Lexus LS 500h

The Lexus LS 500h creates an unusual split in the Dream Car Garage catalogue: it sits 498th of 600 cars for 0 to 100 km/h, yet reaches a 250 km/h top speed that places it 414th. The gap between those numbers reveals a car built around a different interpretation of performance, where outright acceleration is not the only measure of capability. Its 354 bhp and 500 Nm from a naturally aspirated V6 hybrid system deliver a luxury sedan experience shaped by balance rather than chasing the sharpest figures in the catalogue.

That character becomes clearer when the LS 500h is viewed against the other 599 choices available. Its power ranking places it in the lower part of the collection, with 460th place overall, but its 3,456 cc V6 hybrid layout occupies a far narrower space. Only 51 cars in the catalogue use a V6, just 22 combine a V6 with rear wheel drive, and only 8 are naturally aspirated V6 cars. The LS 500h therefore stands apart not because it dominates a single statistic, but because its combination of features is less common within a catalogue of very different machines.

As a 2018 Lexus LS 500h, this is a 4/5 seater sedan from Japan with rear wheel drive and a naturally aspirated 3.5 litre V6 hybrid powertrain. Its 5.4 second 0 to 100 km/h time and 250 km/h top speed place it firmly within the luxury category, while its used price of £55,000 positions it 415th of 600 cars by cost, meaning 185 catalogue cars sit above it in price. The £155 cost per bhp adds another perspective, showing a machine where the purchase is not defined simply by chasing the largest output for the money.

The LS 500h occupies an interesting corner of the collection. Lexus has 7 cars in the catalogue, and Japan contributes 48 of the 600 entries, giving this car a clear place within the wider selection. A collector choosing it accepts a trade-off: less emphasis on headline acceleration in exchange for a rare blend of V6 character, hybrid technology, rear wheel drive and luxury sedan composure. It brings a different kind of completeness to a garage, one where the fastest option is not always the one that changes the way the collection feels.