Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer isn't shy about his company's plans for conquest.
"Japan doesn't have a luxury-car company," he said, speaking to reporters at the Tokyo Motor Show last month. "And I hope that Japan would adopt Aston Martin as its luxury-car company."
Presumably, such a statement caused a few executives at Lexus to do a double-take. To be accurate, Palmer was speaking of luxury in the sense of a Rolls-Royce or a Maybach, top-tier companies that sit above the premium BMW or Mercedes brands that Lexus ordinarily competes against. However, considering some of the machines Lexus is currently making, Palmer may have occasion to eat his words.
On the showroom floor of Open Road's Lexus dealership in Richmond, B.C., the 5.0-litre V-8 of an LC 500 coupe clears its throat with a bark of very un-Lexus-like aggression. This two-tonne grand tourer has been received with near-universal critical acclaim and more than a few voices are whispering that Lexus has built itself something of an Aston Martin.
To test this theory, I've lined up a sparring partner in the form of a borrowed, very low-mileage 2009 V8 Vantage. V-8 versus V-8 seems like a fair match, and where the Lexus will hold a technological advantage (being newer), the Aston Martin hits back at the heartstrings with a proper six-speed manual. Better yet, its owner, Nigel Matthews, is a Pebble Beach judge and former bodywork craftsman who once worked on one of the DB5s from Goldfinger.
The LC 500 is not about to take Aston Martin's theoretical heritage advantage lying down. No, Lexus can't point to the same century-long pedigree that Aston can, but it is not without its own ancestry. In point of fact, the Open Road dealership holds a little of the very DNA that went into making the LC 500 something special.
Tucked inside the building is a very rare left-hand-drive Toyota 2000GT. Now celebrating its 50th year, the 2000GT had its own association with James Bond (in You Only Live Twice) and marks the start of Toyota's partnership with Yamaha. Not too far away is another ancestor: a Lexus LFA, the V-10-powered supercar no one expected. The 2000GT showed Toyota could craft something beautiful; the LFA showed it could build a car to take on the best in the world.
The Toyota 2000GT, right, was featured in the James Bond film You Only Live Once. The LC 500 takes cues from the LFA, left, with its long-nosed proportions and sharply creased styling.
It's easy to see where the LC 500 takes cues from the LFA. It has the same classic, long-nosed proportions, melded with sharply creased styling. The futuristic design language the LFA hinted at arrives here in full force, equal parts Blade Runner and Japanese anime.
There is a unique Japanese word, tsujigiri, which means, roughly, the act of a samurai trying out a freshly sharpened katana on some hapless passerby. The LC 500 feels as if it were designed to do this to your eyeballs. It's impossible to look away.
However, after casting a critical eye over the LC's wilder cues, Matthews offers a vote of confidence. "I think it'll actually age reasonably well," he says.
By comparison, the Vantage's proportions are far more classical and unfussy. However, there's no question that the larger LC is a standout. Nearly every manufacturer these days imbues its designs with aggression, to the point the LC doesn't look overwrought when out in the world.
This being the Performance package-equipped LC, it comes with a carbon-fibre roof to underline speedy aspirations, wide 21-inch forged wheels and a retractable rear spoiler. The Aston is practically dainty by comparison.
However, there's nothing dainty about the way the Vantage's 4.7-litre V-8 snarls when you insert the chunky crystal key. There are plenty of other quirks in here to observe, from the counter-clockwise tachometer to the hilariously small navigation screen.
Everything about the Vantage is handmade: The factory famously has but a single robot, used for applying adhesive (it's nicknamed James Bonder, because of course it is). This gives the Vantage's interior human touches, such as the slight irregularities in the stitching.
The Vantage’s proportions are far more classical and unfussy, but there’s no question that the larger LC is a standout.
Yet, don't expect the LC 500's machine-fabricated interior to leave you cold. Lexus has again taken elements of the LFA to give their grand tourer a bit of supercar flavour. The controls for the driving modes, for instance, have moved up to the instrument binnacle and there's a prominent grab-handle for a nervous passenger. The central digital tachometer is huge.
However, the real take-away is the very high quality of the construction. From the perfectly crafted seats to the solid metal heft of the door handles, the LC 500 looks worth its considerable price tag ($115,100 for the Performance version).
Driving the cars back to back shows characters that are both worlds apart, yet closer than you'd expect. The Vantage is something of a dashing ruffian, an agile sports car that's quick and compact. The LC 500 is dreadnought-class by comparison, but isn't numb. If anything, Lexus has tuned a little too much sport into its flagship.
Still, the Lexus's 50-horsepower advantage is blunted by considerable weight, although its 10-speed automatic manages to keep acceleration times down. The sticky Michelins that are part of the Performance package give the Lexus excellent grip and the chassis is well composed through the bends. The Aston has the edge on outright feel, the LC on overall competence.
The split isn't a surprise, but the LC 500's charm is. It's almost as if the big Lexus is able to pass the Turing test; its intelligence is perhaps an artificial construct, but still convinces.
Moreover, as the Vantage takes its leave and snarls off to the north, one question at least has been answered. Whether relentless reliability is worth the trade-off for a handmade feel and occasional quirks – and vice-versa – is still up in the air.
But as to whether Japan has a proper luxury-car manufacturer? Perhaps Aston Martin shouldn't be so quick to apply for adoption.
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