Lexus definitely scored a home run with its LC 500. It was both dramatic to look at and memorable to listen to and brought back memories of the famed LFA. But sadly, it seems that all good things come to an end, and Lexus duly announced the departure of this exotic-looking luxury coupe. The last versions have already run off the end of the production line, but collector interest is growing. Some low-mileage and special cars are now selling for significantly more than their original window sticker, as scarcity is beginning to have an effect on the LC 500.
An 11,000-Mile LC 500 Just Commanded $163,000
2021 Lexus LC 500 convertible front quarterBring a Trailer
Some excellent evidence of collector’s interest comes in the form of a 2021 LC 500 Convertible Inspiration Series, finished in Structural Blue. Its original window sticker was $121,105, but someone paid nearly $42,000 more than that through Bring a Trailer. Crucially, this car actually failed to sell in November 2024 after bidding stopped at $82,500. So, less than 20 months later, the exact same car came back to the auction platform and this time sold for $163K.
Meanwhile, other LC 500s provide additional evidence of appreciation. In April 2026, a 2023 LC 500 Convertible with just 2,900 miles sold for $135,000. It had an original window sticker of $113,160, and that translates to a difference of $21,840, or 19.3% above its original sticker price. One month later, a 3,700-mile 2022 Bespoke Build coupe changed hands for $121,000. It had an original sticker price of $109,415, giving it an $11,585 premium.
Lexus Announced The End And Buyers Started Paying Up
The Lexus LC500 Inspiration Series was inspirational on many fronts. The very first car that rolled off the production line was sold in aid of charity.Lexus
In January 2026, Lexus informed its dealers that it was retiring the LC 500 and that ’26 would be its final model year. Production would stop at the end of August, bringing the curtain down on this relatively niche car, which had only recorded US sales of 15,000 units (as of December 2025) since market debut.
But while these production numbers may have been quite limited, the market reaction to the vehicle’s disappearance was not. And it’s interesting to note that many headline sales occurred before the LC 500 stopped rolling off its production line. But discontinuation alone doesn’t explain why one LC 500 fetches $163K while another struggles to clear $88k – the answer lies in what’s under the hood and on the window sticker.
The V8 Engine Became More Desirable Just As Lexus Killed It
2026 Lexus LC 500 5.0L v8 engineLexus
The LC 500 may have scarcity on its side in appealing to the collector set, but it also has something else worth collecting in the form of an increasingly persuasive mechanical asset. After all, it has the 2UR-GSE V8, with its 5.0-liter displacement, natural aspiration, 471 horsepower at 7,100 rpm, and 398 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. This package could get to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds for the Coupe and 4.6 seconds for the Convertible, and while those numbers were never particularly outrageous, outright acceleration wasn’t really the point.
Lexus had engineered this car’s active exhaust so that the V8 engine would become progressively more vocal as engine speed increased. The convertible even carried engine intake pulses into the cabin through a sound pipe for extra drama, in a similar fashion to the old LFA. And the LFA connection also goes deeper than just an exhaust trick. Akio Toyoda wanted Lexus to turn the LF-LC concept into a production flagship, so the company created a coupe that echoed the spirit of the hand-built LFA while keeping the visual impact of the LF-LC concept.
As it turns out, Lexus was particularly impressed with the reaction to that LF-LC concept. Even though Lexus may not really have intended to build something from that concept, such a reaction changed corporate minds. The result was the LC 500, with its low hood, huge spindle grille, sweeping roofline, and broad rear haunches, paying appropriate homage to the concept car beneath. That strong, naturally aspirated V8 just added to the package, and with no more cars coming down the line, the collector’s argument started to write itself.
The Right LC 500s Are Already Pulling Away From The Pack
2026 Lexus LC 500 Pinnacle Edition. Convertible. Special Edition. Cabin. InteriorLexus
Collector interest is now focused on cars that have the best combinations of mileage, color, and specification. Bespoke Build cars rise to the top of the pile because Lexus allowed its buyers to combine specific exterior colors, interior treatments, wheels, roof choices, and other details into very individual configurations.
And a 2024 Bespoke Build convertible shows what can happen when one of these appears on the open market. This example was finished in Ultrasonic Blue Mica over white and blue leather and sold in mid-September 2026 for $147,000. It had covered 4,600 miles and also came with a blue soft top, forged 21-inch wheels, dark chrome trim, and a Mark Levinson audio system. And compared to its original window sticker from two years earlier, it had appreciated by roughly 23%.
One of the final-year cars also sparked a lot of interest. On September 1, 2026, a Bespoke Build convertible with only 79 miles from that final-year allocation sold for around $140,000 (when converted from British pounds). It received 18 bids as part of the auction process, and its hammer price exceeded the original sticker by around $22,000, not accounting for fees.
A collector hierarchy now seems to be emerging, with Limited Inspiration series cars sitting near the top. Bespoke Builds that have desirable colors can attract good premiums, while low-mileage convertibles also perform particularly well. However, not every LC 500 is now worth more than it cost new, and what could be described as “ordinary” cars still remain accessible. Indications from the CarBuzz Marketplace, for example, put the average transaction price for 2020 examples at $88,345, versus a $92,950 original MSRP.
The LC 500 Finally Has The Scarcity To Match The Car
2025 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Roof Down Red Front View DrivingLexus
Ten years on from the original LC 500 debut, this car feels like a survivor from another era, coming from an automotive environment that’s very different from that of today. Back then, a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 didn’t seem quite so endangered, and electrification wasn’t yet the central product strategy of major luxury OEMs. And back in those days, turbocharging hadn’t completely taken over the performance market either.
Lexus described the LC 500 as its “most passionate expression of the marque” in its final-year material. It said that the car’s development was explicitly influenced by the emotional impact of the LFA, and Lexus deliberately kept production numbers low to make its flagship sports coupe so special.
Today, collectors are certainly circling the LC 500, focusing clearly on mileage, condition, and specification. They’re already paying genuine premiums for the right cars, no doubt attracted by the concept-car styling, that magnificent naturally aspirated V8, and the faint echo of the LFA. These collectors may always have known that the LC 500 looked and sounded like something worth keeping. But as Lexus has now removed any ongoing supply of new examples, buyers are recognizing the moment and are starting to pay accordingly.
2020 Lexus LC 500 RWD
Model
LC
MSRP
$92,950
Engine
5.0L V8 Gas
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Transmission
10-Speed Automatic
Horsepower
471 hp
Torque
398 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
City
16 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Expand
Sources: Lexus, Bring a Trailer.
