It appears, unfortunately, that the rumours are true. The Lexus LC 500 is now apparently on its way out, and “model year 2026 will be the final year of production for the LC 500 and the LC 500 convertible,” the company said in circular sent to dealers in the United States.
Posted to the Lexus subreddit last week, the dealer letter says that the iconic LC 500 models will cease production after August 2026.
A Lexus spokesperson, in an emailed statement to Motor1, further corroborated the alleged letter, saying, “The Lexus LC 500 will officially be discontinued after the 2026 model year. Lexus constantly evaluates its model mix and strategy to optimise product lineup options to meet our guests’ needs and align with consumer demand.”
First introduced to the world in 2012 as the LF-LC Concept, the car made its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2016. Production soon began in 2017 for the 2018 model years, and the convertible variant was introduced just a year later.
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What made the Lexus LC 500 so special was its 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8, which produced 470 hp and 540 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels only via a 10-speed automatic gearbox, allowing for a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h. It wasn’t the most powerful V8-powered car in the market, but it sure let out a beautiful roar.
The car was also available with a hybrid powertrain, known as the Lexus LC 500h. This version featured a 3.5-litre V6 engine that pairs a 61 hp electric motor for a combined output of 369 hp. Likewise, power is sent to the rear wheels, which enables a 0-100 km/h sprint in ‘sub-5 seconds’.
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At the time, many expected the LC 500 to step in as the spiritual successor to the Lexus LFA. While it initially fell short of those expectations for some enthusiasts, it soon found its footing by forging its own identity as a refined Japanese grand tourer — one that would go on to be widely admired.
In the dealer letter, Lexus said that it managed to roll out just over 15,000 units of the LC 500 as of December 2025 — making it quite an uncommon model.
The Lexus LC 500 will now join the ranks of the iconic LS and IS 500 among retired Lexus models — with the IS nameplate itself still living on, albeit without the V8-powered IS 500 performance variant.
It’s expected that the upcoming Toyota GR GT, with its twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain, will serve as the spiritual successor to the LC 500. And for those interested in electric power, the Lexus counterpart could also offer up performance more akin to the legendary LFA. While details for the Lexus LFA Concept remain scarce, the decision to associate a high-performance BEV with the iconic LFA nameplate has already sparked debate among enthusiasts — especially given the original model’s Yamaha-tuned naturally aspirated V10.
READ MORE: The next-generation Lexus LFA will be fully electric
