I’ve loved the Lexus LC pretty much since the second it came out in March of 2017. Back then, I was a dumb college sophomore, so — in a lot of ways — I’ve grown up with the LC. Since then, I’ve graduated, had one career, quit that and joined Jalopnik, where I’ve driven hundreds of cars for thousands of miles, but none have left quite an impression on me like the Rose Pearl Metallic LC500 Coupe I put over 1,300 miles on in May of 2024. Now, it’s 2026, and while I’m very likely to see 2027, the LC and its thunderous 5.0-liter V8 are not. Yet, somehow, it’s still aging better than I am.
Rumors have been circulating for about a year that the LC wasn’t terribly long for this world — few truly wonderful things are. An official dealer letter that was posted to Reddit’s r/Lexus subreddit seems to confirm that, as does a statement from a Lexus spokesperson who spoke with Jalopnik.
In the internal letter posted to the r/Lexus subreddit, it says that 2026 will be the final model year for the LC500 and LC500 Convertible, and production is slated to conclude at the end of August. It also talked about the history of the LC, starting with the 2012 LF-LC concept, its V8 engine and the introduction of the LC Convertible for the 2021 model year. It also touts that Lexus sold over 15,000 LCs through December of 2025, but the real news is that the LC is dead, and that’s something worth being sad about, because there aren’t many cars like the LC500 in this world.
Since it’s always wise to take a Reddit post with a grain of salt, we reached out to Lexus for more clarity on the situation, and a spokesperson had this to say:
The Lexus LC 500 will officially be discontinued after the 2026 model year. Lexus constantly evaluates its model mix and strategy to optimize product lineup options to meet our guests’ needs and align with consumer demand.
Living on
The death of the LC also marks the end of the road for Lexus’ naturally aspirated 2UR 5.0 V8 engine. After Lexus killed off the IS500 last year, the LC was the only car that received this 471-horsepower, 398 pound-feet of torque throwback of a motor. It might not have been the most powerful or most efficient engine on the market, but it was among the most characterful.
Of course, not all hope is lost. There’s still a hell of a lot to look forward to from Toyota and Lexus. The new electric LFA Concept isn’t too far away, and neither is the twin-turbocharged hybrid V8 GR GT. Who knows what else the Japanese automakers have up their sleeves, though. Lately, they’ve been all about surprises.
Still, none of this really takes the sting out of losing a car like the LC. To me, it’s one of those “once in a generation” type of vehicles where everything just comes together to create something truly special. Between the bewitching engine, mesmerizing looks, excellent driving characteristics and comfort that’ll let you grand tour the car for hours, the list of cars that bested it was incredibly short.
To my friend, Lexus LC500. Rest now, brother. We have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.
