one of the highlights of monterey car week and the 2018 pebble beach concours d'elegance was the lexus lc inspiration concept, a bright yellow and carbon-fiber-trimmed dressing up of the luxury brand's sleek lc 500 coupe. now we know that we'll see a production version — the 2019 lc 500 inspiration edition — at the upcoming 2019 chicago auto show.
if that flashy metallic flare yellow paint called to you, you can grab one of the 100 copies of the inspiration edition that will on sale in april. it's likely you'd have the only lc 500 on your block in most neighborhoods anyway, but one of these 100-of-a-kind special editions should ensure yours stands out. pricing for the 2019 lc 500 inspiration edition will start at $107,235, including a $1,025 destination charge. that compares with $94,350 to start, including destination, for the base 2019 lc 500.
almost everything from the concept carries over to the inspiration edition save for the darkened wheels that have been swapped out for polished 21-inch rims. the roof is carbon fiber, as is the grille insert. the door sills also are carbon fiber and inscribed with the car's status as part of a 100-vehicle production run. and the yellow theme carries over to the alcantara door-panel inserts and accent stitching on the leather seats and dashboard.
buyers also get a matching leather lexus garment bag with a flare yellow lining and yellow stitching. it folds into a travel bag that presumably will fit into the coupe's limited cargo area.
related: 5 things to make touring in a lexus lc 500 grander
the powertrain is the same as other non-hybrid lc 500 coupes: a 471-horsepower, 5.0-liter v-8 with a 10-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. it's not a fire-breather, but our experience is that it's a smooth fit for the touring coupe and plenty of fun, with an estimated 4.4 seconds from zero-to-60 mph. there is no lc 500h hybrid version of the inspiration edition.
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