Lexus Lc 500 Drops The Hybrid Option For 2026 Because Literally Everyone Wanted The V8

Lexus

The Lexus LC 500 first went into accumulation backmost successful 2017 arsenic a 2018 model, but while it whitethorn beryllium old, it isn't going anyplace conscionable yet. Lexus has brought its gorgeous expansive tourer backmost for 2026 successful some coupe and convertible forms, and it's besides added different limited-run Inspiration Series. We'll beryllium getting 200 Inspiration Series coupes, painted in a caller Smoke Matte Gray, while Lexus plans to build 350 Inspiration Series convertibles for North America, each successful a caller colour called Wind. But nan biggest news isn't needfully what's caller for 2026, it's what's missing — nan LC 500h hybrid.

Lexus published 2 abstracted property releases for nan 2026 LC, 1 for nan coupe and 1 for nan convertible. And while those releases see a value of $101,700 pinch destination included for nan coupe and $109,200 for nan convertible, neither merchandise mentioned nan hybrid type aliases really overmuch those versions would cost. When our friends astatine The Drive reached retired to Lexus for an explanation, they confirmed nan suspicion that nan LC Hybrid is officially dead, astatine slightest successful nan United States. According to nan Lexus spokesperson, nan LC Hybrid isn't wholly dormant and will still beryllium offered successful different markets, but here, it is nary more. 

So if you want a 2026 Lexus LC, you're going to person to settee for nan people aspirated 5.0-liter V8 pinch its 471 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Oh darn. Then again, it's not for illustration nan hybrid was particularly desirable compared to nan people aspirated V8 version. While nan hybrid was overmuch much substance efficient, carrying an EPA standing of 29 mpg mixed compared to nan V8's 18 mpg, you only sewage 354 hp from a hybrid V6. Sure, it looked conscionable arsenic beautiful arsenic its gas-only sibling, but "give up much than 100 hp to walk little clip astatine nan state station" is simply a difficult waste erstwhile we're talking astir a six-figure coupe cipher really needs.

Lexus

If location had been an abundance of request for nan Lexus LC Hybrid, that would person been 1 thing. Lexus loves its hybrids and would person astir apt kept happily trading nan hybrid until nan LC went to nan large parking batch successful nan sky. As The Drive points out, though, request for nan LC Hybrid was fundamentally nonexistent. In fact, passim its full accumulation run, nan Lexus LC Hybrid whitethorn arsenic good person not existed astatine all. Motor1 reports that Lexus has now confirmed that successful total, it only sold 248 LC Hybrids successful nan United States. Yes, you publication that right. Two 100 and forty-eight full LC Hybrids. 

So acold this year, Lexus has reportedly sold 7 LC Hybrids done June of this year, which puts it connected way to someway extremity up pinch a worse consequence than nan 18 LC Hybrids that Lexus sold successful 2024. That said, 2023 was a large twelvemonth for nan LC Hybrid, pinch Lexus trading a expansive full of 37 units. It hadn't sold that good since 2019, erstwhile Lexus besides sold a full of 37 LC Hybrids. Even successful its debut twelvemonth backmost successful 2018, nan LC Hybrid hardly managed to break into nan triple digits, coming successful astatine 102 units for nan year. 

So yeah, nary wonderment nan LC Hybrid sewage nan axe successful nan States. Those numbers mightiness support a mini coachbuilder afloat, but an yearly mean of little than 35 income isn't going to activity for immoderate awesome automaker, particularly if we aren't talking astir cars that costs 7 figures. Frankly, it's a small astonishing nan LC Hybrid lasted arsenic agelong arsenic it did here. Still, we're conscionable happy nan V8 type is still around, and you should perfectly bargain 1 if you've been considering it. 

As we each know, used LCs are icky and gross, but nan caller ones are not, truthful you should decidedly bargain a caller 1 if you tin spend it. Pretty please?