DETROIT: Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus is rolling out its highest-performance model since the LFA supercar to burnish its reputation among buyers of prestige luxury autos.
The LC 500 sports coupe, unveiled Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, accelerates from 0- to-100kph in under 4.5 seconds, faster than the Mercedes SL550. The car will begin sales in early 2017 and start at just under US$100,000 (RM443,000), more for higher trims.
The four-seater adds momentum to president Akio Toyoda's push to build a more well-rounded reputation for Lexus among premium car buyers.
While the brand has come to be known for quality and reliability, the lack of sports cars or otherwise exciting models contributed to Lexus losing the US luxury sales crown in 2011.
“It's exactly where the brand needs to go,” said Karl Brauer, an analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “It's really the only thing left for them - there's nothing to fault Lexus for, except for passionate, emotional appeal, both performance and style-wise.”
Lexus plans to sell about 550 of the coupes per month worldwide, with the US market accounting for about 400 of those deliveries, said Jeff Bracken, a Lexus group vice president.
The automaker turned to lightweight materials including carbon fiber and aluminum for the doors and trunk floor to boost performance. Buyers also will have their choice between glass and carbon fiber for the roof. The last model in the Lexus lineup to feature prominent use of alternatives to steel was the carbon fiber-intensive, US$375,000 (RM1.7mil) LFA supercar.
Under the hood, the LC 500 will feature the luxury car industry's first 10-speed transmission, with the 5-litre V-8 engine found in the Lexus RC F and GS F performance cars.
“It's difficult to change images,” Jim Lentz, Toyota's North American chief, said in an interview. “Toyota had an image for a long time of being very stodgy on styling. I still hear that a lot today, it drives me crazy. They were right 10 years ago; they’re not right today. Lexus suffers a little bit from that as well, despite some great-looking cars. This will really set it apart for Lexus.”
