Lexus bids farewell to the beautiful LC coupé and its V8 engine

Last year, Lexus hinted at the discontinuation of the LC, releasing a limited Inspiration Series trim in the United States, that was eventually offered here in the Philippines last year as the Final Edition.

We saw it coming, and now it’s official–the Lexus LC is no more, officially announced as discontinued in Japan and the United States. For us here in the Philippines, it was already quietly removed from the local Lexus website a few months ago, probably when its last supply of units was depleted.

Arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever made, the Lexus LC was unveiled a little over a decade ago, at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. It was based on the Lexus LF-LC concept from 2012, retaining most of its design cues and providing a very luxurious package, matched with the option of a naturally aspirated V8 engine.

But more than just the car itself, the discontinuation of the Lexus LC also marks the end of the V8 with the Japanese luxury automaker. The LC was last offered with a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter 2UR-GSE V8 engine, shared with the IS 500 F Sport Performance and previous IS F, GS F, and RC F. This also means that the Toyota Century is the only V8-powered vehicle currently under the Toyota umbrella, powered by the 2UR-FSE V8 engine, with the upcoming GR GT sports car joining soon.

No direct successor to the Lexus LC has been announced as of this writing, but with Lexus showing off various concept vehicles that could become the future Lexus LFA, show that they are still very much interested in having their own halo car.

_{Photos by Sam Surla}