Isn't it great when a plan comes together and exceeds expectations? The Mecum Auctions podcast "On the Move" that Matt Avery and I cohost provides some terrific opportunities to review some fantastic cars and besides to interview a diverseness of very talented and interesting folks. So, when we had the chance to spend some time with a brand new 2022 Lexus LC500, we decided to venture up into beautiful Southern Wisconsin from our homes in Illinois, which are quite shut to that border. The amazing roads nosotros would travel and the beautiful scenery we would feel throughout our proposed 400-mile road trip was strategically planned with several stops along the mode to record some podcast segments with some deserving subjects.

The Lexus LC500 Coupe that we were assigned for the mission was a current-year model of a line that debuted in 2017 and has had only minor refinements annually upwardly to this indicate. This high-styled, ultra-luxe coupe takes plenty of inspiration from the legendary Lexus LFA that was produced from 2011 through 2013. In fact, the LC500 is fifty-fifty built in the exact factory every bit the LFA supercar, which certainly contributes to the quality, refinement and precision standards that Lexus is well known for. Powered past a 5.0L V-8 rated at 471 HP and equipped with a remarkable 10-speed automatic transmission, it has a rare combination of both performance and luxury in a iv-rider coupe platform. There are also retractable-elevation convertible and hybrid versions bachelor to round out the lineup. The muted snarl of the potent Five-8 nicely harmonizes with a silky smooth response that even works its way into the ride quality and steering while zipping from 0-lx MPH in around four seconds. Interestingly, when equipped with the optional active rear wheel steering, as our tester was, the driving sensation is almost telepathic at all levels. Yep, I was smitten with this wonderful car—especially when dressed in sparkling Cadmium Orange premium paint that is well worth the extra $595.

Within the futuristic cabin was high-quality Toasted Caramel leather and Alcantara headliner that was quite refreshing in dissimilarity to the typical black interiors we normally see. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this enchanting coupe comes at a steep toll. The base price is effectually $93,000, but the high-optioned example that Matt and I drove—which included the $9,570 Dynamic Handling Package boasting 21-inch forged alloy wheels with a polished terminate and gloss black accents—rings upwardly to a lofty $106,410, outpricing fifty-fifty a loaded C8 Corvette Coupe.

Our journeying past Milwaukee took us up to Kingdom of belgium, Wisconsin, where we toured Retrospeed, which is well known and respected as a height European and Japanese motorcycle restoration facility. Owner Brady Ingelse is an extraordinary talent, and each Jan, he attends the Mecum Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas; he showed us several bikes he has purchased there in the past few years. Even Mecum Motorcycle Division Director Greg Arnold met the states there and joined us for the podcast with his proficient insight into the current market trends.

Our next stop was the famed Road America racing facility at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where the Manager of Communications John Ewert met united states for another podcast segment. He brought Matt and me up to speed on the upcoming 2022 season, with NASCAR Cup dorsum again this year along with IndyCar, IMSA, motorcycles and plenty of vintage events. Our final stop was an unexpected bonus right down the road from the runway. Nosotros met Tom Kostrivas, co-owner of Throttlestop, and enjoyed a two-hour tour of his extensive and pinnacle-quality museum of world-course cars and motorcycles. I recognized quite a few of the vehicles he purchased from diverse Mecum auctions over the years. The facility itself, all new in 2017, is as well impressive and a very pop terminate for anybody who loves historic plus contemporary vehicles of all types. I highly recommend visiting. Finally, we headed due south on the famed Kettle Moraine Breathtaking

Drive route to our homes and bid farewell to our latest machine trounce after a near enjoyable outing. With all the driving nosotros did, we averaged out to near 23.4 MPG in the LC500; not far off from the EPA's 25 MPG highway rating. This class is full of competitors, but the LC continues to exist different in how information technology serves up its driving experience. Instead of centering on an aggressive performance border, the Lexus mixes a dash of sport with a heavier dose of cushy lavish motoring. That's a winning formula and one that all the same makes the LC500 readily stand up out. Taking a cruise in this luxury tourer was an exceptional way to welcome in the springtime and get a gustation of i of this year's elevation model offerings.