette, it’s slower, with a 0-60 time of a 4.4 seconds. But while the Corvette growls and scamps it’s way to speed, the Lexus wafts you there.

Lexus also offers a LC 500h, which is a hybrid version of the car. It makes 354 horsepower and gets 34 mpg on the highway. While the 500h has all of the class of the regular car, the hybrid motor saps some of the fun. Regardless, we agree with Forbes, when it wrote that, “It has jaw-dropping styling, offers comfortable all-day cruising and possesses an enviable reputation for reliability.”

Which is faster, an LC 500 or an RC F?

The back end of a $100,000 Lexus LC 500 in white
A 2023 Lexus LC 500 in white | LExus

Let’s say you don’t want all of that luxury, but you do want massive V8 power.  What’s your Lexus option? You go with the RC F. Based on the RC coupe, the F ditches the turbo four-cylinder or six-cylinder engines of the base RC and drops in a 475-horsepower version of the LC’s V8. With the big motor, it will hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, or even quicker if you opt for the lightweight RC Track Edition.

And don’t worry if you think the RC F isn’t expensive enough. Fully optioned, an RC F will easily top $103,000.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.