eightk

There’s another thread here - the big plus in my opinion is a 360 camera. According to the US forums the new user interface isn’t Lexus’s best. Plus it looks nailed on - they must have headhunted the Mercedes iPad hot glue gun man, sorry, designer. Mine has CarPlay and with the solid response you get back from the trackpad it works ok. Not as good as a BMW idrive controller circa 2006 but it does the job. To be honest the knob or lack of it wasn’t really part of my buying decision - I came from a Maserati that’s not even got full postcode satnav never mind any tech invented in the last 15 years. If tech bothers you and you don’t want to wait for a brand new 2024 model go for a post ‘20 car with CarPlay as that’s got Waze and Spotify on it which I use all the time now.

This is what I have - silver tin with a tight fitting lid. Bulletproof and definitely blocks the signal. It’ll take two Lexus keys and a card. https://www.amazon.co.uk/LATIT-Blocking-Faraday-Portable-Security-silver/dp/B081Q73X2T

We bought a Tesla in 2020, put 20,000 miles on it and got more back two years later so don’t blame the red 51k LC owner - he’s almost the cheapest on the market!

The market is still skewed from covid and semiconductor shortages but I think LC prices are softening - they have stayed almost static as far as I can tell for 3 years but the hybrids do seem cheaper and take longer to sell if they’re higher miles, wrong colour scheme etc. Supply and demand, or the Lexus dealers inflating prices? Local main dealer had a grey over red 2017 V8 that ended up selling around ten grand less than when first advertised, so cars do find their place in the market. Sticking registrations into webuyanycar is worth a go - it gives you some idea of what bottom trade price would be, I doubt it’d work when negotiating with a dealer though. Don’t try Webuyanycar if you own a Maserati as it’ll make you cry.

On the positive side it’s insured and no one was hurt… however… Test your faraday pouch regularly - mine didn’t work. I’ve now got a tin from Amazon that DOES work. If keyless can be turned off that helps… or they move to canbus theft instead. Think about basic immobilisers or switches and relays that cut starter motors or fuel pumps - a hidden switch that stops the car starting cannot be beaten. B@stards.

Ha, no it’s not but it’s sort of the same thing - a bit different, very capable, a great car that nobody buys because it’s got the ‘wrong’ badge. I’ve done 12,000 miles in my 2019 Stinger and it’s been faultless, fast and fun. Oh, except one horn has stopped working. Waiting on a warranty replacement part - the horn sounds like Noddy and Big Ears at the moment.

I suppose I’m coming at it from a personal angle - I just don’t like modern BMWs because they all look roughly the same and the cooking models mostly look a bit Halfords.. plus having had an E91 and E46 Alpina and seen my local specialists working on and swearing at more modern BMWs I have doubts about longevity. The 8 series N63 engine isn’t known for its reliability - I did genuinely consider the 8 series at one point. Yes Bentley Conti is another in the same class but that’s more the S class coupe end than 911. I do think the LC kind of straddles the Bentley/Merc/BMW GT and 911/Aston/Jag sports car quite well. It can certainly be chucked around far more confidently than the Grancabrio I had - it’s noisy F type fun when you want then a shortened LS limo when you back off and stick it in Comfort. One thing the Bentley and LC have in common is a peerless build quality, at least in terms of touch points, interior, fit and finish. Lexus went nuts on the design and it shows - the alloy strut towers, the smallest led headlights ever made, the rear ‘infinity’ lights, the chrome roof strips representing Samurai swords… it’s an event to sit in and to look at it. The BMW is cheap and has many driving modes and settings and buttons and 37 different option packs to try and identify when you’re buying used… and you’re still sat behind most of a very familiar dashboard. They could have amazed with an i8 or Z8 replacement but they just took a 4 series and ran it through the copier on +20%.

I just don’t think the BMW is a competitor to the LC. I had a Maserati Grancabrio before the LC - its a very similar design in a lot of ways except build quality. The LC hands down beats the Italian in almost every way except perhaps noise. Astons, Jag F Type, 911 are all similar, maybe the Merc coupes, the SL etc - the BMW just isn’t. It’s a 4 series after too many pies. I also have a Kia Stinger - it’s as quick as the LC, has just as much standard equipment, it’s rear wheel drive and has a 7 year warranty and a better back seat and bigger boot. And the seat bolster doesn’t go squishy after ten minutes. In every objective way except noise it either matches or beats the Lexus for about a third the price. But I wouldn’t call it a competitor to the LC, same as the BMW isn’t. Just my opinion.

No offence to the BMW but it looks like every other BMW coupe. Plus the spec will be so variable because there were so many options that it’ll be hard work to find exactly what you want. Plus it’ll be out of warranty. Plus nobody would have paid full price when they were new - these are the cars that were being discounted 20 grand and more in 2019/20. That translates to the used market where they will be impossible to trade in when you’ve got bored with it. Which you will. Very quickly 😀

Price wise I think a lot of the retained value is the rarity and the fact that most sell via main dealers who can keep the used prices up. The right spec sells quickly. As I’ve previously said I think the ten year warranty also has an effect. BMW i8 outside warranty - err no thanks! The LC seems to be in a class of one - it’s not as sporty as the 911 or F type and not as bargelike as something like BMW and Merc convertibles/coupes, it’s kind of in the middle. Plus it’s not turbod - there aren’t many NA V8s left now…

Yes - full leather seats even on the sport and the door cards are also leather/plastic because alcantara doesn’t like getting wet - it’s built for the British summer!

There’s a red over tan sport plus just come on autotrader - private sale - same price as the white one but less miles and kleeen wheels. Why ads don’t show HUD or ML or not bugs me..

It's the result of fiscal drag - a sneaky way to increase tax in periods of high inflation without actually resulting in 'increased tax' newspaper headlines. If they leave it at the current 40k after a few more years of 10% inflation even a basic Fiesta will end up in the Luxury Car surcharge bracket. And yes it's based on list price inc options - it might even be possible to spec a Fiesta up to 40k now actually..

The non-sport seats may not have such extreme side bolsters, plus it depends on who's sitting there and how much they care about the car. And their, err, body shape/weight! As above on mine and I suspect a lot of LCs it's brake dust/iron build-up. Anyone who looks after their car will clean the wheel inners and you'd really expect Lexus dealers to do the same, however mine was delivered with a bit of exactly the same discolouration as on the pics above - it does clean off. Whether it'd clean off after five years of zero care and attention is another thing I suppose...

This explains how the headlight thefts are done, how simple it is, where to get the equipment to do it, and how simple it would be for manufacturers to fix it. Mechanical deterrents that are clearly visible and/or fuel relay switches etc are the only solution. A Tracker is all very well, but by the point the tracker is of use the damage is done. https://kentindell.github.io/2023/04/03/can-injection/

Also could be old wheel weight foam. For brake dust and iron deposits I use Dragons Breath to loosen it before jet washing. Whether it’s foam glue or muck an approved used car should have the wheels cleaned properly!

Wheel inners seem ok so far. I’m planning on removing them and ceramic coating everything. The oldest car I’ve physically seen in person was a 2018 I think and I don’t remember seeing anything terrible on the wheels. There’s no way Lexus would send wheels out without a clear coat for protection. The only thing against that yellow one is the mileage and the effect it’ll have on the Lexus relax warranty - condition wise it looks great.

Welcome! It can be a bit slow in here because there’s so few cars but there’s loads of useful info. You won’t regret going for the LC, it’s an incredible bit of kit. Mines only done 4500 miles, 4000 of those with Lexus, and there’s a little bit of creasing of the bolster. Every car I’ve seen has at least creases, at worst a definite compression of the foam as you describe. It’s just one of those things - the design of the (utterly amazing) seat means the bolster gets squished no matter how careful you are exiting the car. Yellow is awesome. My ideal spec would be yellow with black I think. That car does look in very well cared for condition. 20k less miles and it would have sold ages ago. I’ve had ppf done on mine as it’s red which uses a tinted clear coat from what I’ve read so matching or blending in new paint could be difficult - just getting the front done would be well worth it I think.

"Thank you for contacting us about your upcoming trip to Europe in your Lexus LC500. Your headlights will not need beam deflectors added when driving in Europe. This is because in the past few years Lexus / Toyota have moved to fitting Projector Headlamps (halogen, HID and LED) and these light projectors have a flat beam pattern so that they can be used in Europe without the need for beam converter stickers. Only older style conventional lens headlights will need beam deflector stickers for travelling abroad as their lens design gives the lights a 'kick'. If you want any additional reassurance before travelling, you can always ask your local Lexus Centre to check the headlight beam pattern with a beam tester (as carried out in the MOT test), or you can even check the pattern yourself if the headlights are on at night, and when parked in front of a flat wall/garage door etc. I hope you have a safe and very enjoyable trip. Kind regards Lexus Customer Services" So that's definitely a win. I'll still check the beam pattern because I do think the left hand side is a bit high. Thanks for all the replies 😀

That's what I was hoping for. My Kia and an Audi I had both have un illuminacion de francais option in la menu which flips the lights to lhd. Tesla Model S needed stick-on deflectors which were clearly crap. Pleeease don't let the super-clever triple led LC lights need sticky backed plastic...

Thanks all that's really helpful. I've now also emailed the dealer service man to check, mainly because when driving in the dark the area to the left of the beam coverage definitely looks much higher than the right and centre areas (this is with the auto full beam switched off) - I suppose it may adjust itself depending on oncoming lights? I'll see what the dealer says - maybe I need the aim adjusting.

I had a similar plan with my TVR but I missed the speed limit pole and hit a lamppost instead. A street lamp lense on the wall just wouldn't look as good..

I've read the manual and googled and I *think* I need stick-on beam deflectors for driving on the wrong side of the road. Anybody driven their LC in Europe who can advise? Thanks 😀

The 79k yellow V8 has been for sale a while. I think it has some way to go yet - the vast majority of buyers want low miles. There was another yellow V8 with 44k that went between 2-3 main dealers - lowest on that was 53 I think, then another main dealer got it in, put the price up then it sold. Cheapest I've seen since I've been interested in them was Feb '22 - a silver 30k mile private sale Sport Plus that went down to 50 from 52 then sold immediately. The silver one in Wigan with wrongly refurbed wheels at 60k will be the next to drop - that's been for sale since the dawn of time. Yes I have been following things VERY closely 😄 Agree it's a crazy market. I have a Skoda Citigo we bought for 5k in 2020 that is worth 5.5-6k now, we did 20,000 miles in a Tesla over 2 years and came out up on the deal, and if I'd got my last car's sale timing right it would have cost me nothing for two years... but I was too greedy and missed the boat. If it wasn't for covid and the lack of parts for new cars I think an early V8 should be 40-45k by now but we're in for a long wait before they get that low. There's a chance the Lexus Relax 10 yr warranty has boosted things too.

Another option could be black with blue edged carpet mats - a bit bright though https://store.inchcape.co.uk/products/genuine-oem-lexus-lc-500-4x-black-carpet-mats-set-blue-860g-trim-pw21011002c1 The white/beige would be useless for me, they’d last about a week even in summer. They do rubber mats in the US but I haven’t seen any RHD ones. Chopping up a generic eBay set could work.