INNOVATION 27


LEXUS LC 500 Debuting at the 2012 North American


International Auto Show in Detroit, the Lexus LF-LC was a true concept vehicle, not a pre-production prototype in disguise. That award-winning idea became the LC 500, which arrived in SA in 351kW, five-litre V8 guise. Turning the LF-LC concept into


a production model required the development of new processes at Lexus to combine the disciplines of design and engineering. Preserving the LF-LC’s defining low roof and bonnet lines, while providing a comfortable cabin, was fundamental in bringing the concept to life. The production model’s front suspension components underwent six months of reworking to accommodate them under the desired low bonnet line, while ultra-slim LED headlight units were developed to retain exceptionally short front overhangs. The LC 500 marked the debut of the


first 10-speed automatic transmission for a luxury vehicle – able to execute shifts at speeds rivalling dual-clutch transmissions, but with the seamless performance and smoothness of a torque converter automatic. Innovation even extended to the


LC’s optional paintwork, with a 15-year research project into how advanced technology can produce a finish that’s deeper, more lustrous and essentially “bluer” than anything seen before in the unique “Structural Blue”. Inspired by the deep blue of the American Morpho butterfly’s wings, the paint production process takes eight months and includes 12 production steps and 20 quality inspections. Nano-structures in the paint generate iridescence, giving the impression of the colour constantly changing with the light.


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