Lexus introduces the 2021 LC500 Inspiration Series

The Lexus LC500 needs no formal introduction. It greets all encounters with a growl from its 465bhp naturally aspirated V8 engine.

Its artfully chiseled lines and refined curvature marry luxury and performance in a way that only Lexus can, and the new 2021 LC500 Inspiration Series takes the grand touring coupe to the next level with an aviation-inspired design. The new LC500 Inspiration Series, the fifth on the LC platform, takes cue from a partnership between air race pilot Yoshihide Muroya and Lexus engineers.

The Lexus team worked on ways to create efficiencies for Muroya's aircraft for everything from the grip design of the control column to maximising aerodynamics efficiencies using testing data learned on Lexus automobiles. The partnership ultimately assisted Muroya on his path to winning the 2017 Red Bull Air Race World Championships.

With some of the same engineers who built the Lexus LFA supercar on board, Lexus took a unique approach to the aerodynamic efficiencies of Muroya's airplane by turning a preconceived concept on its head - literally. They found that taking an airplane wing and flipping it upside down created vortices that improved manoeuvrability and efficiency at the wingtips.

After the team was able to prove their theory on Muroya's aircraft through testing and competition success, the Lexus team then aimed to employ that knowledge onto the LC by creating an automotive wing prototype built from aluminium.

The team knew the final version, which would span nearly 1,820mm in width, would need to be light, durable and warp resistant. Carbon-fibre seemed like the appropriate material. Yet creating a carbon-fibre wing that large, much of which would be done by hand, would be a great challenge but it's one the engineers took head-on.

In the end, the engineering team created an exquisite Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) spoiler that meets the demanding production quality expected of Lexus vehicles.

The wing serves as the defining attribute of the new LC Inspiration Series, following the trailing edge arc of the trunk and uniquely defined with two downturned winglets on either end. The winglets, of course, are fully functional and create a vertical vortex that helps smooth out the turbulence generated from airflow along the car's flanks.

The 2021 LC500 Inspiration Series certainly has an interesting backstory, but its aerial inspiration is only part of the narrative. With only 100 units available in the United States, the latest Inspiration Series is a limited edition of the highest order.

Standing apart from the standard LC500, a magnificent vehicle in its own right, the 2021 Inspiration Series is accented with a combination of features not found on any other LC package.

The limited-edition vehicle is offered in one exterior colour, the superbly dark Obsidian, which is paired with bold and beautiful 21-inch black forged-alloy wheels that fill out the wheel wells. An eye-catching CFRP roof is standard, and it proves to be the perfect complement to the carbon-fibre rear air wing spoiler.

The LC500 Inspiration Series also gains some additional enhancements in driving performance thanks to the Torsen limited-slip differential. The high-capacity torque-sensing limited-slip rear differential efficiently distributes engine power to the rear axle, helping to optimise traction, handling and control in a variety of conditions. The Yamaha rear performance rod with damper provides added rigidity to the suspension package.

Stepping inside, the serialised badge on the center console immediately identifies the limited nature of the vehicle and its sequence of the 100 produced.

The cabin is adorned with black Alcantara-trimmed sport seats that feature elegant Saddle Tan accents and seat belts. The steering wheel and shift lever are also accented in black Alcantara trim. A carbon-fibre scuff plate accents the door, and once inside driver and passengers can bask in the sound of the standard Mark Levinson 13-speaker 915W Reference Surround Sound Audio system.