Lexus LS 500

The 2017 Lexus LS 500 arrives from a moment in the catalogue where refinement was still being shaped around traditional luxury sedan priorities. Its place among 600 cars is revealing: with 416 bhp it sits at 402nd for power, placing it in the top 67% of the collection, but its significance comes less from chasing the highest figures and more from the combination it represents. This is a luxury saloon built around a turbocharged V6, rear wheel drive layout, and that pairing appears in just 8 of the 600 cars.

The LS 500 occupies a distinctive middle ground in a dream garage. Its 0 to 100 km/h time of 5 seconds ranks 471st across the catalogue, faster than 129 cars, while its 250 km/h top speed ranks 414th. Those positions describe a car that is not defined by outright domination of performance tables, but by the way its ingredients come together. The 3.4 litre V6 produces 416 bhp and 599 Nm of torque, creating a profile that sits apart from the many cars in a collection that approach luxury through different formulas. Of the 600 cars, only 22 combine a V6 with rear wheel drive, making this configuration one of the LS 500's clearest points of distinction.

The £48,000 used price places it 454th in the catalogue, meaning it is more expensive than 146 cars but remains within reach compared with the highest priced machines available to collectors. Its cost per bhp of £115 reflects a different calculation from cars built around maximum output, focusing instead on a balance of specification and presence. Lexus contributes seven cars to the catalogue, while Japan accounts for 48 of the 600 cars, placing the LS 500 within a smaller national and brand grouping.

The LS 500 asks a collector to accept a specific compromise. Choosing it means passing over many cars that rank higher for acceleration, top speed, or power, in exchange for a rare catalogue combination of a turbocharged V6, rear wheel drive, and luxury sedan character. In a garage built from hundreds of possibilities, this Lexus occupies the space reserved for a car that does not need to lead every chart to bring something distinct to the collection.