Although originally intended as a concept to preview future styling themes, rave reviews for Lexus’ LF-LC concept following its reveal at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show persuaded managers to put it into production .
. While there have been rumors the production version of the LF-LC concept will revive Lexus’ SC badge, recent trademark filings made by parent company Toyota suggest the new Lexus coupe will be called a LC when it finally lands in showrooms.
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On November 24 of this year, Toyota made trademark filings for the LC 500 and LC 500h names with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as similar registries in other markets. If the names are for the new Lexus coupe, it suggests the car will initially be available in two variants, one of them a hybrid.
This ties in with a previous report that the new Lexus coupe will debut with two powertrains, an uprated version of the 467-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 powering the 2015 RC Fand a new hybrid setup combining Lexus’ familiar 3.5-liter V-6 with an electric motor for a combined output in excess of 500 horsepower.
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Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any trace of an LC F trademark filed by Toyota, though we're still holding out for a dedicated F version of the car.
The new Lexus coupe is expected to go on sale in 2017, meaning we’ll most likely see it arrive as a 2018 model. The car is expected to share its platform with the next-generation LS flagship sedan, due one year earlier, and be priced somewhere between $100,000 and $130,000. Key rivals will be the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Maserati GranTurismo.
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